LADY CATS LOSE SIZE TO GRADUATION

After being hit hard by graduation, Fredericktown girls basketball coach Lonny Sheldon will be looking for new sources of point production this season.

Fredericktown, which enjoyed a 19-6 record last season, lost four starters and over 80 percent of its scoring punch.

"Offensively, we gave a lot of points away to graduation," said Sheldon. "We lost almost 50 points and we probably averaged 60."

The biggest loss was second-team all-stater Lindsey Merrill, a 6-foot-2 inside force that averaged 20 points per game, 11 rebounds and 5.5 blocks per game.

"She's probably the top inside player I've had," said Sheldon, who's entering his 15th season as head coach.

All-conference forward Kristen Tripp, a force inside, also graduated.

When Fredericktown opens its season in the Farmington Tournament next week, sophomore point guard Erin Kinder will be the lone starting player from last year's team that shared the Mineral Area Activities Association championship and won district and sectional games.

The Lady Black Cats have been assigned the fifth seed in the six-team tournament.

"Our skill level will be okay, but the experience is not there," said Sheldon. "We're also going to be much smaller than we've been in the past."

Center Lisa Francis is both Fredericktown's lone senior and tallest player at 5-foot-10. Francis is one of three returners which did not play much last season. Also returning are sophomore forward/guard Hazel Rauls (5-5) and junior forward Heidi Godsey (5-8).

Kinder (5-4) averaged 7 points per game last year while running the offense.

"Last year some of these girls scrimmaged against pretty good caliber players and I hope some of it rubbed off," said Sheldon.

Moving up from last year's JV squad are junior forward Jennifer Anders (5-7) and sophomores Jessica Autrey (5-6, guard) and Autumn Swinford (5-9, forward).

"I think we'll be a much better team at the end, hopefully, than at the beginning," said Sheldon. "Hopefully it will be a growing process if we can keep our confidence up."