Lady Squires Open Season On The Road
November 2, 2017 at 4:23 p.m.
Lady Squires Open Season On The Road
By Dale [email protected]
Manchester tips off the season Saturday with a trip to Adams Central.
In all, the Lady Squires will play their first four games on the road, and in a span of eight days.
That stretch also includes games at Lewis Cass (Nov. 7), Warsaw (Nov. 8) and Bluffton (Nov. 11).
Everett, who has led the Lady Squires to more wins than the previous season in each of his three years at the helm, likens his team’s early schedule to that of the sectional format.
“We’re road warriors those first four games,” said Everett, who was a standout on Triton High School’s boys state championship team in 2009 before playing at Bethel College.
“We go to Adams Central Saturday, and it’ll be their second game. They moved a game up, we used to play them in the first game for each of us. They’re gonna have a game under their belt before we do.
“Tuesday we go to Cass, Wednesday we go to Warsaw, and next Saturday we go to Bluffton. We’ve got four games in eight days, and it’s all on the road. It’ll challenge us right off the bat. We’ve got to be ready to travel a distance, and to be ready to go and compete together as a team.
“We’ll have to rely on each other, especially when we play back-to-back nights. We’re at Cass, and then we go to the Tiger Den the next night to play Warsaw. You have to be ready to go for a back-to-back, and I like the back-to-back because when you get to the sectional you have to win on Friday and Saturday to win the championship.”
The Lady Squires won eight games in Everett’s first year at the helm, followed by nine wins the next season and 12 last year.
Everett, who took over a program that won just one game in the 2013-14 season, believes the program is headed in the right direction and is excited about his current team.
“We’re definitely trending upward, and that’s exactly where we need to be, and where we’re gonna continue to head,” said Everett.
“I’ve got a good group of girls now that’s a little bit different than the last one. In those three years, I only graduated four seniors total in the first two years, and then five last year.
“We had a big changeover from my seniors last year. I’ve got five now, so it’s a good interchange, and we’ve had a lot of girls step up already.
“We’re trending in the right direction ... the girls are always working hard. We’ve got the program headed in the right direction where we feel we need it to be.”
Among the players lost to graduation was leading scorer Cierra Carter, who averaged 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals per game.
This season’s varsity roster lists seniors Sydney Day, Kerigan Hatfield, Kiera Stacy, Erika Kendall and Emily Mize; juniors Jirni Cripe, Kennedy Fierstos and Emma West; and sophomore Kiera Hatfield.
Fierstos, Day and Kerigan Hatfield all averaged about four points per game last season, while Kendall and West scored three points per contest.
“I’ve got five seniors ... three of them returning with varsity experience,” said Everett. “I’ve got four juniors ... two of them returning with varsity experience. I’ve got one sophomore with varsity experience, to go along with five other sophomores in the program, and then four freshmen. I also have two foreign exchange students that are playing with us.
“We round out at 22 players on our full roster, JV and varsity together. I’m returning six players with varsity experience, that’s a good place to start.”
The Lady Squires open Three Rivers Conference play Nov. 14 when they host Maconaquah, which is also Manchester’s first home game of the season.
Manchester tips off the season Saturday with a trip to Adams Central.
In all, the Lady Squires will play their first four games on the road, and in a span of eight days.
That stretch also includes games at Lewis Cass (Nov. 7), Warsaw (Nov. 8) and Bluffton (Nov. 11).
Everett, who has led the Lady Squires to more wins than the previous season in each of his three years at the helm, likens his team’s early schedule to that of the sectional format.
“We’re road warriors those first four games,” said Everett, who was a standout on Triton High School’s boys state championship team in 2009 before playing at Bethel College.
“We go to Adams Central Saturday, and it’ll be their second game. They moved a game up, we used to play them in the first game for each of us. They’re gonna have a game under their belt before we do.
“Tuesday we go to Cass, Wednesday we go to Warsaw, and next Saturday we go to Bluffton. We’ve got four games in eight days, and it’s all on the road. It’ll challenge us right off the bat. We’ve got to be ready to travel a distance, and to be ready to go and compete together as a team.
“We’ll have to rely on each other, especially when we play back-to-back nights. We’re at Cass, and then we go to the Tiger Den the next night to play Warsaw. You have to be ready to go for a back-to-back, and I like the back-to-back because when you get to the sectional you have to win on Friday and Saturday to win the championship.”
The Lady Squires won eight games in Everett’s first year at the helm, followed by nine wins the next season and 12 last year.
Everett, who took over a program that won just one game in the 2013-14 season, believes the program is headed in the right direction and is excited about his current team.
“We’re definitely trending upward, and that’s exactly where we need to be, and where we’re gonna continue to head,” said Everett.
“I’ve got a good group of girls now that’s a little bit different than the last one. In those three years, I only graduated four seniors total in the first two years, and then five last year.
“We had a big changeover from my seniors last year. I’ve got five now, so it’s a good interchange, and we’ve had a lot of girls step up already.
“We’re trending in the right direction ... the girls are always working hard. We’ve got the program headed in the right direction where we feel we need it to be.”
Among the players lost to graduation was leading scorer Cierra Carter, who averaged 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals per game.
This season’s varsity roster lists seniors Sydney Day, Kerigan Hatfield, Kiera Stacy, Erika Kendall and Emily Mize; juniors Jirni Cripe, Kennedy Fierstos and Emma West; and sophomore Kiera Hatfield.
Fierstos, Day and Kerigan Hatfield all averaged about four points per game last season, while Kendall and West scored three points per contest.
“I’ve got five seniors ... three of them returning with varsity experience,” said Everett. “I’ve got four juniors ... two of them returning with varsity experience. I’ve got one sophomore with varsity experience, to go along with five other sophomores in the program, and then four freshmen. I also have two foreign exchange students that are playing with us.
“We round out at 22 players on our full roster, JV and varsity together. I’m returning six players with varsity experience, that’s a good place to start.”
The Lady Squires open Three Rivers Conference play Nov. 14 when they host Maconaquah, which is also Manchester’s first home game of the season.
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