By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
When you play girls’ basketball at Walnut Grove, you notice the banners and know the history.
District titles and 20-win seasons are the standard. Winning multiple state championships sets you apart.
The 2020-21 Lady Tigers embrace the challenge. They want to leave their mark on a decorated program and go out as the best in the area.
“We want to be the elite program in the area regardless of Class and that is something that motivates our girls,” said Walnut Grove coach Rory Henry. “They want to build on the dynasty that we have created and they want to leave their legacy here.”
Walnut Grove eyes its third straight state championship this season, trying to match its recent three-peat from 2013-15.
“This group wants to (accomplish) that,” Henry said. “Our biggest obstacle this year is to stay hungry and not get content.”
Unlike Walnut Grove’s three-peat season in 2015, the Lady Tigers don’t have much lineup change to worry about this season.
Walnut Grove brings back most of its varsity roster, starting with a stacked senior class.
Senior point guard Faith Gilkey is the two-time Class 1 Player of the Year. She averaged nearly 28 points per game last season, along with six rebounds and three assists.
Gilkey has committed to play collegiately at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar.
Henry called her the “ultimate competitor.”
“There is very little she can’t do and she plays as hard as anyone I’ve seen,” he said. “She plays much bigger than her size (5’6”) and isn’t afraid to go inside and rebound or challenge bigger players.
“She’s worked on her range this summer and can shoot from anywhere or with anyone guarding her.”
Gilkey also surpassed 2,000 career points last season. Heading into her senior season, she’s about 400 points away from Tammy Erwin’s school record of 2,513 points.
Despite a major knee injury heading into her junior year, Makayla McVay returned and was still an all-state player. The 5’11” forward averaged 13 points and eight rebounds per game and played her best in February and March.
On a guard-heavy team, McVay gives Walnut Grove a vital inside presence along with versatility.
“She’s an excellent shooter from outside and can also put it on the floor or go inside and post up,” Henry said. “She is our biggest player and best rebounder.”
Forward Lauren Johnson gave Walnut Grove a third player on the Class 1 all-state team last season.
The athletic forward averaged nearly 13 points along with seven rebounds and three assists as a junior.
“She’s our most athletic kid and can run the floor well, attack the rim and shoot it well from the outside,” Henry said. “She worked hard on becoming an even better outside shooter this summer and also worked on her post game.”
Like McVay, Johnson is also receiving college interest. Johnson currently has scholarships offers from SBU and Evangel.
Senior Sadye Crump was a key role player last season. She started every game and made her biggest contributions with defense and rebounding.
“She worked on her shooting this summer and her defense on our press has really improved,” Henry said. “She could have a great senior year.”
Walnut Grove returns two more seniors with varsity experience in Taylor Gold and Morgan Hailey.
Gold (5’10”) gives Walnut Grove some needed size around the basket.
“She’s big, physical and rebounds well,” Henry said. “She’ll play big minutes this year. She was our most improved player from last season.”
Hailey is another guard and brings more speed and shooting to the floor.
In the sophomore class, Walnut Grove returns Jaedyn Johnson and Payton Johnson.
Jaedyn Johnson started several varsity games during her rookie season and made significant strides in her shooting over the summer.
“She made the most gains of anyone and now has become a legitimate threat from outside,” Henry said. “We are very excited about what she can do this year.”
Payton could see more time this season due to her outside shooting ability.
“She’s a very good shooter and can help us this year when we need to stretch defenses out,” Henry said.
Walnut Grove topped South Nodaway 52-41 in the Class 1 state title game last season. The Lady Tigers finished 28-5 overall, marking their 11th straight season of 23 or more wins.
Defense continued to be the Lady Tigers’ calling card. Walnut Grove limited opponents to just 40.5 points per game.
Expect more of the same this season.
“We are a fast team that is guard oriented,” Henry said. “We pride ourselves on playing tough, hard-nosed defense and controlling the tempo of the game with full-court pressure and attacking on offense.”
The Lady Tigers graduated just two seniors: starter Cortney Stevens and reserve Courtlyn Ryker.
“Cortney gave us defense and rebounding inside,” Henry said. “She didn’t score a lot but provided leadership. We’ll miss her depth and toughness.
“Courtlyn was also a great kid and we’ll miss her leadership.”
Newcomers include a pair of seniors: April Countryman and Maddy Hughes. Neither played for the team last season but will give the Lady Tigers a depth boost.
Walnut Grove also adds a solid freshmen class.
Karolyn Emerson, Raygan Dougherty, Anika Vinson and Abby Coons provide depth and building blocks for the future.
“Karolyn’s very quick and has a chance to help us on defense,” Henry said. “Raygan can also help us with depth and defense.”
In addition to the Polk County League, the Lady Tigers have a challenging non-conference schedule lined up for the 2020-21 season.
Walnut Grove opens the regular season December 3-5 at the Willard All-State Classic. In recent years, Walnut Grove typically started the season at the Ash Grove Lady Pirate Classic.
Walnut Grove also plays non-conference games against the likes of Logan-Rogersville, Strafford, Crane, Leeton, Skyline and Tipton, along with the Lebanon I-44 Classic (January 28-30).
“We always have a very tough schedule and this year is no different,” Henry said. “We have extremely high expectations and I have a lot of trust that our group of girls that will do whatever it takes to repeat.”
