Page 38 - 2018 TR Basketball Preview

38SS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2018 | THREE RIVERS EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASKETBALL PREVIEW
MOUNTAIN VIEW LADY YELLOWJACKETS
Lady Jackets look to senior leadership
BY DONNA LAMPKIN STEPHENS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Mountain View reached the Class 3A girls state-championship game last season, falling to Charleston in Hot Springs, 67-59, to finish 30-3.
That followed a 29-3, state-semifinal showing in 2017, when the season ended against eventual runner-up Valley Springs.
“The past two years were special,” said coach Casey Scribner, 62-6 heading into his third season atop the Lady Yellowjackets program. “This is a new year with new challenges. Our players know what it takes to make a run in the postseason. We will just need to stay healthy and get some breaks.”
Back to lead that effort are four returning starters. Kaley Shipman, a 5-8 senior guard, is a three-time all-state player. Aubrey Isbell, a 5-9 sophomore guard, earned all-conference honors as a freshman. Kadyn Johnson, a 5-7 junior guard; and Chaelann Vickers, a 5-9 sophomore forward, round out the returning starters.
RITA WARD/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Mountain View senior Kaley Shipman makes a behind-the-back pass.
“Last year we had so many different kids; they played different roles,” Scribner said. “Some games they started; some they didn’t. Some were great role players, and of course, we have some excep- tional players as well.”
Of Shipman, the point guard, Scribner said: “I don’t like to keep records, but if there was one word to describe her, it would be ‘winner.’”
He said Johnson had been a vital role player the past two years.
“She’s one who at the end of the game makes end-game decisions,” Scribner said. “She’s the glue kid who makes everything go. She can play mul- tiple positions.”
In his 18th season of coaching, Scribner said he had had success in previous years in bringing up freshmen to the varsity. Isbell and Vickers are the latest in that run.
“These girls were very ready athletically and maturitywise,” he said. “They stepped in last year
and learned the ropes from the older kids. We’re hoping they can keep that tradition going here.”
Other Lady Jackets expected to contribute heavily this season are Caitlynn Lopez, a 6-0 junior forward, and Avery Decker, a 5-5 junior guard.
“Caitlynn Lopez has good size and strength,” Scribner said. “Along with our returning starters outside, Avery Decker will have a vital role in our success. She is a good outside shooter and provides great energy.”
Team strengths include the senior leadership of Shipman, who has committed to Arkansas Tech, Johnson and guard Dusty Nesbitt.
“They have a lot of big-game experience,” Scribner said.
However, the Lady Jackets will have to overcome an overall lack of size and become better rebound- ers, the coach said. Lopez is their biggest player.
“In the league we play, we’re going to be fine with our size, but when it comes to big games ...,” Scribner said. “In the past, we’ve had three girls like Caitlynn. We’ve been huge. This year, we’ll look a little different on the court.”
Mountain View will play in the 3A-1 East against Bergman, Clinton, Green Forest, Marshall, Valley Springs and Rose Bud. Rose Bud reached the Class 3A quarterfinals last season.
Last year, Mountain View won the 3A-1 East district title after playing that cycle in the old blended conference.
“I think you could say on paper we’re favored, but you know how the season goes with inju- ries,” Scribner said. “It’s just about staying healthy and getting the right breaks. I think we’ll have a chance.”
HOXIE LADY MUSTANGS
LADY MUSTANGS continued from 37SS
for a point guard and is becoming a better shooter each year.”
Glenn, who was a two-year starter in McCleod, Texas, before transferring to Hoxie, is “extremely quick and does a good job of getting to the basket and is able to knock down the open shot,” Chipman said.
Junior guard Cassidy Clayton averaged 8 points per game off the bench last year while shooting 39 percent from the 3-point line. The coach said she has an extremely quick release and “will make you pay if you give her space.”
Sophomore guard Jaedyn Brown averaged
more than 8 points per game last year after mov- ing up from junior high a season ago.
“She’s a high-energy player with top-notch speed who is not afraid to sit down and guard you,” Chipman said.
Hoxie finished 22-11 last year and only has eight girls on the roster this season, so the Lady Mustangs will have to be careful with their foul situation most nights, the coach said.
“Our size is going to be tough for teams to match up against,” Chipman said. “We like to get out and run, and we want to guard you man to man.
“We have seven girls who can go out and average double figures.”