By John Miller (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
After serving as a long-time assistant coach for the Glendale Lady Falcons in her past, Trish Marsh is back.
The new head coach of the Lady Falcons takes over a program that returns four starters and seven lettermen from a team that finished 6-19 last year and lost to Parkview in the opening round of districts.
Marsh was an assistant coach at Glendale when it won a state title in 1996. Now she hopes to help the program return to prominence in the state and will do so with a roster full of familiar faces.
Only Kaitlyn Baird is missing from last year’s team after graduating this past May. In her absence, senior Gabby Mathews will help shoulder a leadership role on the team this season.
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“I’m honored to step in as a senior leader this season,” said Mathews, a 6-foot senior guard who has verbally committed to play collegiately at Evangel and averaged 9.6 points and 3.6 rebounds last year. “I know a lot of girls will step up and help us out, even at a young age. Coach Marsh has done so much to prepare us for the season, and I think we have a lot to be excited about.”
Mathews should provide the Lady Falcons with a consistent scorer. Her ability to knock down mid-range jumpers and mix it up inside makes her a threat at the offensive end. But she’s not the only threat Glendale has. Reigning All-Conference selection Hannah Pinkston, a 6-foot junior, also returns and should bring a strong offensive presence with her. “She is a playmaker that has a knack for getting to the rim,” Marsh said of Pinkston, who averaged 8.2 points and 3.4 rebounds last year. “We’re looking for her to be more of an offensive threat this season.”
“I’m very excited to help lead our team this season,” Pinkston said. “We have a young team that has put in a lot of work the past few months. I am very excited to see how we all play together this season.”
Also returning for the Lady Falcons are Grace Mathews, Gabby’s sister, and Kyndall Phillips and Abbey Hirsch. Grace, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, gives Glendale a good outside-shooting presence. She made 35 3s and shot 31 percent from 3-point range “She is a guard with some size that can pose matchup problems for other teams,” Marsh said. Phillips, a 5-foot-5 sophomore, is best known for her defensive ability and Hirsch, a 5-foot-7 junior, is returning from a knee injury she suffered in the spring. Marsh expects her to be an offensive threat from the perimeter.
Glendale will rely on these returners to help establish the Lady Falcons on offense. Last year, Glendale averaged just 41 points per game and shot 33 percent from the field and 24 percent from 3-point range. They’ll need to improve on those numbers to have a more successful season this year.
The Lady Falcons will also turn to a group of newcomers this season to help the program re-establish itself as one of the best in the area. These newcomers include seniors Anna Frederick, Mikaela ingemi, and Nedia Crawford, juniors Lucy Williamson and Emma Donegan, and sophomores Natalie LaCroix, Madison Marsh, Karly Ott, and Abbi Rankin.
“I am very excited to see growth in our team throughout the season,” Marsh said. “Our goal is to get better with each game, work on fundamentals, and create a competitive environment.”
Glendale opens its season November 20th at Willard.
