Lady Daredevils plan to finish job
With five starters back from last year’s 38-5, Class 1A state runner-up team, Wonderview’s Lady Daredevils look to make 2017-18 another special season. “This group has played together since they were seventh- and eighth-graders,” said coach Jeremy Simon, 273-90 overall and 199-50 at Wonderview. “They are very experienced together and know each other so well. They went 27-0 together three years ago in junior high and 38-5 last year playing as juniors and sophomores.” Wonderview won the 1A-5 North district championship and marched to the state championship game as the third seed from Class 1A Region 3. The Lady Daredevils lost to Bay in the final, 40-35. “I thought we won some big games last season,” Simon said. “These players are very competitive, and they just find ways to win. But this season, teams will know us better and will have a better understanding of how to attack us and how to defend us.” Two all-state tournament players lead Wonderview. Brooke Zimmerman, a 5-9 senior forward, averaged 16.3 points and 5 rebounds per game last season while hitting 37 percent from the 3-point line. She was also an all-state selection. Faith Byers, a 5-5 junior point guard, averaged 11.6 points per game and shot 45 percent from the 3-point line. “Brooke is the most versatile player on the team,” Simon said. “She has the ability to score in many ways, so we will put her in many different spots. The biggest difference I see going into this season is her strength. She’s a lot stronger, which is helping her finish around the rim even when she gets contact. “Faith is one of the best ball handlers I’ve ever coached. She has a very quick step and does a great job of getting around pressure. This season, I will push her to be more aggressive on the offensive end. She has the ability to take over a game.” Other returning starters are Bailey Wright, a 5-6 junior shooting guard, 9 ppg, 43 percent 3-point, 80 percent free throws; Kailey Gullett, a 5-6 junior forward, 5.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.8 steals, 4 assists; and Shelby Reynolds, a 5-9 senior forward, 7.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg. “Bailey Wright is developing into an allaround player,” Simon said. “She is very athletic. Her best asset is her ability to shoot the ball. She is learning how to post up and how to score off the dribble. On defense, she is great at anticipating and is also a great rebounder. It just seems like she is always around the ball. “Kailey is one of the best all-around defensive players I have ever coached. She has a lot of speed. She anticipates well. She is tough as nails and not afraid to guard anyone. “Shelby Reynolds may be our most improved player. She is smaller than most post players she will play against this year, but she is strong for her size and moves well. She is good at attacking from the high post and does a good job of finding the open shooters.” But the Lady Daredevils have more than just their returning starters. Simon said Bre Gottsponer, a 5-6 senior guard, has always been a good shooter but has recently shown increased aggressiveness and confidence. “I look for big things out of her this season,” he said. Hadley Jones, a 5-6 junior guard, will come off the bench at the point. “She is real good in transition and finishing contested layups,” Simon said. “She is very capable of knocking down shots and is a good defensive player.” He said his team’s strength will be its ability to run the floor. Size, though, is a weakness. “We have a quick group, and we like to press as much as possible,” Simon said. “Our players are great in transition and like the uptempo game. But we are a team of mostly guards and forwards. It’s hard for us to go man-to-man against good teams because we are so undersized at each spot.” Wonderview faces a tough schedule from the beginning, the coach said, including Norfork, which won 40 games last season; Jasper, Mount Vernon-Enola; and Quitman, the defending Class 2A state champion. “We have very high expectations this year, but at the same time, we know that this season is going to be very difficult,” Simon said. “We will be faced with many challenges that we will have to overcome if we want to have a successful season.”