After last season with thin varsity and junior varsity rosters and key injuries that started in the preseason and continued down the stretch run, the Georgetown Lady Eagles are looking for big things with a new and fitting motto — “Strength in Numbers.” “Things have turned around,” said head coach Rhonda Farney prior to starting official preseason practice this past week, “We have good numbers at all levels of the program and good depth at every position.”
Senior forward Jaelyn Knight, one of five team captains, takes an in-depth look at this season’s team moniker. “It’s like Golden State. “We’re in a great community and everybody has bought into what were doing. There is a love for everybody and a strong commitment. We believe in each other, doing the extra stuff need to be successful.”There will be other major changes than the number of players filled folding chairs on the bench. There will be 14 varsity players, including three flex players who also will be receiving extra playing time with the JV.
“One of our goals is to get as much experience as we can for everybody,” Farney said. The Lady Eagles will have two new assistant coaches — Tosha Doherty, up from Forbes Middle School, and Katie Youngblood, a former star point guard for GHS making her scholastic coaching debut. They will be replacing retiring veteran assistants Kellye Richardson and Kristin Curtis. Doherty and Youngblood will split the freshman duties, while returning assistant coach Kevin Spruill will move up from the freshman teams to be JV head coach. Also, Georgetown will be making some changes in offense philosophy with more of an up-tempo attack that will combine the rebound, drives to the basket and outside shooting. “We will be fielding a taller lineup and trying to go up and down the court,” Farney said. “We’ll continue to put a big emphasis on defense.”
The Lady Eagles will get a chance to test their plans for the upcoming season in a pair of scrimmages at Eagle Gym, They will go against three 6A opponents — Stony Point and Belton at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, and Austin Bowie at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.The regular season will start on Friday, Nov. 2, at 6A Cedar Creek and continue with the home opener with traditional opening-week opponent Waco Midway at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5. Farney has constructed a tough schedule for the Lady Eagles prior to the start of the 12-game District 18-5A campaign. In addition to the opening-weekend slate, Georgetown will be tested in the Eaton Varsity Tournament in Fort Worth (Nov. 8-18) and the 40th annual Jack Frost Tournament in Georgetown (Nov. 29-Dec. 1). Early single games will include Vista Ridge, Burnet, Victoria East, Pflugerville Hendrickson, Kyle Lehman and Austin Westlake. In addition to the Eaton and Jack Frost events, GHS will play in the State Farm Classic in Nashville during the Christmas Break.Dec. 27-29).
GHS will compete in District 18-5A with cross-town rival East View, Hutto, Elgin, Manor, Bastrop and Bastrop Cedar Creek. The race will begin in Elgin on Dec. 11 and end against East View on Tuesday, Feb. 5. The playoffs are scheduled to begin on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 11-12. Farney said she expected a to have a strong JV, especially when the flex players are on the court, and she considers the freshman group to be potentially outstanding. Unlike last season when there were no returning starters in the opening-night lineup, GHS returns three starters — 5-foot-11 forward Knight, 6-1 senior post Jade Smith and 5-6 junior guard Kylee Ellsworth. Other seasoned varsity performers are 5-6 senior guard Ali Isbell, 5-10 junior forward McCall Hampton, 6-0 junior forward post MacKenzy Mouton and 5-7 senior forward Samari O’Brien. The roster also boasts two highly regarded young guards — 5-6 junior Hailey Smith and 5-6 sophomore Graci Harris.Knight was a Texas Girls Coaches Association all-state selection last season along with being an All-Region III-5A choice by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. Hampton, a clutch, gritty inside performer, missed the last part of the regular season and the Eagles’ two playoff games with a knee injury. Also on the varsity roster are 5-7 junior forward Maya Perry, 6-0 senior post Alicia King, junior forward Mercedes Robledo, 5-6 junior guard Kylee Sander and 5-5 junior guards Hailey Hanson. All are graduates of last season’s JV.
The Lady Eagles are coming off a 25-10 season in which they beat Huntsville, 52-25, in bi-district at Hearne and lost to eventual state semifinalist Temple, 43-24, in the area round at Harker Heights. They posted a 13-3 record in district.
LADY EAGLES NOTES:
Georgetown’s annual Meet the Lady Eagles Night is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 in the GHS Cafeteria. The program will feature the traditional chili supper. In addition to the introduction of the players on the program’s four teams, there will be an auction of senior cakes made by Ali Isbell, Samari O’Brien, Alicia King, Chloe Sutton, Jaelyn Knight and Jade Smith. Other auction items will include autographed basketballs and a rocking chair.
