Georgetown girls basketball coach Rhonda Farney has spent 45 years in coaching, including 32 with the Lady Eagles. How does she stay fresh — even at the helm of one of the states most productive programs? The answer is simple for Farney, who also carries the titles of girls athletics co-ordinator at GHS and manages the district’s athletic facilities. Ten- to 12-hour workdays and an excitement for the games and the girls, who fill the rosters on Georgetown four teams — varsity, junior varsity, freshman A (Blue) and freshman B (white). “I think this team is full of potential to be good if a lot of things fall into place,” Farney said just prior to the official opening of girls basketball practice on Wednesday, “and a lot of our current questions are answered. “In some areas we’re father along. I try to continually build our team steadily, working toward the playoffs.”
The Lady Eagles, who were 23-11 last season and went two rounds deep in the playoffs, are shooting for their 30th consecutive trip to the UIL state playoffs this year. Georgetown currently has a 12-player varsity roster, including five players who started at some point last season and three that were first-team all-district selections. In fact, looking back to last year, the Lady Eagles posted a combined record of 38-0 on the four levels of district competition. Starting Wednesday, Georgetown has 13 practice days and two scrimmages — Nov. 2 and Nov. 5 — prior to the start of the regular season on Friday, Nov. 8, against 6A Cedar Ridge at Eagle Gym. Farney expects seven-team District 18-5A to be much tougher than in the past with definite challengers in arch-rival East View, Manor and Hutto with Bastrop having a potentially strong collection of athletes. The district race will begin on Dec. 10 and carry through 14 playing dates on Feb. 11. Each team will play 12 district games and have two open dates because of the odd number of combatants.
So far with two of the major preseason polls released, Georgetown is receiving mixed results. The Lady Eagles are listed eighth in 5A by the Texas Girls Coaches Association and 25th in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches weekly listing. Looking at the returning personnel, senior forward/post McCall Hampton(5-9) and senior guard Kylie Ellsworth (5-6) and junior point guard Graci Harris (5-7) are the returning first-team all-district selections and Harris also was voted Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore. Senior post Mackenzy Mouton (6-0) was an honorable mention all-district choice. The six-player senior class will be completed by guards Kylie Sander (5-6), Hailey Hanson (5-6) and Mercedes Robledo (5-7), who all played on both the varsity and JV last season with Sander seeing some starting duty. Joining Harris as juniors on the varsity will be JV grads in forward Megan Herring (5-11), forward/post Lauren Woodard (5-11) and guard Jordyn Stout (5-8). Stout proved to be a streaky and deadly 3-point shooter last season on the sub-varsity level. Two sophomores — 5-3 guard Ella Vickers and 6-3 post Keniah Williams — complete the roster. Vickers is up from last season’s outstanding Freshman Blue squad and Williams is a move-in. Farney has pointed to newcomer “Niah” as a player with tremendous potential as she grows into the program.
A conversation with the team’s four captains — Ellsworth, Hampton, Mouton and Harris — gives a look at the Lady Eagles going into preseason work. Hampton, who is committed to NCAA D-II St. Edward’s University, had a knee scoped (to clean it from a previous injury and will be returning to full duty in the immediate future. “We have a lot of potential and the drive to be successful,” Hampton said. “We want to be successful. . . . We need to improve our communication and develop chemistry where everybody knows we have their back. . . . As for goals, I want to go to the state tournament and become a stronger leader. . . . I want to work more on my outside game since I’ll be playing there in college.” Two-year starting guard Ellsworth said, “Through the season we want to get better at the little things. We have to do that to be successful and get where we want to be. . . . I think we need to improve our communication. ., . . I want to be as positive as I can.” Mouton, who is looking at Division III Howard Payne to continue her career, said, “I see us doing really well. We have the pieces of the puzzle. We just need to put them together,. . . . I think we need to work more on our defense. . . I want to be the best I can be (as a senior).” “I think things are going very well,” Harris said. “We have good chemistry and work together well. We respect each other. All of us need to communicate more and not be afraid to make mistakes. . . . I want to communicate better and improve my ball handling.”
The Eagles will scrimmage Round Rock Stony Point and Belton, a pair of 6A teams in Belton, on Saturday, Nov. 2, and at 6A Austin Bowie on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Farney will be supported by a coaching staff of Tosha Doherty, Katie Youngblood and Corey Cunningham. In addition to being varsity assistants Doherty will coach the JV, Youngblood will direct the Freshman Blue and Cunningham, joining the staff from Cameron Yoe, will lead the Freshman White.
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GEORGETOWN VARSITY ROSTER
(As of Wednesday, Oct.23)
No. — Name (Class, Pos. , Ht.)
10 — Ella Vickers (So., guard, 5-3)
13 — Kylee Sander (Sr., guard, 5-6)
15 — Hailey Hanson (Sr., guard, 5-5)
22 — McCall Hampton* (Sr., forward/post, 5-9)
24 — Kylie Ellsworth* (Sr., guard, 5-6)
25 — Graci Harris* (Jr., guard, 5-7)
39 — MacKenzy Mouton* (Sr., forward/post, 6-0)
32 — Megan Herring (Jr., forward, 5-11)
33 — Mercedes Robledo (Sr., guard, 5-7)
42 — Lauren Woodard (Jr., forward/post, 5-11)
44 — Jordyn Stout (Jr., guard, 5-8)
54 — Keniah Williams (So., Post, 6-3).
* — denotes team captain.
Head coach: Rhonda Farney. Assistant coaches: Tosha Doherty (JV), Katie Youngblood (Freshman Blue); Corey Cunningham (Freshman White).
Athletic trainers: Vanessa Redeaux, Chad Hennessey.
Student managers: Rachel Heine, Madison Rincon, Lizzette Rodriguez, Celeste Valdez.
Student trainer: Abigail Lamas.
TEXAS GIRLS COACHES ASSOCIATION
PRESEASON CLASS 5A RANKINGS
- Amarillo. 2. Kerrville Tivy. 3. Frisco Lone Star. 4. Lubbock Cooper. 5. Mansfield. 6. San Antonio Veterans Memorial. 7. Frisco Liberty. 8. GEORGETOWN. 9. Plainview. 10. Cedar Park.
TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BASKETBALL COACHES
PRESEASON CLASS 5A RANKINGS
- Amarillo. 2. Frisco Liberty. 3. Alvin Shadow Creek. 4. Kerrville Tivy. 5. Mansfield Timberview. 6. Red Oak. 7. Fort Bend Hightower. 8. San Antonio Veterans Memorial. 9. Royse City. 10. The Colony. 11. Cedar Park. 12. Pflugerville. 13. Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial. 14. Mansfield Legacy. 15. Frisco Centennial. 16. Corpus Christi Flour Bluff. 17. Wylie East. 18. Lubbock Cooper. 19. Birdville. 20. Manvel. 21. Boerne Champion. 22. Grapevine. 23. Dallas South Oak Cliff. 24. Bryan Rudder. 25. GEORGETOWN.