OFC girls have star power

Warning to all Southeast Missouri basketball players, fans and coaches: This story may cause extreme jealousy, upset stomach and, in some advanced cases, intense defensive discomfort.

After last season in which three area underclassmen were named to All-State girls basketball teams, the secret is undoubtedly out of the closet. The film footage has been reviewed and the stat sheets have been tabulated.

And the answer is undisputed -- the Ozark Foothills Conference is full of star power.

With much respect to the many other talented OFC girls players, three SEMO star ballers stand out: Greenville junior Sara Woodgeard, Doniphan senior Morgan Davis and Naylor junior Hailee Deckard.

Davis was a first-team All-State selection after leading the Donnettes to a final four appearance in the state playoffs and a 24-6 record. Deckard was also a first-team selection as she led the Naylor Lady Eagles to a 23-6 record and a No. 8 ranking in the year's final poll. Woodgeard made the second team after her Greenville Lady Bears finished 14-12 and placed second in their district.

All have multi-faceted games and all are cornerstones of the OFC's top three contending teams.

Let's start with Davis and the Donnettes. Standing 5-feet, 7-inches tall and playing guard, Davis imposes her will on the opposition with an unparalleled shooting touch from long range and a good feel for the game. Last season, Davis averaged 23 points per game, shot 49 percent from 3-point range and set a school record for 3s made.

But Davis is hardly alone on a Donnettes roster filled with talent. Complemented by returning varsity players Jaysa Blackwell, Haily Reed, Adja Jones, Melissa Kennon, Angela Rodgers, Carli Weathers, Chelsea Swindle and Jordan Hart, it is plainly obvious that Doniphan has simply reloaded the cannon that shot the Donnettes into the Class 3 state final four.

"This is a kind of a special group," said Doniphan coach Jimbo Blackwell, who has a career record of 220-74 at the school. "I've never been in this situation before with so much varsity experience coming back."

With so much talent returning, Blackwell is able to play any style of basketball with just about any combination of players on the court. His team is well-rounded with skills honed during up-tempo practices that feature rapid-fire drilling and mental precision.

"Our strength is that we have a little bit of everything," Blackwell said. "We have so many people who can play the game."

Next on the docket is Woodgeard, the do-everything 5-10 guard for the Greenville Lady Bears. Silky smooth in every facet of the game, Woodgeard can run the point, play the post, dish, shoot and drive. As a sophomore last season, Woodgeard filled up the stat sheet with averages of 26.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

She drained 44 points against Portageville and tied a state record for free-throws in a game when she went 19-19 against Clearwater.

Surrounding Woodgeard are Lindsay Henson, who is a talented outside shooter, and freshman post player Tara Porter, who possesses a game that is polished well beyond her years. And with varsity players Amber Carver, Heather Moon, Tarna Peach, Rosie Wren, Kaylin Becker and Miranda Stewart returning, Woodgeard's best trait may be her most unnoticed.

"She is so unselfish," Greenville coach Diane Meyer said. "But all my players are like that."

Employing a well-balanced offensive approach that is equal parts inside and outside as well as an intense focus on defense, Greenville is the only team in the conference that can match Doniphan's experience and polish.

"I feel a lot of pressure because we have some talent," Meyer said. "And I am really, really trying to develop it. These girls are putting in more hours, doing things a lot harder and trying to accomplish some things Greenville hasn't done a whole lot."

Finally, there's Deckard. A two-sport star that also anchored Naylor's softball team at shortstop, the 5-10 Deckard is aggressive driving the lane and is a technical wizard in the post. Averaging 24 points, 12 rebounds and five assists per game, Deckard can do it all for the Lady Eagles.

Deckard, along with Charissa Bridges, Cheyenne Ragsdale, Brooke Baccus and Alicia Dragon, return from last year's Class 2 state quarterfinal team and figure to round out the OFC' leading trio of teams.

But mentioning only those three teams leaves out three other very competitive OFC squads -- East Carter, the seventh OFC school, will not have a girls varsity team this season.

Neelyville, led by Becky Hale, has some star power of its own, however. The Lady Tigers return all-conference senior Jennifer Hardin as well as junior sparkplug Libby Parish. Hale said she likes the experience her team has with five returning varsity players but also said she needs her bench -- juniors Kadie Wilkerson and Jessica Tinker -- to step up and bear some the of the scoring load.

Clearwater also has an impressive duo up in the backcourt with junior guard Adriann D'Amico and sophomore guard Lindsay Bell. Bell polished her game in Hawaii over the summer and coach Heather Evans said she thinks D'Amico will step in to a team leadership role.

"I like our team because all the kids get along and because there's so much intensity there," Evans said.

Rounding out the OFC contenders is Twin Rivers, which is a relative wild card this season after losing seniors Tamara Huggins and Amanda Boatner to graduation. With only one senior -- Holly Gordon -- on its roster, Twin Rivers is young, but still has a lot of varsity experience with juniors Kaylee Blue, Torey Davis, Carlee Vancil and Briana Johnson. All four girls started last season.

"We hope to get back to a winning mentality," said longtime Lady Royals coach Jeff Walk, who has more than 300 wins in his career but just a dozen the past two years. "Losing can be a habit just like winning can be a habit."

Walk said he is still looking to develop a true point guard but can balance his weaknesses with a deep bench.

-- Tanner Kent