BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com
The last district championship for the Exeter girls basketball team came in 2011, and 14 years later — only two season removed from a three-year stretch with a single win — a shot at the Class 1, District 3 title is well within reach.
The Lady Tigers (10-14) have had an up and down season, stringing together their first set of back-to-back wins Thursday and Friday over Thomas Jefferson, 50-30, and Verona, 75-56. On Monday, however, Exeter dropped a 62-59 overtime contest with its Highway 86 neighbor, Wheaton.
Lady Tigers Coach Jennifer Young, in her second year after two completely winless seasons before her arrival, said the program is on the up and hopes to make some noise in Verona next week.
“We had a fairly good start to the season, and we got to the last game before Christmas break and had a 22-point lead but lost it,” she said. “Then, we returned after Christmas and it was tough to get back into shape. But, I think we are over that hump and have played well the last many games. We’re back in shape and ready to roll into districts.”
Exeter took the No. 2 seed in Class 1, District 3 and will face No. 7 School of the Ozarks at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Verona. Hurley, the only team in the district with record above .500, earned the No. 1 seed and bye and will face the winner of No. 4 Thomas Jefferson and No. 5 Billings in a semifinal at 6 p.m. Feb. 27.
The Exeter-School of the Ozarks winner will face the victor of No. 3 Verona and No. 6 McAuley in the other semifinal at 7:20 p.m. Feb. 27. The championship is March 1 at 1 p.m.
“We beat TJ, School of the Ozarks and McAuley (twice),” Young said. “We’ve played Hurley twice and were neck-and-neck with them, so we have a good shot. But, it depends on what team decides to show up. Sometimes, it’s tough for us to get going after long bus rides.”
Young said in recent weeks, the Lady Tigers have altered their press and found greater success, making a couple positional changes that resulted in more comfort defensively.
“That could be a gamechanger for us,” she said. “We also have a new half-court defense that has been working well, and offensively, our mechanics are improved and we’re finally at the point we can read each other.”
Through the season, Young said a couple players have stood out among the squad.
“Shea Hilburn is the leader of the team, averaging almost 24 points per game and 12 rebounds,” Youn said. “She’s got a lot of heart and knows how to motivate the team. She also scored her 1,000th point on Homecoming night, and it’s just her junior year.
“Beatriz Alcaraz, a sophomore, took over point guard for us after our last one graduated last year. She has really stepped up and is filling those shoes well. She’s scoring more and reading the floor better and has stepped up her game a lot.”
To find the kind of success that delivers postseason hardware, Young said the biggest key for Exeter is being in tune mentally.
“For us, it’s all about being pumped up and ready to play,” she said. “Sometimes, we wait until the third quarter to get warm and have to come back from a deficit. But, the nights we show up pumped up and ready to go — we can play. It’s when we need that time to get warm that we struggle.”
Ozark 7 play has also wrapped up. After Monday’s loss at Wheaton, Exeter will finish second or third in the conference including Verona, New Heights, Thomas Jefferson, McAuley and Wheaton.
“Because New Heights is in the conference and we only played them once, and we played terribly, they will probably be No. 1,” Young said. “But, ending [second or third] is great considering where we were last year with 60 losses in a row. We have a good chance to end the season with at least 12 wins, and the program is building and improving.
“We’re really looking forward to districts because we know we have a shot. We’re ready to prove we’re not that old Exeter team that loses every game we show up at.”
The Lady Tigers hosts Northeast Vernon County on Friday, the final regular-season game and senior night. The Class 1, District 3 Tournament begins next week in Verona.
