By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Jennifer Perryman has firmly established herself as one of the top coaches in the COC, with her third 19-plus win season in six years at Nixa last winter.
But, this season will have a different feel.
Standout guard Emily Edwards, one of the top players in the Ozarks, will miss the entire season due to a medical condition.
A loss that will impact the Lady Eagles on and off the court.
“This has been extremely difficult for our program because of the love and respect we have for Emily,” said Perryman. “It is something we will never understand but she has handled it with grace and maturity and is making the best of it. She will transition into a student-coach role and help with our guard development.”
Even with the loss of Edwards, Nixa will still have yet another talented roster.
Senior Gabby Nielsen was an All-COC and All-District selection last year. The 5-foot-8 guard has already committed to Truman State University.
“I am extremely proud of how hard Gabby continually works on her game,” said Perryman. “She will be a huge component of our style of play this season. She is hungry to win and she is a tremendous example of what a true teammate is. I look for her to lead our younger kids and show them the standards of our program.”
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Junior Tori Yantis is another player that Perryman is excited about.
She has no problem defending in the post, but offensively can score at all three levels, something the Eagles will need this season.
“Tori has a lot of potential and really saw some success this summer,” said Perryman. “She has the versatility to play inside and outside and will really be a struggle for some opponent matchups. Once Tori’s self-confidence matches her ability she will be unstoppable.”
Junior Katie Kamies and sophomore Ali Kamies give the Lady Eagles two long, athletic wing players that can get it done at both ends.
“Katie is an unbelievable athlete and competitor,” said Perryman. “Her basketball instincts are something that cannot be taught. That, along with the fact that her skillset improves every day, will make her a huge factor for us this season.
“Ali is one of the most athletic kids around. Her competitive spirit and her true talent will turn a lot of heads this season. She will play a tremendous amount of minutes for us.”
With so many starters and letterwinners gone, there will be several new faces adjusting to varsity basketball and competing for minutes in the rotation.
Those competitions will continue to play themselves out throughout the season, but Perryman believes the biggest hurdle for this group to achieve will be how quickly they can get acclimated to each other.
With a schedule that includes Fayetteville (Ark.), Rock Bridge and the Olathe East (Kan.) Tournament before Christmas, it’ll be imperative that meshing happens quickly.
“There is some talent in this group but they will absolutely have to come together as a team,” said Perryman. “If we can fight the some of the issues that current culture tends to cause, we can have some team success. Each player on our varsity team has the ability to contribute significantly in their own way.”
Nixa will open the 2019-20 season on Nov. 26 at home against Parkview.
