MHS girls: Zeroing in on the competition
Sports reporter
The number zero in sports can be both a good and bad thing.
Good if it's the number of turnovers your team has in a game; bad if it's the number of victories your team has all season.
In the case of Marion High School girls' basketball team it's the number of returning starters it will have on the court this year.
Even with the new starting five, don't think they will be short on experience.
Seven seniors, all who played together during the volleyball season, will be on the roster this season along with five juniors and seven sophomores vying for varsity minutes.
Head coach Daryl Enos, in his third year at MHS and 17th overall, knows a team is more than just its starters.
"We're going to have a lot of people seeing a lot of action," he said.
Seniors Sarah Williams and Leann Thomas and juniors Toni Gordon and Allie Maddox saw a good amount of varsity time last year.
Seniors Molly Rhodes, Jill Hannaford, Katie Zogleman, Chelsi Carlson, and Amber Richmond also contributed minutes last season.
Enos said juniors Emalee Versch and Megan Hudson should play a role this season as well.
Similar to the boys' team Marion finished 10-2 in the Cottonwood Valley League, but will have to play much stiffer competition in the Mid-Central Activities Association this year.
"There aren't going to be any 'gimme games'," Enos said. "You have to show up and play every darn night."
Enos said the one advantage of having no returning starters, is all five positions are wide open. That, he said, should push everyone on the team to try harder, knowing a spot could always open up.
Anytime there are this many changes to a lineup fans, players, and coaches alike don't always know what to expect.
He told the girls the lineup probably would not be set until Thursday and even then would not be set in stone.
"We're going to play an up-tempo game with a lot of pressure. That hasn't changed," he said. "I think we're going to be a lot of fun to watch this year."
