Lady Cyclones coach has high expectations for team
The Russellville Lady Cyclones are young, but that doesn’t scare veteran coach Sherry White one bit. White is in her third year at Russellville High School, but she’s starting her 36th year as a coach. She led the Lady Cyclones to a 16-15 record last year in the 5A-6A West. The team also made it to the state playoffs. “Marion beat us by one point, and they ended up winning the whole thing,” White said. This season, she predicted the team will exceed last year’s success, “even though we are an inexperienced team,” she said. “We have a great work ethic and high expectations for ourselves. We’re going to work hard every day. We’ve got 24 girls now on the team; I’m real pleased with our numbers.” Returning starters are senior Tamera Rhode, 5-9, who averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds per game last year; and junior Zee McCallister, 5-7, who averaged 6 points and 2 assists per game. “She started as point guard last year as a sophomore. She should show some leadership … with just that one year. I’m counting on her,” the coach said. White will also count on two juniors to make plays inside — Anna Myers, 6-0, and Makayla Ealy, 5-10. “Size is their strength,” White said. Pacing the Lady Cyclones from the outside will be senior Emily Looper and juniors McCallister and Kasey Heath, whom White called consistent shooters. Myers, because of her size and ability to play in and out, and McCallister, as a point guard, are college prospects, the coach said. White said the team’s strengths include players with good speed, and she expects them to be tough on defense. Good attitudes abound, too. “We have great leadership,” White said. “The seniors, for sure. We teach them that to lead is to be a servant. So many times in athletics, you see seniors wanting special privileges because they’re a senior; we kind of turn that around. You have to serve and show others how to lead; we work on that a lot.” Games to watch include Greenwood and Siloam Springs. “They are both 6A and will be the most competitive,” White said, adding that the Greenwood Bulldogs will be the bigger challenge. “I think they are just a rival at heart. They have always been very successful, and coach Clay Reeves has several state championships.” White said the Lady Cyclones are definitely a younger bunch, but she promises they will work hard “and be very competitive.” “I’m hoping this team clicks like I feel they can,” the coach said. “My expectations — I feel like they should jell into something that would be competitive in the state playoffs. I feel like they can be.” White knows about being competitive — she was a three-time All-American at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville and the only four-time all-conference selection in the history of Golden Suns basketball. Her career includes five state championships and four runners-up, including two years ago in Russellville, which was her first year in the district. She coached at Fort Smith Southside for 11 years before taking the Russellville position. White said she wasn’t looking to leave Fort Smith, but her daughter, Calli White, was playing basketball at Arkansas Tech when the position in Russellville came open. “That’s kind of what led me to Russellville, too. I wasn’t looking to go anywhere, but it worked out,” she said. Coaching is now a family affair. Calli is working as a substitute teacher in the district, so she helps her mother, and Sherry White’s son, Chase White, is an assistant coach. Ashley Franklin is another team volunteer. Sherry White said she considers her team part of the family, too. “I treat them all like my kids, like my daughters. They’re special because they work so hard for you, you can’t help but love them,” White said.