Lady Rebels have depth, are up to the challenge

Second-year head coach Trey Berry said the Rural Special Lady Rebels will have a lot more depth this season, thanks to a large sophomore class moving up to the varsity level. “I just hope to get more people involved and spread the floor and open it up,” Berry said. “We want to pressure the ball on defense and really get up and get after it.” Rural Special finished 26-14 last year and has two returning starters, including senior Maddison Kocher and senior Olivia Carlton. Kocher averaged 18 points a game with 3 rebounds and 9 assists, while Carlton had 17 points a game with 9 rebounds. “Maddison is a good leader, a good point guard and a good motivator,” Berry said. “She gets everybody going.” The coach said Kocher is quick and can “go around any defender if played tight.” “She can shoot if defense is backed off,” Berry said. “She can really see the floor.” Berry said Kocher spends a lot of time in the gym working on her shots and getting stronger. “She is improving her game anyway she can,” Berry said. “Olivia is a dual threat. She’s strong, tall and can play inside or outside, depending on our matchup. “We’re a lot deeper than last year, so there are more threats for other teams to guard.” Rural Special has moved to the 1A-5 Conference, which includes Mount Vernon and Wonderview, who both played for the Class 1A state championship last season. “We are in a brutal conference this year,” Berry said. “The conference is made up of nine teams, and any of the nine teams could potentially make a postseason run. “It is going to be brutal.” Berry thinks his girls are up to the challenge. “They play well together; the chemistry is there,” Berry said. “They played together this summer, and it really helped build their chemistry. “I hope we continue that throughout the year.”