Stewart Johnson
ABOUT THE TEAM
The Lady Dragons are led by senior guard Jillian Sowell, averaging 12.3 points per game. Sowell received Offensive MVP honors in district last season when she averaged 18.7 points per game and was a constant 3-point threat. Freshman guard Camryn Tade has made a seamless transition to the varsity level, becoming the second leading scorer (10.5 points) and rebounder (5.5 per game) this season.
“The incoming freshmen are really good at putting points on the board,” says Sowell, a team captain.
Junior forward Kaelyn Riley is the team leader in rebounding, averaging 6.5 per contest and fitting in nicely with the team’s defensive-minded approach. Senior captain Allyson Medici contributes 4.7 points per game, with junior Kelsey Boyette adding 4.3 per game.
McCoart says her team’s bonding has made them that much stronger on the court.
Although she wants her team to achieve success with wins and athletic accolades, McCoart says the friendships they build and the life lessons they learn in the process are invaluable.
SEASON UPDATE
Stumbling out of the gates with an 0-2 start in District 5-6A competition, the Lady Dragons basketball team appeared to have righted the ship and put itself back in the playoff hunt as the first half of district came to a close.
Carroll won four district contests in a row to improve to 18-8 through its first 26 games, already surpassing the team’s 16-17 record from the previous season.
Strengthened by the stellar opposition it faced throughout the pre-district schedule, the Lady Dragons defeated College Station (ranked No. 15 in Class 5A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches), a regional semifinalist last year; captured a win over Bishop Lynch, the reigning TAPPS 6A champions and No. 5 in the TABC Private School rankings; and lost by 10 to Plano (No. 11 on the TABC 6A poll).
Carroll’s first two district losses were against Keller and Denton Guyer, ranked No. 15 and No. 7, respectively, by the TABC. Lady Dragons coach Robyn McCoart knew her team needed to face stiff competition early in the season in order to be ready for its powerful district lineup.
“I knew that if we didn’t [play a challenging schedule], Guyer and Keller were going to be tough for us,” says McCoart. “And not just them, our district in general, there’s nobody that you can walk over.”
Carroll’s top moment in pre-district came at the Cowtown Classic Tournament in December, as the Lady Dragons won the consolation championship. Now, Carroll’s focus is clinching a playoff spot for the second consecutive year and advancing past bi-district, where the Lady Dragons fell by one point to Irving MacArthur last year.
“We’ve got to chip away at them one at a time, “ McCoart says.
‘19, ‘20 Roster
Head Coach: Robyn McCoart
Assistant Coaches: Rosana Barbosa, Dawn Pittman, Callie Pomroy, Leigh Ann Lay
2: Allyson Medici, G, Senior
4: Brittney Flexer, G, Junior
10: Kelsey Boyette, G, Junior
11: Kaelyn Riley, G, Junior
14: Sarah Goodman, P, Senior
15: Camryn Tade, G, Freshman
21: Kylie Swanson, G, Sophomore
23: Ashley Stelling, P, Senior
24: Kalila Fambro, P, Junior
32: Jillian Sowell, G, Senior
33: Jordyn Sowell, P, Junior