HOOPS PREVIEW: This year's Community R-6 girls want to continue trend upward in success

By Jeremy Jacob, Sports Editor
Posted 11/30/22

For nearly the last decade, Community R-6 girls basketball has built up high expectations.

The Lady Trojans of the past have won seven district titles, four straight conference titles going from …

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HOOPS PREVIEW: This year's Community R-6 girls want to continue trend upward in success

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For nearly the last decade, Community R-6 girls basketball has built up high expectations.

The Lady Trojans of the past have won seven district titles, four straight conference titles going from 2018-2021, and two third-place state trophies. Seven 20-win seasons have been achieved during that time, with the program in a current streak of five consecutive.

But that is the past, and head coach Bob Curtis believes this year’s team is capable of that kind of success.

“This team’s been together for a while and is battle-tested so I’m excited for this winter,” Curtis said. “They’ve played in a lot of big games so they’ve been very successful at a high level. Mentally, I think they’re ready to win.”

The seniors, including a pair of reigning Central Activities Conference first-team players Sarah Angel and Olivia Kuda and Kayla Jett, were freshmen during Community’s most recent trip to the state Final Four in 2020 and has earned several individual accolades like being all-conference in the Central Activities Conference. Angel and Kuda each appeared on the team alongside the graduated Alexis Welch, conference MVP, and Shelby Clark.

Curtis said not having good players Welch, Clark and Paige Meyer from last year’s 23-4 team stings but hurts less since the Lady Trojans will have Angel at the point and some talented players she can distribute the ball too.

“Sarah Angel is definitely one of the best point guards in the area,” Curtis said. “Olivia Kuda really came on in the post last year and she had a great year. (Junior) Brooklynn Glasgow, (junior) Kylie Brooks, and Kayla Jett, they all got a lot of time last year so I expect them to really try to fill the void from the three that graduated. I think they’ll step in and do a nice job.”

Curtis believes the Lady Trojans this year are a “very quick” group that can operate in the full court well and create havoc on the defensive side of the ball for opposing teams.

Community will need to step up as a group against some talented teams in the area that includes conference rival Cairo, a reigning 24-win team that defeated the Lady Trojans in the district championship last year, CAC foe New Franklin, who was a 14-game winner, and Silex, who won 15 games a season ago.

“I believe there will be a lot close nailbiters and hopefully we can come out on top,” Curtis said. “There will be some nights where there will be a lot of lead changes with teams in the area.

“They’re very hungry to see just where they stack up. We won a conference title a year ago and that was very exciting. We played for a district championship. I think they set their sights very high – as they should. They put the work in.”


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