GENTRY — The Gentry Lady Pioneers finished 20-10 and lost in the first round of the regional tournament a year ago, but coach Tim Rippy said this year’s team could be better.
Rippy returns three starters, including leading scorer Terra Jones, and two key reserves off last year’s team.
“I feel like we can be more efficient,” Rippy said. “I think we’ll be more athletic, a little longer and maybe a touch deeper. We can go eight or nine kids and not really lose anything. The good news is they can all run the floor and guard.”
“There’s not much difference in our six through 10,” Rippy added. “They can all do something different that will benefit us.”
Jones, a 5-foot-8 senior swing player who averaged just under 14 points per game last season, will lead the way, Rippy said.
“She’s very versatile, able to go inside and post up and step out and shoot the ball pretty well as well as attack the basket,” Rippy said. “I think there will be nights where she can go for 25 or 30. She’s able to get the line.”
Seniors Kendra Boyd and Courtney Millsap are also returning starters, while seniors Loren Cripps and Courtney Folker played key roles a year ago off the bench.
“We feel like experience is one thing we’ll have going for us,” Rippy said.
Rippy expects this year’s team to be better defensively, but the Lady Pioneers will need to score some in transition.
“We’re going to be able to go up and down the floor, but we’ll need to attack the basket and get to the free throw line,” Rippy said.
Lack of size could be a problem since Jones is the tallest player at 5-8 among the returnees with experience.
“From playing in the summer we may struggle against a dominant post player,” Rippy said. “But we’ll have to find creative ways to guard the post.”
On the boys side, first-year coach Sean Price returns at least four players with significant varsity experience. However, he’ll have to wait until after football season ends to see some of those players.
Senior Kevin Scherer, a 6-foot-6 post man, averaged 15 points and 8.6 rebounds per game last season to lead the team in both categories.
Guards Joe Morris and Justin Bryant are also returning starters. In addition, Austin Millsap started some last season. Morris also averaged in double figures, scoring 11.9 points per game.
Price said he got the chance to see them together at team camp over the summer, but he’s trying to change the mentality of a team, which finished 11-16 and just 2-12 in the 4A-1 last season. The Pioneers lost 12 of their last 15 games last season.
“We’re trying to teach our kids how to play hard and compete every day,” Price said. “I don’t know for sure that all these kids have done that each day.”
“We’ve got to learn how to win and then the offense and defense will take care of itself,” Price added.