Shannon Cawood – Girls Head Coach:
SORSN: You’re starting your 2nd season as coach of the Lady Waves. Tell us about your basketball background.
Shannon: I played high school ball at Harriman and graduated from there in 1989. Overall, this is my 8th year coaching. I began as the boys coach at
Harriman Middle School then became the assistant at Harriman High School for the boy’s team.
SORSN: The season starts on Tuesday, November 23, if you had to set your lineup today, who’s you’re starting 5? Briefly tell us about these 5 potential starters.
Shannon: Our starting five will differ throughout the year for various reasons. Our top returning scorer is Lyndsay Davidson. She averaged around 14ppg last season as a junior and really carried us on her shoulders. Racheal Renfro is a senior post that will be a starter. The other three positions will be a merry-go- round, depending on who is practicing and playing well at the time. Nancy Sargent is a guard that is our second leading returning scorer. Kelly Mullis is a junior post in her second season of playing. Hannah Childers, Kayla Mundy and Ellison Beard will see considerable time at the other guard spot. Erin Winchester is a sophomore post that has a lot of potential. We have 4 freshmen posts that are already helping us with rebounding and depth. We only have 12 players on the team. Two seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and four freshmen. Most of these will see quite a bit of playing time through the season.
SORSN: From your practices and scrimmages thus far, what are the strengths of your team? What are the weaknesses?
Shannon: We were able to spend a lot of time together this summer at camps and practices. This not only helped us as far as basketball is concerned, but we really got to know each other better and develop that ‘family’ relationship. We had a great summer at camps and were able to play about 30 games. So, we feel that we’re well ahead of where we were at this time last year. This preseason we scrimmaged Sweetwater, Catholic, and Rutledge. We appear to be better, but we have a long way to go before we are where we need and want to be.
Strengths: Defense and Competitiveness
Weaknesses: Ball Handling
Amy Woody – Girls Assistant Coach:
SORSN: You started your young coaching career as an assistant under the “Mad Man”, Mike Hayes. Tell us about your basketball background.
Amy: I played basketball starting in 5th grade and ending with the 12th grade. I played for Leslie Davis, Stanley Moser, John Gaston, summer camp with Mike Hayes and then on to a better looking Dewayne Arp at Loudon High School. Basketball has been one of the highlights of my life and I love it.
Don’t know that I ever planned on coaching. I just stepped in to help Coach Hayes because Coach Craig Moser had a lot on his plate. He was getting married, working very hard on the MHS football program and building a house. My main goal was to do anything to make Coach Hayes job easier and to help the girls in anyway I could. That is still my main focus just a different boss. I must say it was a real honor to get to watch Coach Hayes behind the scene. He has forgotten more about the game than what most people know about the game.
(Yes and Coach Hayes continues to forget things..because he is O-L-D)
SORSN: You open the season against Rockwood. What can you tell us about the Rockwood Lady Tigers?
Amy: The Lady Tigers are much like the Lady Waves. They are young, everyone back from last year. I think they have improved since last season. They like us, worked very hard on their game during the summer.
They seem to be faster and handling and shooting the ball better than last season. However, we will have 2 games under our belt by then and hopefully some much needed confidence which will help us to be victorious over the Lady Tigers.
SORSN: Did your little brother “schooling” you on the court have any bearing on your decision to be a coach rather than try for the WNBA?
Amy: I realize I am getting older but sorry, don’t recall my little bro EVER schooling me.
(Sure. Denial is an easy way out.)
The Lady Waves would like to give a special THANKS to our student body for their support during the Washburn game Thursday night. You guys were GREAT!!
Darrell Ruffner – Boys Head Coach:
SORSN: You open the season against Rockwood. What can you tell us about the Rockwood Tigers?
Darrell: They are a great team. They went to the State Last Year, and are planning to go again. They have a transfer in who is about 6’6 with an outside game. Look for this team to do well.
SORSN: From your practices and scrimmages thus far, what are the strengths of your team? What are the weaknesses?
Darrell: We have some depth, we can go nine deep. Our weakness has been the inability to score.
SORSN: The season starts on Tuesday, November 23, if you had to set your lineup today, who’s you’re starting 5? Briefly tell us about these 5 potential starters.
Darrell: We are still undecided at this time. We have had two practices with our team because of football. We have started two lineups in our Jamboree and Hall of Fame game. It could be January before we have a definite starting five.
Kent Settlemyer – Boys Assistant Coach:
SORSN: Okay “shorty”, tell us about your basketball background.
Kent: I played at Farragut from 6th grade until middle of my junior year. Then we moved and I played the rest of my junior year and senior year at Karns.
SORSN: There’s a lot of height on the team this year. Are there any other teams in the district with as much size as the Waves?
Kent: We will run into several teams that will challenge us vertically. But we just need to be quicker and stronger to prevail against them.
SORSN: As the season opener approaches, has anyone distinguished themselves as the “go-to guy”?
Kent: At this time we do not have a ‘go-to-guy’ or a clear leader. The team needs one and we hope someone will step up to that challenge in the next few weeks.