By Amanda Perkins
The Mountain Grove Lady Panthers will be regrouping following a two-win season, with a new coach to lead them.
Vallie (Rogers) Hoerning is a Mountain Grove alumnus and comes to the program from the Physical Therapy Specialist’s Clinic in Mtn. Grove.
“Long term, we are in a situation of rebuilding the program, re-establishing a winning tradition and a positive culture for Lady Panther basketball,” she said. “My assistant, Karrie (Penner) Welch and I bleed maroon as 1989 Mtn. Grove grads and SBU basketball alumni, and we want nothing more than to have winning teams and develop a program that the school, community, and area can be proud of.”
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The Lady Panthers lost only one senior, Mary Pursell, who put up 23 points in the team’s victory on Senior Night against Cabool.
Mountain Grove’s roster will once again list Kacey Watson, a SCA Honorable Mention player last year who competed in only 11 games due to a knee injury to start the season. Her stats included 7.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. The junior forward will see more time on the perimeter this year.
Makenzie Gardener, a move-in from Dora, earned all-district and all-conference honors last year. She is a versatile player that can post up inside or shoot the 3. The 5’10” senior contributed 11.4 ppg, 5.8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2.6 steals in her junior season.
Juniors Jayden Jordan and Skylar Homer and sophomores Sydney Noel and Kadee Sheppard round out the returners.
Senior Rachel Loughridge did not play last year but can handle the ball, score, and defend well. Katie Wolter is another senior who didn’t come out last season, but is an excellent defender and can help handle the ball and score in transition. Ashton Albrecht is a senior who moved in last season but didn’t finish the year. The six-footer will play the post and has the potential for a break-out year.
Kinley Collins, sophomore, is also a new face for the Lady Panthers and should be a steady player to provide support as a guard. Tommi Gardener, sister to Makenzie and another move-in from Dora, will play forward.
Hoerning said the Lady Panthers could be competitors and even conference contenders if they can work together as a team. “If everyone remains healthy, we have enough numbers to keep intensive defensive pressure on, hopefully creating steals and easy scoring opportunities. Our ability to improve defensively and gel as a team will be the key to our success. We must improve weekly and turn some decent athletes into basketball players.”
The Lady Panthers open their season November 26 by hosting Cabool.
