Concord looks for a deeper dive into state tournament

After a successful season, posting a 22-12 record, coach Keith Cornett’s Concord Lady Pirates lost in the second round of the Class 1A state tournament. This came after the squad edged Scranton 69-62 in round 1. Norfolk knocked Concord out of state by a score of 77-32. This year, senior Kaleah Davis and junior Lizzy White return to the starting lineup. The guards are undoubtedly a strength of the team, Cornett said. Davis is a college prospect who averaged 18.8 points per game last season. That was tops in the 1A-2 South. Junior forward Destiny Settlemire and sophomore forward Ashlyn Deckard will work in the trenches, and Davis will be the team’s go-to outside player, Cornett said. The Pirates were one of three 9-win teams last year. West Side and Rural Special posted records of 9-2 and 9-3, respectively. Cornett said to keep an eye on the Mount Vernon-Enola and Quitman games, which will be tough games. The Pirates lost to Mount Vernon-Enola on the road Oct. 20 by a score of 44-52. Concord will travel to Quitman on Nov. 20. Cornett said the team’s leadership, unity and guard play should propel his team, while rebounding may be an issue. Regardless of issues, effort is never in doubt for Concord. “This team will play hard,” Cornett said. As of press time, the Lady Pirates had played four games. They won against White County Central, Izard County and Omaha. They dropped a game against Mount Vernon-Enola. Bradford, Rural Special and Shirley are up next. The Pirates won twice against Bradford last year, went 1-2 against Rural Special and won both games against Shirley last year. Davis has continued her stellar play this season averaging 17.3 points per game so far. Look for that number to improve as the team enters conference play. She could improve her recruiting stock this year and continue to dazzle at the next level, the coach said. Davis also plays shortstop on the softball team.