By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Carthage Lady Tigers bumped up their strength of schedule in 2022 in hopes of preparing them for the postseason.
And even though the results produced just over a .500 record, coach Taylor Beck said her team was able to learn from the losses and will look to turn those losses into wins this season.
“One thing I was really proud of last year’s team was the grit they put into most games,” said Beck who is 36-24 going into her fifth season at Carthage. “I always tell them to leave everything on the field and for the most part, that’s what the team did as a whole.
“One hard lesson that they learned is they have to set the pace of the game or things don’t line up like we want them to. If we are playing a team that is slower-paced, we liked to match that, which resulted in a few more losses than we anticipated going into the season. The biggest takeaway from last year is our grit pays off. If we start every game like we finish, we will do some big things this year.”
The Lady Tigers finished 10-9 overall and 4-5 in the Central Ozark Conference in 2022 and return four key players in seniors Daniela Marquez, Kianna Yates, Sonia Lopez and sophomore Kimberly Monterroso.
• Daniela Marquez, senior forward; earned first-team all-district and all-conference honors; scored the most goals for the team in 2021 with 22 and could break the career mark (63) held by her sister, Briana, a 2019 graduate. Daniela currently stands at 51 goals after missing her freshman season because of COVID. “Daniela is a key player for our offense,” Beck said. “She is a smart player on the field and very versatile. The girls look up to her and the way she plays. She sets the bar high for the others to reach and when they do reach that bar, there’s no stopping them as a team.”
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• Kianna Yates, senior forward; named first-team all-district and all-conference. “Kianna is a very humble player. She’s excellent at being in the right place at the right time. She’s very coachable and reads the field excellently.”
• Sonia Lopez, senior defender. “A key defender in our back line, Sonia really takes control on the field. Her communication is excellent and never brings anyone down, rather, it encourages them to get to her level. She is an extremely hard worker on and off the field and always pushes herself to reach higher goals.”
• Kimberly Monterroso, sophomore defender. “Kimberly is a very versatile player and works hard no matter where she’s playing on the field. She is very coachable and up for any challenge or position we put her in.”
Beck says some strengths of her team include having strong leaders, who don’t accept mediocrity, plus the discipline they display.
“I really like that when they are on the field, they take charge and encourage each other to be the best they can be,” Beck said. “They know that being disciplined on and off the field is the number one priority for us as coaches. If they aren’t willing to be disciplined on the field then the goals we have set won’t be reached. Luckily, they are very intrinsically motivated, which goes hand and hand with being disciplined, in my opinion.”
The Lady Tigers’ freshman class could also contribute to the varsity roster this season.
“We have some freshmen coming up that have been coming to some offseason conditioning practices that should make a good impact on our team,” Beck said. “Their work ethic seems to match what our returners are giving, so that alone will benefit our 2023 team.”
Carthage will work to find players to fill the holes left by the Marquez twins, Nicole and Carla, who are both playing at Crowder College.
• Nicole Marquez earned first-team all-district and all-conference honors. “We will miss Nicole in our backline taking charge. Luckily, we have another player that will fill her role wonderfully.”
• Carla Marquez was named honorable mention all-district. “Carla was a key offensive player for us and one that the girls looked up to on the field. She and Nicole definitely worked together to make the dynamic duo.”
The Lady Tigers will participate in a jamboree at Carl Junction with Joplin and Webb City on March 14 before opening the regular season at Fair Grove on March 27.
“We definitely have some notable matchups that we are looking forward to this year,” Beck said. “We picked up a couple more difficult games that will better prepare us for the postseason, including Har-Ber (Arkansas), Central and Glendale.
“I’m always impressed with (the team’s) work ethic overall. I’m a tough coach; I don’t go easy on them. Every day they work hard because of the expectations we, as coaches, have put into place. I’m really excited for the growth to continue all the way through this season.”
