Published: June 19, 2009 09:09 am      

Lady Chicks conclude team camp

FLETCHER – Matt Layman’s Lady Chicks wrapped up their summer team camp schedule Wednesday and will be back in the gym next week instead of heading for the Macarthur camp as originally planned.

The team was at Fletcher Wednesday and played Walters, which lost just three games last year and achieved some notoriety after hanging 103 points on Grandfield just before the break. Sam Hale had fifteen girls suited up and rotated three full teams in at a time. Layman had six girls, with one sitting out injured.

Therein lies his biggest concern.

“We just don’t have any numbers,” the second-year coach said. “We had one girl at a camp this week and a couple of freshmen sick today but even with everyone here, we still wouldn’t have enough.”

Another big concern for the upcoming season is out front. After graduating all three of last season’s guards, he had one junior (Gab Atwell) who didn’t play last year and three sophomores (Mary Elizabeth Allen, Lauren White and Dawn’Shaye Blakes) whose freshman team didn’t finish last season due to injuries and low numbers.

“With the exception of Paige (senior post Hightower), we’re basically a JV team playing varsity level,” Layman said.

Still, he looks at the silver lining.

“It’s good for the younger ones. They’re taking some lumps but it’s helping them get better. It’s not easy to see and they may not even see it, but I see them growing up and maturing. They’re getting stronger, they’re learning how to make good decisions and they’re learning how to play tougher against older, more experienced players.

“That’s what this has to be about because of the situation we’re in.”

Compounding things, sophomore forward Hailey Harris, one of the better shooters in the group, was sidelined again with what appeared to be the same nagging back injury that kept her off the court last year.

“When you don’t have a lot of numbers, one injury or one sickness magnifies and really has an effect,” the coach said. “Hailey has had a lot of back problems and that affects other parts of her body. That’s what happened today. She needs a lot of rest and some time off to heal it up properly.”

On the upside, the Ladies will be tough inside, with seniors Hightower and Diamon Heath patrolling the lanes. Heath was at camp this week and Hightower played with her usual ferocity down low by herself.

“Diamon’s at the OSU camp this week but was with us at Anadarko and played really well,” Layman said. “She really showed a lot of improvement. When she wants to play hard, she’s as good as anybody.

“Paige sometimes tries to play too hard and do too much but when she just lets the game come to her, she’s really good. We’ll probably be pretty one-dimensional but by far that’s the strength of our team.”

Even playing with just five girls, the Chicks hung with Walters until they hit back-to-back threes in the final minute or so for an eight-point win.

“I’m proud of these girls,” Layman said. “They’re out here spending their summer trying to make themselves better and help us get better. It’s not easy sometimes.”

The team will pass on next week’s camp at Macarthur.

“We just don’t have the numbers right now for another team camp,” the coach said. “We have so many basic things to work on and so many young girls that we decided to just stay home and get back in the gym.”