News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Monterey Girls Basketball Coach Randall Phillips said fans can expect a different, more mature Wildcats team as the season begins.
The Wildcats went 4-22 last season and Phillips said the culprit for those results came down to inexperience. In his off-season work with the team, he said it was clear that with a year of both mental and physical maturity that this season would be a new story for the team.
“There’s as much difference in daylight and dark, from last year to this year in how they play,” Phillips said. “We will be competitive and you will be able to see the difference from year one to year two. They’re not going to be hard to watch, some of those games last year was hard to watch.”
Phillips noted that to begin the season he and his support staff have been able to jump straight into coaching, not teaching the game. He said the addition of the team’s volleyball players has meant a step up in intensity and excitement.
“The girls, they got a little giddy after media day Saturday,” Phillips said. “And that’s just excitement and nerves. And it’s beginning to get a little bit real that the season’s here, the season’s coming and I think we’re all getting excited for that.”
While the team will be more experienced this year compared to last, Phillips said there is an excitement around the addition of freshman point guard Mackenzie Vester. He said he expects Vester to have an immediate impact on the court and is excited to see her team up with sophomore guard Jalee Johnson.
Phillips said the team is doing what they can to get ready for opening night. He said that what he has seen over the summer and in the past weeks have him looking forward to a new season.
“They’ve worked harder this year, than they did a year ago,” Phillips said. “And you can see a difference in the girls physically and they’re looking pretty good right now.”
