Tiffany Dirks is optimistic in her first season as girls basketball coach at Carl Junction High School.
“I’m excited. We have talent,” Dirks said Tuesday. “The players work well together. They’re playing hard. They’re picking up our (new) transition offense.”
Dirks, who’s assisted by Mandy Lybeck and Stephanie Taylor, was the girls basketball coach at Pierce City High School in 2011-12 after assisting Trish Henry for two years in volleyball.
Jonathan Wengert is an assistant principal at Neosho High School after four years as the Bulldogs’ head coach.
Carl Junction, in Pool 1 of its annual Classic, opens the season at 6 on Thursday night against Monett. The second game that night at 7:30 is Nevada vs. Liberal in Pool 2.
Probable starters for the Class 4 Bulldogs in their debut, according to Dirks, are 5-foot-6 senior Sydney Koch, 5-6 junior Bryce Boyd, 5-8 sophomore Bradyn Wall, 5-10 sophomore Brenlee McPherson and 5-10 freshman Maria Chism.
First reserves include 5-9 senior Laken Eberhart, 5-8 senior Timbre Murty, 5-7 junior Olivia Uhrich and 5-9 sophomore Sam Kopp. Rounding out the roster are 5-8 junior Allyson Mitchell, 6-0 junior Katie Skaggs and 5-11 sophomore Hope Hines.
Boyd and McPherson were members of the second all-Big 8 Conference team in 2011-12.
“My first concern is how well will we play defense (hopefully, a tight man-to-man) and how quickly will we react to opposing defenses,” Dirks said.
Dirks, a graduate of Joplin College Heights Christian School, attended Evangel in Springfield before transferring and receiving her degree from Pittsburg State University.
Dirks had coaching stints at Thomas Jefferson and a school in Alabama before returning to Southwest Missouri at Pierce City. Her husband, Josh, also is a coach in the Carl Junction system.
Sports
CJ coach: 'We have talent'
- High School Sports
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McAuley's Foley breaks Class 1 state record in discus throw
Martin Barrett/Special to the Globe Victoria Foley of McAuley Catholic broke a long-standing discus record in the Class 1 state track meet on Saturday in Jefferson City.
- Lamar runs to title
- District champ Seneca prepares to face Warrensburg
- Purdy matched against Billings in state tourney
- Carthage places third in sectional track
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- Missouri Southern Sports
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Lions eliminated at regional
MSSU shortstop Thomas Wilson tags Central Missouri's Barrett Noirfalise on Friday.
- 'No one deserved to lose' Southern opener against Mavs
- Lions squeezed in 14-inning loss to Minnesota State
- Lions open regional play against top-seeded Minnesota State
- Lions qualify 12 for track nationals
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- Pittsburg State Sports
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Gorillas stay alive with 3-1 win over UCO
Matt Hicks/Special to The Globe Pittsburg State shortstop Evan Thomas turns a double play during an MIAA postseason tournament game Thursday.
- 7 Lions, 8 Gorillas names all-MIAA
- Lions qualify 12 for track nationals
- Western rebounds to end Pitt State's season
- PSU baseball prepares for another backyard battle
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Lamar runs to title
Martin Barrett/Special to the Globe Sprinters Cade Payne of Lamar (1134) and Cedric O'Hara of Pierce City (1246), pictured competing in Friday's preliminaries had productive days on Saturday in the Class 2 track and field meet.
Lamar won its first state track and field championship Saturday in the MSHSAA Class 2 Track and Field Championships at Dwight Reed Stadium.
Continued ... - District champ Seneca prepares to face Warrensburg
- McAuley's Foley breaks Class 1 state record in discus throw
- Eagles fall to Rock Bridge in state tennis
- Young Cavaliers ousted in Class 1 sectional
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