Rolla will enter a new era this season with Charley Parker taking over the program after spending the last six years down the road at Richland, a program that was over .500 in each of his last four seasons, including a district title in 2018.
He takes over a program that won its first district championship in more than a decade, ending with a Class 4 Elite Eight run.
Parker will look to guide a talented roster of three returning starters and 11 total letterwinners back to March Madness.
“There is a high expectation in the community, the program, as well as the coaching staff,” said Parker. “With the excitement from last season and the success that the team had the community is excited to see what this year can produce. Anytime that you return the majority of your roster from a 24-4 team it should feel special.”
The Lady Bulldogs will have one of the area’s top duos at its disposal in senior point guard Ellie Rodgers and classmate Rebecca Janke, a 6-foot-3 post player.
Both were First-Team All-Ozark Conference selections, while Rodgers also earned Class 4 All-State honors. She averaged 11.4 points, 3.5 assists and 2.6 steals. Janke added 8.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 blocks.
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“These two young ladies are amazing faces for our program,” said Parker. “Their veteran presence and their leadership sets a great example not only on the court but off as well for the younger kids in our program. To bring back these two means a lot to our program, a lot of last year’s success was driven by these two girls along with (Loran) Pritchett. I think their experience, work ethic, and knowledge for the game will lead us to another successful season.”
Loran Pritchett, a 5-foot-11 senior, gives Rolla another long athlete with experience. She averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season.
“She will have a huge impact on our success,” said Parker. “This young lady’s work ethic and leadership will help drive us to a successful season. She plays both ends of the floor at a high level and has a great IQ for the game, she is always ready to step up to the occasion.”
Rolla also has one of the area’s top young duos in 6-foot forward Savannah Campbell and 5-foot-6 guard Carli Libhart. Campbell put up 9.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and a block per game. Libhart added 9.4 points and 1.7 steals. She also knocked down 37 3-pointers.
They’ll look to make even larger contributions this winter.
“I feel like I have one of the best sophomore classes in the area and with these two ladies at the top,” said Parker. “They played a ton of minutes at the varsity level last season. The one thing that I think will help them the most is a year of maturity. They came up from junior high and jumped straight up to a higher level of competition that’s tough to do as a freshman. I think with one more year of maturity they will feel more comfortable and confident at this level which will help their productivity. They are very good players and strive to get better every day. I could see them playing a huge factor into our upcoming season.”
Senior Kate Brand is a 5-foot-11 post player that will provide depth in the paint. A trio of sophomore guards in Taniya Corley, Madison Mace and Sara Coverdale have also proven that they’re ready for more minutes this year.
Parker and Rolla will have several hurdles in front of them, but one of the biggest off the court could be managing expectations.
The Lady Bulldogs went winless in 2014-15, part of a 10-year span where Rolla didn’t finish above .500.
Now, after last year’s run, Rolla will have a target on its back every night as one of the top Class 4 teams in Missouri.
The challenge is one that Parker and company embrace as they again look to not only push Kickapoo for the conference championship, but also get over the hump and make a Final Four run.
“The Ozark Conference is one of the best conferences in the state of Missouri,” said Parker. “There are a ton of amazing athletes and some of the best coaches in the state in this conference. I feel that they all need to be respected and we need to prepare for each game like it is the top team in the state.
“I think that we will need to stay humble and trust in one another to have a successful season. We must strive to get better every day. It will be a learning curve to adjust to a new system, but I think with the talent and the kid’s work ethic we will be fine. I think that we will be competitive and will be tough in our conference. We have some really good guards that can spread the floor and knock down the outside shot to open up our post game. This group is really good on the defensive end of the floor and I don’t expect that to change, if we can turn some defensive mishaps into scoring opportunities, take care of the ball and execute on the offensive end we will give ourselves a good shot to come out on top at the end.”
Rolla will open the 2019-20 season on Nov. 23 against Columbia Hickman. Kickapoo will come to Rolla on Jan. 13.
