By Kary Booher
Talk about planning ahead. After last basketball season, coach Shannon Crain mapped this out for the Norwood Lady Pirates: Split into two summer ball teams and get ready for the Scallywag Tournament at home in early December.
Scallywag being a catchy pirate term, of course, with the tournament being – get this – somewhat of a Class 2 district tournament preview.
You see, among teams Crain invited to the Scallywag, set for the week of Dec. 5, are district opponents Mansfield, Gainesville, Hartville and Plato. Yeah, yikes.
“I hope we carry over what we’ve done in the past,” Crain said. “Fortunately, they don’t have to relearn the system. Hopefully we can just fine-tune some things.”
Norwood was 22-6 last season, falling to Gainesville in the district tournament championship game. Fortunately for the Lady Pirates, seven returning letterwinners are back, including seniors Emily Chadwell, Jenna Ogletree and Emma McIntosh.
Chadwell averaged 11.4 points, 4.6 assists and 3.6 steals last season, when she was All-Summit Conference and all-district. She will be a four-year starter.
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“(Emily)’s gotten better every year,” Crain said. “Her outside shot came along this summer, and I think she’s right up at the top with the guards in the region in our class.”
Ogletree averaged 13.1 points and 7.5 rebounds a game last season, when she also was all-conference and all-district. She and Chadwell are within striking distance of scoring 1,000 career points.
“Ogletree’s got size. She’s a pretty strong player and tough to stop around the post,” Crain said.
McIntosh averaged 4.3 points a year ago and will be a third-year starter.
“She looked good this summer posting up,” Crain said. “She can shoot outside, too, so she’s one of my most versatile players.”
The team also includes junior and third-year starter Chloe Crain, who averaged 4.3 points a game last season. Other returning letterwinners are Emma Nelson, a junior, and sophomores Sara McIntosh and Marla Chadwell.
For Crain, there is much to be excited about as he heads into his fourth year at Norwood. That’s why he split up the team over the summer and deployed each to a league in Mansfield.
The idea came after a season in which Norwood lost six games to only three teams – three times to Gainesville, twice to Hartville and once to Houston.
“Hopefully (the summer work) makes them better, especially our sophomores and freshmen,” said Crain, who is 53-26 at Norwood and 302-202 overall, having coached 16 seasons of Plato boys’ basketball. “Just getting the playing against upperclassmen, you get the butterflies out.”
Sara McIntosh may well benefit. She is a 5-foot-11 forward/center.
“She has potential to be pretty dominate,” Crain said. “She’s tall and has long arms.”
With this mix of a roster, it should allow Crain to adjust his offense. At times, they’ll press. But the size gives the Lady Pirates a chance to grind out half-court games, too.
“We’re excited,” Crain said, noting several girls were on the softball that played deep into October. “Our bench is going to be deep. And hopefully we’ll be a little stronger.”
