So what does a coach do the season after winning back-to-back state titles and losing all five starters to graduation? That's the dilemma Greenwood Lady Bulldogs' Head Coach Clay Reeves is facing this fall. But fans should not worry, because the program Reeves has built at Greenwood is well-stocked. He's not rebuilding, just reloading.
Gone are former players Megan Hartness, Sarah Elkins, Sydnie Henson, Peyton Clements, and Brittany Branum, all starters in the 6A state championship game last March. Maddie Goodner was a junior and a major contributor on that team and will be the backbone of this year's new collection of Lady Bulldogs. And there's plenty of talent and size to surround her for the 2015-16 season.
In addition to the program pipeline of up-and-coming players, Reeves will also have the benefit of added size and athleticism in senior Erin Black and junior Maddi Pfeifer, the two tallest players for the Lady Bulldogs' volleyball team that finished as state runners-ups in October.
Both girls played basketball when they were younger, but neither has played recently, so there is some catching up to do. But Reeves is confident their skill level will increase significantly with practice and repetition. But their height alone – both players are over six feet tall – will help greatly.
The Lady 'Dogs are playing this week in a tournament at Conway, but are already 4-1 on the young season, with one game (Little Rock Hall) cancelled due to bad weather. They also have non-conference games slated against Bentonville and Fort Smith Northside. Due to a quirky schedule, the varsity squad won't play its first home game until January 12th against conference foe Siloam Springs.
"We've worked hard all spring, summer, and fall, and now we're into our [pre-conference] games, and we're still working hard trying to figure out the things we need to do to improve our team," said Reeves in a recent interview in his office.
"We're going to keep progressing and getting better and better. It's just taking a little bit of time to figure it out, because we're a different type of team. We'll still be a very successful team. I think we'll still be there in March when the last teams are playing. We've got a great opportunity for that, but we're just figuring out what our strengths are right now," said the coach.
Reeves has his two most experienced players working at point guard this fall. "[Maddie Goodner] and Emma [Jewell] have the most experience coming back. But we still have a lot of talent, just different types of players, but still very talented in the positions they play. We've just got to put it all together and get everybody on the same page, and that takes time when you have a lot of new players. [We] can see progress being made a little bit at a time."
Asked about Erin Black, Reeves said, "She played in junior high and she's come in and done a great job. Sometimes it's tough when you miss a few years, especially if you're a guard. But if you're a post player it's easier to get back into the game. Erin always has a good attitude and works hard, and does a great job. She's done [well] scoring and rebounding for us," he added.
Reeves also announced the arrival of another volleyball standout who joined the team after the Southside game. "We also have Maddi Pfeifer who came from volleyball and has started playing again. We talked to her a little bit late, but fortunately it worked out [well]. She adds another dimension to our team." At around 6'4", Pfeifer is easily the tallest player on the team and probably the tallest Reeves has coached at Greenwood.
According to Reeves, the Lady Bulldogs are searching for a new identity, trying to find a balance between guard play and their inside game. "We've had some really good forwards and guards," said the coach, "and they could all play outside. But this year, having some strong post [players] and strong guards, it's more difficult to get it working smoothly together. It takes a little more time, but in the long run, if they keep a good attitude and keep working hard and keep progressing, things will work out."
Reeves is also high on some of his younger players, including exciting freshman Kyiah Julian, who is already among the team leaders in scoring this season. In recent years the Lady Bulldogs have benefited from the talents of freshman like Lundon Williams and Megan Hartness.
"We have some [good] younger players," said Reeves. "Kyiah Julian is just a ninth grader, and she's been scoring for us. That's her strong point, being able to spot up and shoot. She can create her own shot too. Kaila Cartwright is doing a good job in the post.
"We're just trying to put it all together right now and get everybody to understand their roles. If the guards do a good job shooting, the posts are going to be open, and if the posts are dominating inside, the guards will get wide open shots. We trying to work on being able to do both."
Defensively, Reeves has changed his style, at least for the present. "Right now we're playing a little more zone and not pressuring as much," he explained. "Because we haven't [yet] scored as well as I think we can. We're trying to control the tempo a little more, and not push the ball as much, until our scoring gets going like we think it can, then we'll increase the [pace].
Early Results
The GHS girls opened their season on November 19th with a benefit game at Mena, winning easily, 59-29. Promising freshman Kyiah Julian led the team in scoring with 20 points. Sarah Reeves added 10 points in the victory.
They followed that up with a 20-point win over Class 7A Fort Smith Southside, beating the Lady Rebels 61-41, but led 35-6 at halftime before removing the starters for the fourth period. Maddie Goodner led the scoring with 21 points, followed by Julian with 16.
Last week the Lady Bulldogs traveled to Rogers for a tournament and won two of three games, defeating Ozark (MO) and Rogers-Heritage before losing to Rogers High School.
Against Ozark, Goodner (16 points) and Black (11 points) led the team offensively as the GHS girls rolled to a comfortable 44-27 victory. They defeated Class 7A Heritage in a close one, 46-42, led by a trio of scorers. Erin Black had 15 points, Kyiah Julian added 12 points, and Emma Jewell 11 points.
Against the host Lady Mountianeers, Greenwood led 27-22 at the half, but suffered a terrible offensive drought after the intermission, scoring just 10 points combined in the third and fourth periods, losing 54-37. Goodner had 15 points to lead the team, while Julian had nine points.