The Lady Eagles’ 2010-2011 UIL State Tournament team will be honored at Georgetown’s December 21 District 18-5A battle with Manor. The game is set for a 5:30 p.m. varsity tipoff. That Lady Eagles squad, which posted a 33-4 record, lost to Irving MacArthur, 71-58, in the state championship game at the Erwin Center. Team members were Senior Cassie Vick, senior Brianna Bogard, senior Alex Larsen, junior Astrid Roman, senior Amanda Bizzell,senior Elizabeth Kniffen, junior Katie Youngblood, junior Meghan White, sophomore Bree Smith, junior Emily Johnson, senior Krystal, Forthan, sophomore Lorrie Santoy and sophomore Kaitlin Walla, sophomore Misty Walden, sophomore Lauren Ferrell, Student managers: Hanna Abbe, Kayden Green, Bailey Lee, Hillary Mozingo, Larrice Valadez, Student trainer: Alex Adams. Head coach Rhonda Farney. Assistant coaches: Kellye Richardson, Kristin Curtis, Jordan Ramey and Dave Walla. Athletic trainer: Vanessa (Morales) Redeaux. That team’s motto was “All the Right Ingredients.”
The Lady Eagles 2018-2019 captains are Knight, J. Smith, Isbell, O’Brien and Ellsworth.The Lady Eagles got a good preseason test in an early fall tournament in Frisco, posting a 2-1 record, beating Wylie East and South Grand Prairie and losing to a traveling team from Houston. GHS will open the season ranked 19th in Class 5A in the preseason rankings listed by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. The Texas Girls Coaches Association has not released its preseason rankings.
VARSITY ROSTER (As of Wednesday, Oct. 22)
Head coach: Rhonda Farney. Assistants: Kevin Spruill, Tosha Doherty, Katie Youngblood.
No. — Name (Pos. Class Ht.)
10 — Maya Perry Jr. Forward 5-7
13 — Kylee Sander Jr. Guard 5-6
14 — Ali Isbell* Sr. Guard 5-6
15 — Hailey Hanson Jr. Guard 5-5
20 — Hailey Smith Jr. Guard 5-6
22 — Samari O’Brien* Jr. Forward 5-7
24 — Kylie Ellsworth* Jr. Guard 5-6
25 — Graci Harris So. Guard 5-6
30 — MacKenzy Mouton Jr. Fwd/Post 6-0
32 — Jaelyn Knight* Sr. Forward 5-11
33 — Mercedes Robledo Jr. Forward 5-8
42 — Jade Smith* Sr. Post 6-1
50 — McCall Hampton Jr. Forward 5-9
54 — Alicia King Sr. Post 6-0
* — denotes team captains.
MANAGERS: SueEllen Albrecht, Na’Keia Cook, Rachel Heine, Lexie Mullen, Madison Rincoln, Chloe Sutton, Celeste Valdez.
LADY EAGLES COACHING STAFF
Head Coach: Rhonda Farney. Assistant coaches: Kevin Spruill, Tosha Doherty, Katie Youngblood. Athletic trainer: Vanessa Redeaux.
JUNIOR VARSITY ROSTER (As of Wednesday, Oct. 16)
Coach: Kevin Spruill.
10 — Jordan Stout, guard. 12 — Kaytie Sander, guard. 13 — Kylee Sander, guard. 14 — Bailey Miller, forward. 15 — Hailey Hanson, guard. 21 — Reece Johnson, guard. 23 — Grace Kearney, forward. 25 — Natalie Hutchins, guard. 30 — McKenna Jansen, post. 32 — Vyctorya Lehr, post. 33 — Mercedes Robledo, forward. 35 — Megan Herring, forward. 40 — Cheyenne Garcia, guard. 42 — Lauren Woodard, forward. 44 — Abigail Salinas. 45 — Maddie LaCour, forward. 54 — Krissy Thomas, post. Managers: Lizette Rodriguez, Skylar Neugent.
FRESHMAN ROSTERS
(To be announced Tuesday, Oct. 23)
Coaches: Tosha Doherty, Katie Youngblood.
TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BASKETBALL COACHES
PRESEASON CLASS 5A POLL
1 Amarillo. 2. Mansfield Timberview. 3. Pflugerville. 4. Frisco Lone Star. 5. San Antonio Veterans Memorial. 6. Kerrville Tivy. 7. Frisco Liberty.8. Manville. 9. The Colony. 10. Corpus Christi Flour Bluff. 11. Fort Bend Hightower. 12. Mansfield Legacy. 13. Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial. 14. Denison. 15. Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill. 16. Red Oak. 17. Crowley. 18. San Antonio Wagner. 19. GEORGETOWN. 20. Cedar Park. 21. Dallas South Oak Cliff. 22. Birdville. 23. Midlothian. 24. Wylie East. 25. Lucas Lovejoy.
Region III-5A Teams in Order: 1. Pflugerville. 2. Manvel. 3. Fort Bend Hightower. 4. Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill. 5. Georgetown. 6. Cedar Park