By Staff

            LITTLE RIVER – Losing just one senior, the Little River girls basketball program looks toward youthful experience to gain them a return to the state tournament for the 2022-23 season.

            Leading the program for his third season will be Brent Clark who has guided the Lady Redskins to a sparkling 42-6 record in his first two seasons including a 22-2 overall record in 2021-22 and a one game run at the state tournament. For his career, this will be Clark’s 22 season as a head coach.

            One thing that will have to be dealt with by the Little River coaching staff is fill the shoes left behind by all-state Lily Boughfman who graduated after putting up huge numbers across the board last season with 14.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 3.2 blocks, and 2.8 assists per game.

            Four things the coaches can count on for 2022-23 is the return of four quality starters, none of whom is a senior yet as three enter their junior seasons and one is still just a sophomore. The four returning starters bring to the court a combined 25.5 points, 14.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 6.1 steals per game from last season.

            Leading the Lady Redskins for 2022-23 will by six-foot junior Aubrey Olander. Olander led the team in rebounds as she pulled down 7.3 carroms per game to go along with putting 10.3 points on the board and earning honorable mention all-state honors.

            Alaina Eck, a five-foot-four junior, also gained honorable mention all-state honors in 2021-22 while leading the team in steals with 3.3 per game to go with an average of 7.7 points, 1.8 assists, and 1.7 rebounds as well.

            The other returning junior starter will be five-foot-seven Ashley Stephenson who helped the Lady Redskins dominate post play under the basket. Stephenson averaged 2.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game last season.

            Coach Clark noted that the fourth returning starter is the Elsie Boughfman, a five-foot-ten sophomore who put up 4.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game as just a freshman. Unfortunately, due to an injury and shoulder surgery, Boughfman will not be available until the final month of the regular season in February.

            As impressive is the four returning underclassmen starters, Little River also return to the court five players who gained game time experience last season as reserves including five-foot-four senior Victoria Norez, five-foot-four junior Kate Ellwood, five-foot-seven junior Kami Grasser, five-foot-eight junior Katie Collins and five-foot-four sophomore Jailyn Miller.

            “We return four starters from last season,” noted coach Clark in his pre-season reflections. “We will have both some size and quickness to go with lots of depth. Plus, we have one of the more talented freshman class of players we’ve seen in a while.”

            The Little River Lady Redskins will open the 2022-23 season on Friday, December 2 when they play host to Lincoln.

(The Staff covering McPherson County Activities can be reached by email at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)