By Amanda Perkins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Mountain Grove welcomes a new head coach for the second year in a row with the addition of Mike Mallow. Mallow has coached for 34 years, including leading boys’ teams at Mtn. Grove and Willow Springs, but this is his first time to lead a girls’ team. He inherits a group that went 10-15 and lost in the first round of districts last year, but also only lost one starter to graduation.
Addy Welch played 12 games before her season ended in injury, and Destiny Caldwell provided depth in the paint for the Lady Panthers. Their leadership will be missed this year.
The Lady Panthers return a core of athletes who are looking to bring their team above .500 this season. Sophomore Raylee Stenzel made second team all-SCA in her breakout year. The leading scorer and second-leading rebounder is athletic, adding 13.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
Senior Reagan Hoerning is a four-year starter “and an outstanding athlete,” said Mallow. The second-leading scorer and leading rebounder with 11.8 rebounds and 10.5 points per game earned all-district and all-SCA nods last season.
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Jozey MacPherson finished last season as the point guard and is an excellent athlete. She will be recovering from an injury and availability for this season is unknown. The junior averaged 6.8 points per game and 3.5 rebounds.
Junior Campbell Welch is a good shooter and can play some point as well, per her coach. She averaged 7.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
Kaily Wake is another athletic junior who is a skilled defender and added 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Landry Golden, sophomore, provides a post presence for Mtn. Grove.
Mountain Grove will continue a similar style of uptempo play that they are used to, and their team speed is a strength. They will participate in the Mansfield Jamboree November 15, and will compete in the Fordland Invitational November 28. The Lady Panthers will host Hartville December 5 to officially open their season.
