Lady Raiders coach stresses defense, rebounds

Coach Ryan Smith, who is back for his eighth year at Riverview High School in Searcy, said the Lady Raiders will enter the season with experience on their side. The 4A-2 team had a record of 15-11 last season, and Smith said he hopes the Lady Raiders exceed their expectations this time around. They’ll play in the 3A/4A-7 blended conference, the coach said. “Our goal is to get to the state tournament,” he said. “We got a bad taste in our mouths last year, and we want to do better.” Smith said the team will have four returning starters: seniors Ebonee Whitney and Ja’Kaylan Banks; and juniors Alexis Broadway and Alexa Gray. “Last year, Ebonee and Alexis led us in scoring about the same amount, around 8 or 9 points per game. We’re pretty balanced,” he said. Other key players include junior Baylee Davis, senior Da’esha Lee and sophomore Parker Smith, the coach said. Above all, the team’s greatest strength is balance, Smith said. “We’re athletic, we’re going to shoot the ball pretty well, and our team chemistry is good right now,” he said. Rebounding was the Lady Raiders’ biggest weakness last year, Smith said, and he has put his focus on defense. “We need to block out better and have a sense of urgency about blocking out and getting back on defense,” he said. “Those are correctable things. I think we’ll handle the ball well, shoot the ball well and score.” Smith said the biggest games to watch will be Heber Springs and Southside Batesville. The overall goal is to make it to the state tournament, he said, and practices are going well so far. “It’s going to be tough. I think we’ll be better than we were last year,” Smith said. “I think with another year of experience for most of these kids, we’ll be better. Anything can happen. There’s not a dominant team.” Representing yourself, your class and your school is important, he said, and he hopes his players will prioritize being good leaders both on and off the court. Smith said the team’s overall attitude is better than it was last year, and the players have been working on team-strengthening exercises. “We’ll play fast, we’re going to amp our defensive and rebounding efforts, and we’re going to hopefully score a lot,” he said. “Mainly, what I’ve been stressing for the past month and a half are playing defense and rebounding. That’s been my stress, for sure.”