By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
West Plains will be one of the hungriest teams in the Ozarks entering this season.
The Lady Zizzers are coming off of a Final Four run last winter that saw them win 24 games and finish third in Class 5, losing to eventual state champ Lutheran St. Charles in the state semifinals.
West Plains had won 12 straight prior to that loss to Lutheran, including wins over perennial powers Kickapoo, Bolivar, Rogersville and Rolla.
With seniors Allyssa Joyner and Olivia Lawson back in the mix, expectations for Hall of Fame head coach Scott Womack and the Lady Zizzers are still high.
Joyner is a 6-foot-1 forward that is a two-time all-state player and averaged 16 points and 6.5 rebounds as a junior. Lawson is a jack of all trades that averaged 11 points, six rebounds and 4.5 assists last winter.
“Allyssa and Olivia have a lot of experience,” said Womack. “Allyssa is our leading scorer and rebounder returning from last year has scored over 1100 points in her career so far and is expected to have a great year for us. Olivia is a two-year starter who can be the best player on the floor at times with her athletic ability. She will be counted on to increase her scoring output from last year to offset the five seniors we graduated.
“Allyssa started taking the leadership role last year even though she was a junior as a returning all-state player she became a leader on the floor. This season I see her being more of a vocal leader. Olivia will be a role model more on her performance on the floor. Her developing consistency night in and night out will be a big boost for us.”
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With so much experience graduated from last year’s team, there will be plenty of opportunities for new faces this season.
Womack is excited about several underclassmen that have been competing for rotational minutes.
Ashley Culton is a 5-foot-8 junior that has waited her turn and is now in line to see more action this winter.
Half a dozen sophomores are also in the mix.
Zoe Scharnhorst – “A great shooter for us that got a little varsity experience last year.”
Lucy Hafer – “Will give us some toughness and scoring ability around the basket. Had a great summer and will be counted on both ends of the floor.”
Zoe Shrubb – “Another good shooter who will help us from the perimeter.”
Mylea Adams – “One of the best athletes on the team and can make a difference on both ends of the floor.”
Classmates Jewelia Willard and Cameron Brill are described as high IQ players that are also competing for a role this winter.
The Lady Zizzers will routinely have two of the most talented and most experienced players on the court every time they lace them up in Joyner and Lawson, but it’ll be the underclassmen that will play a major role in deciding just how far this team goes.
At this point, everyone in the program understands what it takes to win at a high level, posting a 106-18 record with four straight district championships.
Womack has done more than his fair share of winning in his 33 seasons, but this current stretch is one of the best the area has ever seen.
Now this group is tasked with trying to get to a fourth straight Final Four and second state championship in three seasons.
“I have found out it is tough to get to the Final Four,” said Womack. “I have had some good teams that have come up just short. To make three Final Fours in a row is unbelievable and was a tribute to how hard these girls have worked. Everything has to fall in place for something like that to occur. I think the biggest thing was the mental toughness and confidence these teams had.
“We need our young players to improve and gain confidence early on and progress throughout the year. We have the talent to compete for both but will have to be playing our best ball at the end of the year.”
West Plains will travel to Doniphan for a jamboree with Alton and Poplar Bluff on Nov. 14 before opening the regular season vs. Union on Nov. 17.
