By Calen VanNess
After a down year last season, new head coach Cecil Meyer is ready for the challenge of making the Thayer Lady Bobcats a competitive force once again.
Thayer finished last season at 10-16 overall (4-3 in the South Central Association) with a loss in the first round of districts. The Lady Bobcats bring back four starters and are looking for a turnaround season in 2016-17.
“Although we are coming off a 10-win season, the expectations for this group are high,” said Meyer. “I believe we have a little of everything: good guard play, post players who can score and rebound and wing players who can shoot well enough to keep [the other team] honest.”
Leading the way for the Lady Bobcats is sophomore and all- conference guard Julie Stone.
“I believe she led us in every statistical category last year,” said Meyer of his standout guard. “She is a player who can really score the basketball but has always looked to pass first.”
Also returning for the Lady Bobcats are seniors McKale Ary, Grayce Moore and Kyla Crawford, juniors Mikayla Allen, April Earls and August Earls, and sophomore Angela Sorrell.
Ary, Moore, and Sorrell, along with Stone, were starters last year and are expected to bring some important leadership traits to the team.
“Angela [Sorrell] is extremely athletic and will be moving outside the paint this season,” said Meyer. “Moore can make shots in bunches, and Ary is very quick and will help us defensively.”
Some newcomers to the squad will allow Meyer some flexibility when his team gets in foul trouble. Senior Caity Coursey is a 5’11” athletic player who did not play last season but is expected to be one of Thayer’s top 3-point shooters this season. Junior Caity Jones looks to bolster the deep lineup with physicality and aggressive play. Junior Taylor Madden is a newcomer coming off a knee surgery, but Meyer expects her to also play a role in Thayer’s success.
Thayer seems to be an exciting team to watch on the offensive end, but Meyer knows that their success will be determined by their play on the defensive end.
“We will play an up-tempo style that will allow us to score,” said Meyer. “We just don’t need to rely on outscoring the other team every night because late in the year we will need to be able to sit down and guard. Our length and athleticism will lend itself to playing a physical pressure defense.”
Because of the team’s makeup this year, Meyer sees this team having an entirely new identity from last year’s squad.
“We will be a totally different team,” said Meyer. “I believe we can go ten players deep and still keep at least four kids on the floor at all times who are very capable of scoring the basketball.”
Meyer is well aware of the tough road ahead, however.
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“Our district is a rough one with two teams in it that played in the state finals last year, plus a very good Alton team,” said Meyer. “I believe our conference has five or six teams that could win it this year, so with a competitive conference like that it will get us ready for districts.”
The Lady Bobcats begin their season in the Van Buren Invitational on Nov. 28.
