By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
It didn’t take long for Mountain View-Birch Tree Liberty head coach Desi Smith to put her stamp on the girls basketball program.
In her first season at the helm, Smith led the Eagles to an 18-11 record and Class 3 District 10 title.
“We started our season slow, adjusting to a new coach and program,” Smith said. “However, we caught our stride and began to establish an identity. That identity led us to Mountain View-Birch Tree Liberty’s first-ever district championship win.”
Now set to enter her sophomore campaign, Smith will look to build on that success. Her first order of business will be finding replacements for five talented graduates.
“Losing five seniors – especially our leading scorer and rebounder – leaves open the need for our team to step up and collectively make up those stats,” Smith said.
Fortunately for Liberty, five seniors are set to move into prominent leadership roles for the team in Hadley Chowning, Ashlynn Henry, Korie Lind, Ella Phipps and Addyson Rutledge.
Chowning, a 5-foot-5 point guard, averaged 13.9 points, 3.2 steals and 4.5 rebounds per game last season. She is currently on pace to eclipse the 1,500-point milestone at season’s end.
“Hadley is a four-year varsity point guard and will be leading the team throughout this season,” Smith said.
Henry, a 5-foot-8 post, averaged 2.2 rebounds as a junior.
Lind, a 5-foot-8 post, played basketball for the first time last year and averaged 2.2 rebounds.
“We are a defensive-minded team looking to be more physical down low this year,” Smith said. “Based on our roster our post-players, Ashlynn and Korie will become a key factor in our success.”
Phipps, a 5-foot-6 guard, recorded 8.7 points and 5 rebounds per game last season.
Rutledge, a 5-foot-7 guard, averaged 5 points and 3.5 rebounds.
“Ella Phipps has been our energy giver and plans to step up even more offensively this year,” Smith said. “Addyson is known for her defensive intensity and ability to lock down key opponents.”
Smith also expects a quintet of newcomers to step into varsity roles this season and compete for playing time.
“Savannah Holdt, a 5-foot senior, will be returning to our team this year, along with Kelbie
Smith, a 5-foot-7 junior,” Smith said. “Both bring toughness and energy to the team, which will be key to our varsity success.
“Sophomore guards Jayli Tharp (5-foot-5), Delani Ellett (5-foot-7) and Shelby Holdt (5-foot-5) will also be contributing a major part to our team, as they bring a defensive intensity that also contributes to our team’s success.”
While the roster might feature a host of new faces, Smith’s expectations remain the same as she enters her second season.
“We successfully achieved the school’s first-ever girls basketball district championship last year, so the bar has been set high,” Smith said. “Our goals remain committed to that type of success so there will be added pressure to what is expected of our program.”
Following a Nov. 19 jamboree at East Carter with Delta, South Iron and the host school, Liberty will open its regular season Nov. 25 at home against Alton.
