Lady Cats' coach reflects on season
El Dorado's girls' basketball season ended in the first round of the 5A State Tournament with a 68-54 loss to Little Rock Parkview. The Lady Wildcats went 17-12 and finished third in the 5A South.
It was a disappointing end but, considering the team's 1-5 beginning, Coach Ashlee Curtis said the improvement from start to finish was a success.
“I think we did a phenomenal job if you ask me. From the beginning of the season to the end of the season, the girls grew. They got stronger. They got faster. They could jump higher. Their shots were better. I think as a whole and as a team, we grew in a positive light,” said Curtis.
“If you would've told me at the beginning of the season we would be able to do half the things we were able to do, I would've been like, yeah, you know you're right. But in the back of my mind I would've been, ‘Oh goodness.' My babies did a phenomenal job. Yeah, we wish things would've been a little different but it is what it is. We're stronger. We're better.”
Curtis credited team chemistry with the winning season. The roster was a blend of seniors and underclassmen who meshed in the off-season and during the year.
“One of the things I'm blessed with is, my kids like each other outside of basketball. I'm one of those few and fortunate coaches in girls' sports that can say that. I think that's a reason why we were able to pull off what we did pull off,” Curtis said.
“To be able to go to the state tournament two years in a row after not having been in the past five years is amazing. It's more than I could've asked for. It all comes from the hard work the babies have put in.”
The Lady Wildcats will graduate four starters from this year's team Lindsey Lockhart, Lauren Nelson, Charalyn Rester and Mallory Whitten. They combined to average 41.4 points and 22 rebounds per game.
“The good thing about those four starters, they weren't your normal seniors. These seniors are big on their legacy. They did a good job training their legacy,” said Curtis. “You saw a bunch of sophomores got a lot of rotation time at the state tournament. Yeah, we're los
ing our big four but they trained the babies up right. Don't count El Dorado out.”
Curtis said she was looking forward to getting her returning players back in the lab for next season. There will be a lot to replace but she believes others will step up next season.
“We'll work on developing a vocal ball handler. We'll work on developing a quick shooter. We'll work on developing strong post players. The way we see in our conference, if we can develop those fundamentals that are needed, we'll be O.K. I'm confident in the kids that are coming up,” said Curtis, who said ball handling will be an emphasis in the off-season.
“We've got to be able to handle the ball next year. We'll be a very fast, quick team and won't always be able to shoot lay-ups. We will have to be able to handle the ball in a press.”
In two years, Curtis has led the team to back-to-back state tournament appearances. She's hopeful the best is yet to come for the program.
“We're excited to get back into the gym and better ourselves as individuals and as teammates. Be on the lookout and don't count the Lady Cats out. I know we lost a huge portion of our team. But those babies did a great job leaving their legacy in good hands.”