Girls coaches offer preview of season

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DAVID HUNTER
The Cannon Courier

The Cannon County Grammar School basket-ball season is now underway, but the Cannon Courier took a moment to ask each of the six coaches in the area about their girls' team for the upcoming season. The boys preview will run in the Wednesday, November 23rd issue.
Here are the questions and answers, along with a roster of each of the players.

Questions:
1. How excited is the team about the upcoming regular season?
2. Who are some key players on your team to watch this season and why?
3. What will it take to compete for a county title?
4. How much fun do you have coaching these players at this level?

Auburn Lady Knights
Head Coach: Tim and DeAnna Reed
Roster: Adrianna Reed, Madison Gaither, Katie Hancock, Destiny Wood, MaryBeth Patterson, Katelyn Duggin, Shelby Parker, Baleigh Fulkerson, Caitlyn Crook, Kiley Hughes, Hannah Junker, Olivia Robbins, Leighanne Dood, Sara Wheeler, Maleeya Murry and Lacie Arnold.
Answers:
1. Team is anxious to get started. We have been practicing for about a month and they are ready for real games.
2. Gaither is a fifth year player and our playmaker. Reed is our defensive stopper. Hancock is our post player coming off a broken arm last season. Duggin is a fourth year outside shooting threat.
3. Have to play as a team, and we must get help from bench players.
4. This age is fun to coach because they are willing to work hard and willing to learn.

Eastside Lady Tigers
Head Coach: Rick Mullins
Roster: Austin Grant, Lacon Parton, Mattison Prater, Jasmine Young, Stella Brown, Hannahjo Naylor, Chloe Pack, Katelyn Prater and Devin Grant.
Answers:
1. They are excited about the upcoming season.
2. Parton has improved overall on the fundamentals of basketball such as ball handling and shooting.
3. We will have to improve on making good decisions to minimize turnovers and be more aggressive in all phases of the game.

Short Mountain Lady Bears
Head Coach: Ashley Cantrell
Roster: Sam Jones, Lexie Deese, Teegan Jones, Katie Waycaster, Lilly Ellis, Bella Pelham, Sierra Stoetzel, Chloe Hill, Chloe Robinson, Alli Lawson, Courtney Byford
Answers:
1. Our girls are very excited about the upcoming season. We have five returning players and six new additions to our team this year. They each have been working hard and are all excited to see what this season holds for our team.
2. In our opinion each of our players are key players, and they each have a specific role, whether it be rebounding, scoring, getting steals, or being vocal. We need each individual on this team doing their part for us to be successful this season.
3. Defense. We have told our girls from day one that we are not very big, but we are fortunate to have quick guards. For us to win games we have to play good aggressive defense and block out, and keeping our opponents second chance opportunities to a minimum.
4. Coach Leslie (Pelham) and I are having a blast. We both love the game and are blessed to have such a wonderful group of girls. We are excited to see each of them grow and develop in their game as the season continues.

Westside Lady Eagles
Head Coach: Roger Haley
Roster: Cierra McClure, Abbie Maynard, Patty Hatfield, Madison Logan, Destinee Byrd, Ivy Travis, Jamie Smitty, Abigail Maier, Emberlie Whaley, Halle Singer and Charlee Kate Nichols.
Answers:
Since Haley coaches both teams at Westside, their preview will run in the Wednesday, November 25th issue of the Cannon Courier.

Woodbury Grammar Lady Cubs
Head Coach: Camia Hayes
Roster: Emily DeArmond, Emily Morris, Alex Ruth, Lauren Knox, Hannah Higgins, Angela Blanco, Addison Todd, Hannah Sullivan, Abbey Smith, Ashlee Hill, Abbye Moore, Amanda Blanco, Morgan Keller, Isabel Haley, Emily Hollis and Zettie Elrod
Answers:
1. We are very excited about our upcoming season. We are looking forward to working with these girls and improving as the season progresses.
2. I do not think I could put a finger on one certain player. We are a team on and off the court and we all look for help from each other.
3. As to competing for the county title, success will always be tied to who has the strongest team but teams that are willing to work hard and believe in themselves can always put themselves in a position to compete.
4. We really enjoy these girls each and every year. We always have a great time with them and seeing what the future holds for our upcoming teams.

Woodland Lady Warriors
Head Coach: Suzette Sissom
Roster: Abbie Judkins, Anna Grace Sissom, Caroline Blanton, Kristen Fann, Madison Blanton, Jessie Kauffman, Kallie Kemp, Addison Melton, Bradi Mason, Cassie George, Shelby Smithson, Kaylee Armstrong, Maci Sellars and Maleah Sissom.
Answers:
1. I am very excited about the upcoming season. I am returning all of my players from last year and they are the best complete team of girls I have ever coached. They worked hard in practice and in the classroom. 11 of my players played AAU this summer and the others were involved in other sports. Their love of the game shows in their dedication to work in the offseason.
2. I have a strong group of 6th-8th grade players that all have shown improvement but the two that have shown the most improvement so far is Jessie Kauffman and Anna Grace Sissom. Kauffman has become more aggressive attacking the basket while Anna Grace was successful at pulling rebounds last season, and now she is going back up strong and finishing along with developing her three-point shot. Fann led our team last year, is our strongest ball handler, and finishes her shots well and a three-point threat. Kemp is our most vocal leader on the team, and she is such an encourager and other players pick up on that which leads to good team chemistry.
3. Since we are the returning champions from last year, we have the bullseye on us every game. Every game we play will bring their "A" game against us, so we must be ready each and every game with intensity. I want the girls to have confidence, but never become overconfident.
4. This group of girls is a joy to coach. They make my job easy. They are coachable, work hard, committed, practice their skills on their own time, have good attitudes, and they are great students in the classroom.

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