With the basketball season literally within shooting distance, the Mansfield Lady Tigers are ready to put it through for two! Leading the Sr High roster this upcoming season will be lone senior Maia Crespo standing at 5’5″ playing SG/SF. Juniors Makayla Strutton playing SG/PG and coming in at 5’6″, 5’1″ Mikayla Harrison playing SG, Danielle Lillie playing PG and standing at 5’5″, 5’9″ Amber Elmore playing PF/C, Chloe Creekmore at SF/PF with a height of 5’9″, and Brooke Wright at C standing tall at 5’10”. And sophomores Kiara Thomas playing SG/SF standing at 5’6″, 5’3″ Haylee Helms at PG/SG, Sadie Roberts at SF/SG with a height of 5’9″, and Sarah Fisher playing SF/PF standing 5’6″.
Over the summer, the Lady Tigers put in over 1,800 hours on the basketball court. The girls were pushed to compete against harder and more advanced opponents with the idea that the Lady Tigers would be ready to play their absolute best come the 2019-2020 basketball season. Head Coach, Joshua Bryan, gave us his outlook on the upcoming season. “Although we are not at 100 percent, we get closer and closer to our expectations with each passing day.” Beaming ear to ear, Coach Bryan continues, “The Sr Lady Tigers are going to bring excitement to the gym and make the Tiger community proud of their efforts on the court. The team will be a sight that you will have to see for yourself!”
After a great summer, the Lady Tigers are ready to put their hard offseason work to use against the Lavaca Lady Golden Arrows whom they will host on November 19th at 6 p.m. “Lavaca will be a challenging opponent. Coach Wyles is a fantastic coach and always has the Lady Arrows headed in the direction needed, in order to be successful.”
The Lady Tigers will be returning four players from last years senior high team. Returning starter, All-NWA Top 20 Team, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, and All-District player, Makayla Strutton, returning starter, Shooting Guard Mikayla Harrison, Center Brooke Wright, and returning starter, Center/Power Forward Amber Elmore.
Last year, the Lady Tigers Jr High squad was a young team. But now with a little more experience, the Jr Lady Tigers will be looking to improve on last year’s season. Making up the Jr High roster are freshmen Natalie Allison (co-captain) playing SF/SG at 5’10”, Skylynn Harris at SF/PF with a height of 5’10”, 6’1″ Seven Sanderson playing C, Serenity Brunson at PF/C standing at 5’8″, Lita Hecox playing SF/PF at 5’6″, Brooklyn Adams at SF/PF with a height of 5’6″, and Cassidy Carlton playing PG/SG at 5’5″.
The eighth-graders include 5’5″ Kynslee Ward at PG, Alyson Edwards (captain) playing PF/C at 5’8″, Harlie Fuller playing PG/SG standing 5’5″, Raine Hecox at the SG/SF position standing at 5’5″, and Eden Mounts playing SF/PF at 5’5″. The Jr Lady Tigers have a different story from the Sr High. The Jr High is returning most of last year’s team including 4 of their 5 starters. Small/Power Forward Skylynn Harris, Shooting Guard/Small Forward Natalie Allison, Point Guard Kynslee Ward, and Center/Power Forward Alyson Edwards.
The Jr High Lady Tigers are expected to do well in conference play this year. With size, speed, and smarts in the right positions, these girls are sitting pretty as one of the teams to beat in the 2019-2020 season. Coach Bryan had this to say about his Jr Lady Tigers. “The thing that makes coaching the best job on the planet is to get to coach players who want to compete. The Lady Tigers have that want, and they’ll be tough to beat this season if they can take that want and roll it into four full quarters of play.”
The Jr Lady Tigers will open their season with the Earl White Classic Tournament in Hackett on Monday, November 18th. The time and opponent will be announced at a later date after the pairing of the tournament has been finalized.
