By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Camdenton Lady Lakers didn’t have to look far for their new head coach.
Former Camdenton assistant and player Josh Baldwin will be guiding the Lady Lakers this spring.
Baldwin, who played for the Lakers from 2004-2008, served as the girls’ assistant from 2015-2018 and 2021-2024. He also is currently an assistant for the boys’ team and is excited to lead the Lady Lakers this season.
Camdenton finished the 2024 campaign with an overall record of 9-14 and 4-6 in the Ozark Conference. The Lady Lakers’ season ended with a 4-3 loss to West Plains in the first round of the Class 3 District 6 Tournament.
“Our 2024 season was definitely a building year for us,” said Baldwin, who enters his first year as a high school head coach. “The way the season ended, it definitely felt like we underachieved as a group, but we have learned several very valuable lessons from that and are more locked in and ready to get after our 2025 season. With much of that young core returning that we will be building around moving forward, we are excited to see what we can accomplish this season.”
The Lady Lakers return three seniors and a junior, who Baldwin will be looking to set the tone for the team and the 2025 season.
Kyla Kirby, senior midfielder – “Kyla will be our anchor in the middle of the field,” Baldwin said. “She’s athletic and tough and really helps us on both sides of the ball. She had a very solid showing her junior year and I have no doubt she will build off that her senior year. She’s also a player I’ve coached since she was in fifth grade, so I’m very excited to get to coach her during her senior year.”
Ariana Delgado, senior midfielder/goalkeeper – “Ariana leads by example and really helps reinforce the type of culture we want to have on our team. Maybe the best way she demonstrates this is her willingness to play any position we ask of her, which resulted in her playing keeper for us last season. While she may see some time in net this season as well, we plan on playing her back in the field more. Regardless of where we put her, Ariana’s selflessness can’t be overstated with her willingness to do whatever is best for the team.”
Jakata Haynes, junior defender – “Jakata’s growth from her freshman year to this season has been remarkable. She has shown such a willingness to learn and is one of our more fearless defenders. She works hard and plays tough for her team, and I can’t wait to see how much she continues to improve this season.”
Kiley Bentley, senior defender – “Kiley joined us just last year as a new player and quickly became a natural center back for us. She’s incredibly tough, athletic and plays with a fearlessness on the defensive side of the ball. She will be a big key for anchoring our back line this season and will continue to make huge strides from last season into her senior year.”
An experienced sophomore class that earned varsity minutes last year should make an impact for the Lady Lakers this spring.
Sophie Radlund, sophomore midfielder – “Sophie is part of a sophomore class that got quite a bit of playing time last season as freshmen,” Baldwin said. “We see her contributing primarily on the offensive side of the ball, but she also has a very high work rate and gets back behind the ball defensively as well.”
Lily Roberts, sophomore forward – “Lily will be looking to fill some big shoes left by Zoe (Lockhert), but she sees the field incredibly well and has a natural knack for finding pockets of dangerous space for a forward to get into.”
Brookelyn Meents, sophomore midfielder – “Brookelyn is yet another one of those in that sophomore class who got a good bit of playing time last year as a freshman. We see her contributing in helping maintain possession of the ball in the middle of the field. She has good ability to help with link-up play offensively and is fearless defensively.”
Bella Faes, sophomore goalkeeper – “Bella will be primarily stepping into the goalkeeping position for us. She played a bit in the field as well at the varsity level last season, too, and may find times when she is back out there as well. Bella has the ability to play, quite literally, anywhere we need her to on the field.”
Kylie Labelle, sophomore midfielder – “Kylie is also another one of the sophomore class that we have returning this season. Her improvement throughout last season, primarily in her decision-making and speed of play, is going to help us out tremendously in the midfield with how many midfielders we graduated last season.”
Baldwin said his team is buying into the new culture the staff is trying to implement this season.
“I’ve seen so much excitement and engagement in our offseason at levels we haven’t had before, and the girls are just a really good group of selfless and fun players,” Baldwin said. “They are very team-before-me oriented, and we hope to continue to build that culture and really make a good run at the season.”
Camdenton graduated a talented senior class that included three all-district and all-conference players.
Makenna Brauer, midfielder – Earned Class 3 District 6 first-team, All-Ozark Conference second-team honors; now playing at MidAmerica Nazarene University. “Kenna was our primary playmaker out of the center of the field,” Baldwin said. “Her vision and ability to pick out great passes was a joy to watch, and she also had the ability to finish as well. As skilled as Kenna is, she is an even better person. Whether it was in training or game day, she always was full of joy and excitement that I think we will miss most of all from her.”
Zoe Lockhert, forward – A Class 3 District 6 first-team, All-Ozark Conference first-team honoree; playing at William Woods University. “Zoe was our primary goal scorer last season. Her natural athletic ability combined with her strength made her a force to have to deal with up top. She also has a childlike spirit in which she plays the game, which made it even more fun to watch her play. She definitely kept things exciting for us.”
Addy Clay, midfielder – Named Class 3 District 6 first team and All-Ozark Conference honorable mention; now playing at William Woods University. “Addy was another major playmaker for us in the middle with Makenna. Addy brought a passion and fire for the game that really helped elevate us in moments when we needed it. She is incredibly technical on the ball, and quick as well. When it was game day, no one was more locked in on what needed to be done than Addy.”
Abby Rapier, defender – “Abby played a crucial center back position for us last season that was hampered a bit by an injury picked up early in the season. Abby’s effort and physicality in games really helped set the tone, and whether she was on the field or not, was always the first one up lifting up and cheering on her teammates. We will definitely miss her selfless attitude and work ethic this season.”
The Lady Lakers, who will be competing in the Central Missouri Athletic Conference this season, will host a jamboree with Dixon, Rolla and Waynesville on March 17 before opening the regular season at Capital City on March 21.
“Notable matchups for us this season will be all of our new conference opponents,” Baldwin said. “With this being our first season in a new conference, we are excited to see how we stack up in a new, very strong conference.
“Our team’s strengths that will be key to our success this season is our selflessness as people and our willingness to learn. The girls are very bought into the team as a whole and are an incredibly coachable group. As we continue to grow together, so too, should our play on the pitch reflect that.”
