By Derek Shore
Under fourth-year head coach Daryl Harbaugh, Seneca will have to cope with the losses of five lettermen, including three starters from a team that finished 14-12 overall and 4-4 in league play. Those graduating seniors include guards Willow Rhoades, Macy VanDorn, and Elena Wood (All-Conference Honorable Mention) and forwards Mikalee Kime and Cheyane Brown.
On a positive note, Harbaugh and Seneca will return six more lettermen, including two starters and 31.6 points per game overall.
Headlining the returnees is returning leading scorer Maranda Cooper for the Lady Indians. Cooper, a 5-foot-6, senior post player, averaged 11.4 points and four rebounds per game. Harbaugh called her a good, solid player on the inside.
Payton Clouse and Kayleigh Hancock will round out the returning senior class. Clouse, standing at 5-foot-5, scored 6.5 points per game last season, posting 2.5 rebounds and one assist. Hancock, a 5-foot-6, post, chipped in a three-point effort, including 3.1 assists. Harbaugh sees Clouse as a hard-working guard, who will be featured in the backcourt. He expects Hancock to contribute thanks to her play inside.
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In addition, Seneca will receive contributions from a trio of returning sophomores – Chaney Platner, Taylor Mailes, and Sara Hoover.
Platner, standing at 5-foot-3, posted a stat line of 2.1 points, one rebound, one assist, and 1.1 steals in limited varsity action last season. Mailes, a 5-foot-3 player, averaged 5.6 points per game, including two rebounds, three assists, and 2.1 steals. Hoover, standing at 5-foot-5, had 3.1 points with 2.2 rebounds in limited time as well.
Harbaugh said Platner is a young guard, who will give the Lady Indians strong minutes in the backcourt. He also mentioned Mailes as the point guard, who will get everyone involved. Hoover is another young player, who Harbaugh said will work hard on the inside glass.
The group, a mix of experience and youth in 2017, will look to top the graduating seniors after being eliminated by El Dorado Springs in the first round of Class 3, District 12 playoffs last season.
“It’s always hard to replace seniors,” Harbaugh said. “One thing we can’t coach is experience. There is always someone, who will need to step up and fill the void. I expect that to happen this year.”
Harbaugh said the Lady Indians will have to play solid defense to compete this year as their offense remains pedestrian.
“I’ll be looking to find an offense that the girls are comfortable with,” he hinted, “and that we might be able to use to score a few points. But, defense will be our best friend.”
Even though Carl Junction departed for the COC-Large, Harbaugh anticipates the Big 8 as robust as ever with the likes of Mt. Vernon, East Newton, Lamar, Aurora, McDonald County, and Cassville expected to compete atop the conference.
“We have a good group of girls that will play hard (this season),” Harbaugh said. “It should make for a fun year. Our conference is very strong. We will be lucky to finish in the middle of the pack.”
Seneca opens the new season at Neosho on Nov. 21. The Lady Indians start up at home with a matchup against Diamond on Dec. 12.
