Coach, Lady Squires Excited About Upcoming Season
November 2, 2016 at 4:23 p.m.
Coach, Lady Squires Excited About Upcoming Season
By Dale [email protected]
Everett, an all-state player himself and a standout on Triton High School’s 2008 Class 1A boys state championship team, is in his third year coaching the Lady Squires, and he believes the 2016-17 season could be special.
“Girls basketball has been a pillar in this community,” said Everett. “You look up at the banners above us, and there’s a lot of numbers up there, we’ve got a lot of tradition. We want to be in the position of not really building, but maintaining, the program and getting it back to where it used to be and to where we know it can be.
“The girls have done a spectacular job, top to bottom, of getting ready, being committed to it, coming to summer workouts, offseason workouts, being committed during the season. I’ve really been impressed by the level of commitment they’re bringing.
“Our community has been involved. We’ve had parents involved. We’ve had community members that have daughters that used to play get involved. Our student section has been awesome, and the attendance at the games has continued to grow. There’s a lot of anticipation for this season, a lot of excitement ... not just from the community, but also myself. The first thing I told the girls at a parents meeting is I’m excited, I think this is going to be a special year.”
Manchester’s 11-player varsity roster includes seniors Ellie Milam, Rae Bedke, Bailey Sewell, Cierra Carter and Rachel Cave; juniors Erika Kendall, Kerrigan Hatfield and Sydney Day; sophomores Kennedy Fierstos and Emma West; and freshman Kiera Hatfield.
Carter led the Lady Squires in scoring last season with 12 points per game, and also averaged four rebounds, three steals, and two assists.
Milam and Bedke averaged about five points per game last year, while Sewell chipped in with four.
“Every year is a different challenge, a different group of girls,” said Everett. “There’s a different senior core, along with some upperclassmen, and some new faces as sophomores and a freshman. You’ve got to figure out who works well with each other, and we’re really got a group that can really mesh and jell together and be competitive on any given night.”
The Lady Squires open the season Saturday when they host Adams Central, followed by home games with Lewis Cass and Warsaw on Nov. 8 and 9, respectively.
Manchester will play its first seven games in a span of 14 days.
“The girls are ready to play against someone other than themselves,” said Everett. “And once we go, we go, because we play Saturday, then Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday of that next week. Once we get going, there’s not a lot of time for practice in the early part of the season.
“I think our offensive principles, the girls are really catching on to them. They’re really learning and adapting to the changes and tweaks that we’ve made from the previous years. Our defense is still solid, and we’re improving on our transition game. I think we’re a much better team, and we’re excited about this season.”
The Lady Squires were 9-14 overall last season and 3-6 in the Three Rivers Conference.
Manchester opens TRC play Nov. 15 at Maconaquah.
Key conference games include a Dec. 9 home game with Whitko and a Jan. 26 contest at Tippecanoe Valley.
“The girls TRC has historically been good,” said Everett. “It’s a stellar conference when it comes to girls basketball. Anyone who wants to come watch a very competitive game needs to go to a TRC game. It’s just something different. The coaches, we all know each other and respect each other, and I know the girls do too. A TRC championship means a lot.”
Everett, an all-state player himself and a standout on Triton High School’s 2008 Class 1A boys state championship team, is in his third year coaching the Lady Squires, and he believes the 2016-17 season could be special.
“Girls basketball has been a pillar in this community,” said Everett. “You look up at the banners above us, and there’s a lot of numbers up there, we’ve got a lot of tradition. We want to be in the position of not really building, but maintaining, the program and getting it back to where it used to be and to where we know it can be.
“The girls have done a spectacular job, top to bottom, of getting ready, being committed to it, coming to summer workouts, offseason workouts, being committed during the season. I’ve really been impressed by the level of commitment they’re bringing.
“Our community has been involved. We’ve had parents involved. We’ve had community members that have daughters that used to play get involved. Our student section has been awesome, and the attendance at the games has continued to grow. There’s a lot of anticipation for this season, a lot of excitement ... not just from the community, but also myself. The first thing I told the girls at a parents meeting is I’m excited, I think this is going to be a special year.”
Manchester’s 11-player varsity roster includes seniors Ellie Milam, Rae Bedke, Bailey Sewell, Cierra Carter and Rachel Cave; juniors Erika Kendall, Kerrigan Hatfield and Sydney Day; sophomores Kennedy Fierstos and Emma West; and freshman Kiera Hatfield.
Carter led the Lady Squires in scoring last season with 12 points per game, and also averaged four rebounds, three steals, and two assists.
Milam and Bedke averaged about five points per game last year, while Sewell chipped in with four.
“Every year is a different challenge, a different group of girls,” said Everett. “There’s a different senior core, along with some upperclassmen, and some new faces as sophomores and a freshman. You’ve got to figure out who works well with each other, and we’re really got a group that can really mesh and jell together and be competitive on any given night.”
The Lady Squires open the season Saturday when they host Adams Central, followed by home games with Lewis Cass and Warsaw on Nov. 8 and 9, respectively.
Manchester will play its first seven games in a span of 14 days.
“The girls are ready to play against someone other than themselves,” said Everett. “And once we go, we go, because we play Saturday, then Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday of that next week. Once we get going, there’s not a lot of time for practice in the early part of the season.
“I think our offensive principles, the girls are really catching on to them. They’re really learning and adapting to the changes and tweaks that we’ve made from the previous years. Our defense is still solid, and we’re improving on our transition game. I think we’re a much better team, and we’re excited about this season.”
The Lady Squires were 9-14 overall last season and 3-6 in the Three Rivers Conference.
Manchester opens TRC play Nov. 15 at Maconaquah.
Key conference games include a Dec. 9 home game with Whitko and a Jan. 26 contest at Tippecanoe Valley.
“The girls TRC has historically been good,” said Everett. “It’s a stellar conference when it comes to girls basketball. Anyone who wants to come watch a very competitive game needs to go to a TRC game. It’s just something different. The coaches, we all know each other and respect each other, and I know the girls do too. A TRC championship means a lot.”
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