Quickness, ability to shoot should boost Lady Eagles
We’ll be able to press and play faster. I think they’re going to be fun to watch.”
ALVIN RILEY VILONIA GIRLS COACH
The Vilonia Lady Eagles don’t have size on their side again this season, but quickness and good shooting should leave them standing tall. Coach Alvin Riley, who will lead the 5A-West team for the 16th season, said he has three returning starters: two senior guards Aaliyah Cash, 5-5, and Kenna Beaty, 5-6; and Paige Kelley, a 5-10 sophomore forward who started as a ninth-grader. The team is coming off a 17-9 season. Riley said he will count on Kelley for inside shooting. “She’s a good kid, a good athlete. She’s young, and a good rebounder. When she moved up to senior high, she led us in scoring and rebounding.” She averaged 12.3 points per game and 8 rebounds, Riley said.
The coach said Cash and Beaty will be his go-to players on the outside. “They’ve got the most experience coming back, the most playing time.” Riley said other players “who ought to be able to help a lot” are Alexis Burnham, a 5-4 senior guard. “She was hurt most of last year and didn’t play a lot, but she’ll be a good outside player,” he said. He also gave a nod to Hannah Montgomery, a 5-7 junior small forward, who got some playing time last year; and two ninth-graders moving up, Lauren Patterson, 5-6, and Laney Mears, 5-5. Riley is optimistic about the season and pragmatic about the team’s strengths and weaknesses. “Lack of overall size will probably be a weakness, but we’ll be quicker than we were last year. Overall, I expect us to shoot the ball better than we did last year. We’ve got several who can shoot from outside if they’ll just do it in a game,” he said. The bench wasn’t deep last year, and the Lady Eagles couldn’t afford to get into foul trouble, he said. Riley said this season, he has more bench strength, which takes some of the pressure off the team. He is looking forward to all the games, but Vilonia and Greenbrier have a longstanding rivalry, and he also said Beebe and Vilonia are always competitive. Riley’s outlook for the girls team is positive. “I expect them to play hard and aggressively, play good defense. We’ll be able to press and play faster. I think they’re going to be fun to watch,” he said. Riley, who graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, led the Lady Eagles in 2009 to their fourth state championship in school history. He will be assisted by Jason Clark.