By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Marionville Lady Comets fielded a young starting lineup last season, but the experience that young lineup gained should benefit the Lady Comets, who enter this season with a new head coach.
Marionville finished 12-14 overall and 2-4 in the Southwest Conference while starting two freshmen, two sophomores and one junior.
“These girls showed great improvement throughout the season and seemed to really take on a new attitude in the postseason,” said first-year coach Casey Young. “These girls are competitors. They want to be successful and will do whatever it takes to be successful.”
While it may be Young’s first season as Marionville’s varsity head coach, she is quite familiar with her players – many of whom she coached in middle school.
‘You are the future of Lady Comet basketball’ – that is what I have told these girls since they were in seventh grade and they have bought into that role and taken ownership of their program,” Young said.
“These girls are laying the foundation for the future of their program. As these girls have taken ownership and set goals for their program, Coach Blane Redus and I have already seen a tremendous change in the mind-set of the girls. Confidence and competition will create the winning mind-set that will be at the core of everything we do. Your brain believes what you tell it, so say you CAN and work hard for what you want.”
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The key returnees from last season include Bre Schapeler, Olivia Hopkins, Lucy Newberry, Hannah Phillips and Zailee Holder.
• Bre Schapeler, 5-9 senior forward/guard – “Our lone senior has been working hard in the offseason,” Young said. “Bre has spent her offseason in the weight room and in the gym. This girl will step on the court bigger, faster and stronger. Her heart for her team will show up in her leadership skills. She is always encouraging and building up her team. Her goal is to become better for the sake of her team, and she has definitely done that.”
• Olivia Hopkins, 5-11 junior post – Earned all-district and all-conference honorable mention honors. “Olivia Hopkins will definitely be a force to be reckoned with inside the paint this year. She stepped up and did big things as a sophomore and I expect more from her as a junior. Olivia is a great teammate. She has put in lots of extra work to improve her game. The time she has put in the weight room this summer should add the strength that she needs to get the job done that we need.”
• Lucy Newberry, 5-11 sophomore guard – “Lucy Newberry was a freshman starter last year. That experience on the varsity court as a freshman has given her the drive that she needs to take control and push her team to the next level. Lucy’s height and ability to handle (the ball) warrants her as a matchup nightmare anywhere on the floor. Lucy has put in a summer worth of strength and conditioning that will give her an edge that she didn’t have as a freshman.”
• Hannah Phillips, 5-6 sophomore guard – “Defensively ruthless is the best way to describe Hannah Phillips. Hannah stepped up and handled the ball for us this summer when Newberry was out with a stress fracture in her foot, and she did a great job. Hannah has a confidence that she lacked as a freshman. Hannah is defensive-minded and will go to whatever length is necessary to get the job done. I anticipate her wreaking havoc on each and every opponent. She is that player on the court that would run through a brick wall for her team.”
• Zailee Holder, 5-3 sophomore guard – “Zailee Holder is one of the hardest working kids I know. ‘Small but mighty’ sums her up nicely. Holder gave some very important defensive minutes last year as a freshman. The work Zailee has put into the weight room this year has shown us just how hard she is willing to work for her team. I am looking forward to her and Phillips being the defensive demolition crew.”
The Lady Comets have more young players on the way looking to contribute to the team this season.
• Addison Bateman, 5-9 freshman – “Addison puts in her time in the gym. She wants to get better, and it shows. Addison worked her tail off in the weight room this summer and played every chance she got. This girl has something to prove for sure; she is competing for a spot every day. I am expecting some big varsity minutes from her.”
• Maggie Murphy, 5-9 freshman – “The competitive edge that Maggie Murphy brings to the table will push the entire program to be better. She is another one that never missed a day of summer ball and weights. She definitely bought in to Coach Evans’ weight program this summer and she saw it take her game to a new level. I am expecting Maggie to step up and give us some varsity minutes.”
• Anna Bright, 5-5, freshman – “Anna Bright is a multi-sport athlete. She is dedicated to her school and making herself better for all her teams. Anna Bright is a defensive force and continues to work on her handle and shot to be the best she can be for her team.”
• Evie Brown, 5-9, freshman – “Evie Brown is one like so many of these girls that I have had since middle school basketball. If I could pick a girl that was most-improved from 7-9, it would be this girl. Evie is always improving her game and I couldn’t be prouder.”
• Patience Nelson, 5-9, freshman – “Patience is putting in a lot of offseason work. She is working on her ballhandling and her shot every chance she gets. This girl is a great teammate and always encouraging. She is a track athlete, so she is already in great shape and helping to push our offseason girls.”
• Hannah Oczkus, 5-11, freshman – “Hannah Oczkus is a another one that spends her offseason in the gym. Hannah has a very good handle on her and will be able to be used inside and outside the paint with her size. Hannah joined the rest of the girls pushing hard in the weight room this summer.”
• Lexy Gaines, 5-6, sophomore – “Lexy moved to Marionville in middle school. Due to a knee injury, this is the first opportunity she has had to join us on the basketball court. Lexy has been putting work in this offseason, shooting, ballhandling and working on getting back in shape to give us some minutes on the court this year.”
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‘Defensive ruthlessness’ is how Young says her team will attack every game.
“Our conference is tough,” Young said. “We plan on stepping on the court to compete every second of every game. These girls are hungry this year. We may get beat, but they will have to bleed to do it. No free passes.
“We shocked a lot of people last year when we played in the district championship. With Coach (Paden) Grubbs at the helm, these kids came together and meshed well at the right time, and I anticipate that carrying over into this year.”
The Lady Comets will participate in a jamboree at Galena with Billings and Spokane on Nov. 13 before opening the regular season in the Verona Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 20-24.
“This core group wants to win at everything they do and will work for it,” Young said. “The expectation is to return to the district championship. These girls are looking to put some more numbers in the win column this year, so every game to them is a key matchup. We are young as a whole but these girls are capable of big things.”
