Beginning her fifth year as head coach of the Camdenton Lady Lakers, Staci Caffey loses a large majority of her 18-7 team from last season, which included a second place finish in the tough Ozark Conference, but that doesn’t mean she expects anything less than her team continuing their run of recent success.
Losing four starters from last season will be tough, but two major holes the Lady Lakers will need to fill are the departures of Southwest Baptist University signee Bailey Rezabek and Evangel University signee Sophie Shore. Rezabek leaves Camdenton scoring over 1,500 points in her high school career, while Shore and fellow graduating senior Alyssa Ripley scored over 1,000 points.
“Last season’s seniors were not only outstanding players but strong leaders both on and off the court,” said Caffey. “We have a lot of holes to fill considering we only have one starter returning. The expectations are set high and these young ladies are ready for the challenge.”
But don’t think that will lower expectations for Caffey and the Lady Lakers. They will just have to do it in a different way.
“This year’s team will have to be quick and scrappy,” Caffey said. “We lost a lot of size we had on the inside, but we are definitely going to have to play bigger than what we are.”
One of the two players returning from last year is the only returning starter in senior Blair Kurtz. Junior Coley Rezabek also returns this season and should play a key role in doing a little of everything for Camdenton.
“Coley will be a strong player for us,” Caffey said. “She is a very universal player that will do whatever is asked of her. Blair is also another player to watch. She has led us defensively, and this year will be our point guard.”
Also returning for the Lady Lakers are senior Tegan Shockley, juniors Abby Miller and Kylie Meier and sophomore Natalie Basham.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE WINTER SPORTS PREVIEWS
Missing three players who scored over 3,500 points combined in their careers at Camdenton takes a big chunk of offense from the Lady Lakers. Because of this, Caffey knows her team must play strong defense if they want to continue their success.
“We will definitely be defensive-oriented,” Caffey said. “This team’s effort and heart will not go without being noticed. They have the mentality it takes to play a hard nose type of D. I like a team that can get up and pressure the ball, and this group of young ladies will do just that.”
Overall, while losing so many seniors may seem like the Lady Lakers will be in rebuilding mode for this season, Caffey does not believe this to be the case. Instead, she expects the returners and newcomers to fill in the gaps and compete at a high level.
“I really think we will be competitive in every game,” Caffey said. “I know we lost some key players, but we also have a talented group of returners that are ready to step up in their new roles. I love the heart and work ethic these young ladies play with. I am excited to see what they do this year”
The Camdenton Lady Lakers begin their new season when they travel to Marshfield to battle the Lady Jays on Nov. 22.
