(WCHS Athletics Photo)
Webster County lost a high-scoring guard to graduation and added one by transfer over the summer which puts the Lady Trojans in the mix once again for the region title.
Brock Stone’s first season as head coach checked all the boxes except winning the region. Webster was 17-11 and beat Henderson County for the district title. However, they were tripped up by Madisonville in the region semifinals.
Webster began last season slow and slogged to a 5-8 start with a couple of key players injured. Raigan Price’s return to the lineup and continued improvement from bench players saw the Lady Trojans finished 12-3 over their last 15 games.
Price, a junior, averaged 11.5 points and 8.4 rebounds and provided Webster the inside presence they needed.
“I’m excited to see her at full strength,” Stone said. “I think she is poised for a breakout year, and we plan to play her all over the floor.”
Price will get help inside from senior Adeline McDyer who averaged eight points a game but saw that upped to 12 a game over the final three weeks.
“She is the team leader and will set the tone for us. She has a great basketball IQ,” Stone said.
The Lady Trojans lost 22 points a game when Marissa Austin graduated. However, they added transfer Brooklyn Clark from Dawson Springs. Only a sophomore, Clark has already passed 1,000 points for her career. She was among the leading scorers in the region at 20.5 points a game.
“Everybody gets caught up in how many points she has scored, but she is a true point guard. She gets people the ball in the right spot,” Stone said.
One disadvantage Clark will face is the lack of time she’s had in learning Stone’s system and her new teammates.
“In the summer, you are usually trying different things out to see what style you want to play for the upcoming season. We missed that this year,” Stone said.
Clark will be joined the backcourt by junior Madison Hinton, who Stone calls the team’s defensive stopper, and sophomores Katelyn Cates and Brooke Shepherd. Cates averaged 5.2 points, and Shepherd averaged 2.6.
Juniors Mary Kate Rakestraw and Sydney Shoulders will also be counted on for key minutes for the Lady Trojans.
“We’re a team that takes pride in defense and loves to play defense. We are excited about the season and we feel like we will be in the hunt again,” Stone said.
Webster County returns a lot of players that saw playing time last year. That should help them maneuver through a season of uncertainty due to the ongoing issues with COVID-19.
Most people expect the region winner to come from the 6th District for the ninth straight year. The Lady Trojans will be shooting for their second region title in four years.
