By Denise Tucker (For the Ozarks Sports Zone)
Former Waynesville basketball (and soccer) standout Katie Pritchard returns home to coach the program she led as an all-state performer as a player.
“I feel extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a Waynesville Tiger again,” Pritchard said. “I take great pride in wearing the orange and black.”
Pritchard, who also is among the career leaders in several soccer categories in Missouri high school history, most recently led the Marshfield Lady Jays to a third-place finish in Class 5. She will look to improve on the Lady Tigers’ 13-15 overall finish from 2023-2024.
“I think there is huge potential for this group,” said Pritchard, who is 112-53 as a head coach, all in six years at Marshfield. “We have several players who will be able to contribute on both ends of the floor. Our focus is going to be working as one unit at all times and becoming pros in our individual roles.
“The biggest challenge will be the new system. There will be a learning curve for all of us as we get to know each other and find our brand of Lady Tiger basketball.”
Waynesville returns six returning letterwinners, including four who were starters, in Regan Grosvenor, Riley Grosvenor, Imani Jackson and Lauryn Lercher. Brooklyn Lercher and Sadie Faughn are the other two returning letterwinners.
Regan Grosvenor, 5-foot-10 junior (returning starter) – Averaged 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists per game, while earning All-Ozark Conference Defensive Team honors.
Riley Grosvenor 5-10 junior (returning starter) – Averaged 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Imani Jackson, 5-7 senior (returning starter) – Averaged 6 points, 4 rebounds
Brooklyn Lercher – Averaged 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
“In the limited amount of time I have had with the players, it has been apparent that there is a toughness and work ethic already built into each kid,” Pritchard said. “We have spent a lot of time in the offseason getting extra shots up and zeroing in on the little things. We’re excited to get started with practice so we can start building our culture and system on the floor.”
The Lady Tigers will need to find a way to fill the void left by Class 6 All-State forward Breona Hurd. The 6-2 Hurd, who was a McDonald’s All-American and Miss Show-Me Basketball nominee, also earned Class 6 District 2 and All-Ozark Conference first-team honors in 2023-2024. Hurd, who is now playing at the University of Virginia, averaged 25 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals per game her senior season.
Pritchard said this year’s team’s strength will be its grittiness, tenacity and balance.
“We have players who aren’t afraid of hard work,” Pritchard said. “When you have that as your foundation, it opens up so many possibilities for a team. We have several players who will be able to score the basketball. We also have a group that all have the ability to defend at a high level.”
Waynesville will host a jamboree on Nov. 15 and opens the regular season in the Battle of the Border Tournament at Branson. The Lady Tigers return home to host Osage on Dec. 12.
“I love this team’s willingness and excitement to learn and grow,” Pritchard said. “There is always room to get better and they embrace that opportunity every day.”
