East Carter Lady Redbirds embracing success

ELLSINORE — The East Carter Lady Redbirds basketball squad is thriving and enjoying every moment of it.

The reigning Class 2 District 2 champions have picked up where they left off last season, and their momentum and focus for a deep run in the postseason is at its highest. With a 17-2 record on the season, one would agree that the Lady Redbirds have found a steady flow on the court, but head coach Angela Rodgers would like to see more.

Rodgers has seen tremendous growth within her team, but playing with more consistency is the next goal she wants her team to accomplish as they prepare for a tough stretch.

“I feel like we’re still trying to get into a flow and find that consistency,” Rodgers said. “We’ve been playing great in certain areas but can play better. I have high expectations for this team, but we’re still finding our groove and slowly getting there. Hopefully, when districts roll around in a month, we’ll be more locked into where we want to be this season.”

Rodgers said the Lady Redbirds had some tough games this season that required them to dig deep for the win. She said the team’s maturity and mental toughness have taken a leap compared to how they played at the beginning of the season. With their backs against the wall on numerous occasions, Rodgers is pleased with how the Lady Redbirds have stayed resilient through it all.

Last season, the Lady Redbirds made it to the second round of the Class 2 state tournament after defeating Neelyville 46-38 before being eliminated by New Haven 50-40. Though they have two blemishes on record with two losses to Doniphan High School, the Lady Redbirds have used that defeat as fuel. Since their last loss, East Carter has gone on a seven-game winning streak led by some key seniors.

Forward Breanna Dohleman said the season has gone great for them, and chemistry between the team is flowing nicely.

“We’ve definitely pushed ourselves this season,” Dohleman said. “We’ve worked really hard together. We had a few players out due to injury, but we finally have them back, so we are working through getting the flow going again. I feel I’ve been giving the game everything this year and applying that same drive to my teammates. Of course, I aim to improve every game, but I want us all to be better together.”

One person who’s noticed the growth with Dohleman the most is Rodgers.

“Dohleman has really stepped up inside the paint the past couple of years,” Rodgers said. “In the beginning, she struggled with foul trouble, but this year, I see a much more mature player who knows how to handle herself on the floor, and I’m proud of her.”

Other seniors include Ciara Duckett and Dylan Price, who’ve played a pivotal role in keeping the Lady Redbirds on their recent run.

Rodgers said Price came in and filled the ball-handling role that the Lady Redbird lost last year. She said Price has done an outstanding job facilitating, which has given the other girls some more confidence they didn’t have much of in the past.

“Duckett has stepped up a lot for us,” Rodgers said. “She’s just been more consistent and more confident herself and that’s what we’ve been working on with her for the past couple of years. There’s definitely been improvements all around, and I’m really excited. We’ve got some great juniors with Parker Golden and Anna Crowley. Parker is finally starting to get into a flow, and we are happy to have her back. Anna is just a scrappy guard. She’s our leading rebounder, and that says a lot about her. I’m just really proud of them all.”

As the Lady Redbirds gear up for its remaining games, Duckett said the main goal is to keep playing as a team and push through.

“Our district is tough,” Duckett said. “I think it’s probably one of the toughest ones around, so we’re going to have a lot of hard work to do leading up to that, but I really think that we can pull through and then hopefully go into the postseason and make a run.”

Sometimes, when a team is in the middle of the season, it’s hard to shed light on the success, but Rodgers said it’s always important to take a step back and embrace the wins.

“I told them that we’re 15-2, and I don’t feel like I’ve celebrated that enough with them,” Rodgers said. “It’s huge for us to be here because we were not doing this well this time last year. We had already lost more than two games, so it’s important to celebrate that growth. I’m really proud of them, and I’m excited to see where the season takes us.”