Sports
Alexander Girls Preview: Spartans Face a Rebuilding Year
By: Jerod Scheetz
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The Alexander Lady Spartans are preparing for the 2011-12 season with numerous question marks. After dominating the TVC in recent years, Alexander enters this season in a vulnerable position.
The Lady Spartans lost four of their five starters from last year’s 15-6 team and Coach Denton Guthrie boasts a roster full of inexperience. Alexander has not lost a TVC game at home since 2005, a run that could very well end this season.
Guthrie knows he has to rebuild his team quickly if they want to compete in what looks to be a strong TVC.
“It’s going to be quite a change,” Guthrie said. “Practices are going to be changing. We gotta slow everything down, it seems like everything is in slow-motion.”
One constant remaining from last year’s team is Kaylee Coker. Coker, now a junior, is the lone returning starter, and must provide big minutes for the Lady Spartans to be successful.
“I’ve been trying my hardest to motivate the whole team,” Coker said. “Everyone seems to pick up on it. It’s basically a whole team effort, but I just get things started.”
Coker has not only taken on the leadership position for this team, but also is switching to the role of the team’s main ball handler. That’s not an easy switch, considering she did most of her work in the post last season for Alexander.
While the inexperience could lead to early troubles for the Lady Spartans, Coach Guthrie is not changing his style of aggressive defense. Expect in-your-face ball pressure and high intensity basketball, as this team must battle every minute to win games.
“We’re really young, and we’re making tons of mistakes right now,” Guthrie said. “But it’s a marathon, not a sprint, I think we will catch on.”
The Lady Spartans open up the season November 28 when they host Jackson.