Lady Titans have title aspirations

The conference is new. Expectations for the McDowell Lady Titans are the same as always.
McDowell, which is coming off three consecutive Northwestern 4A Conference regular-season championships — and six in the last seven years — is now part of the Mountain Athletic 4A/3A Conference.
And even though there are some formidable foes in the MAC — like T.C. Roberson and A.C. Reynolds — the Lady Titans have the personnel to keep right on winning championships.
McDowell returns four starters and eight of its top 10 players from a year ago, when the Lady Titans went 23-6 and captured the NW4A crown before falling to Butler in the State Sectional championship. Success like that is nothing new at MHS. The Lady Titans have been to the State 4A Playoffs 25 seasons in a row, and have won at least 20 games in 18 of the last 20 years.
And thanks to off-season improvements and a healthy dose of young talent, McDowell will almost certainly be much better this year.
There are a number of reasons why, but the team's coach said hard work in the off-season may be the most important one.
"Obviously, I really like the team," said third-year head coach Brian Franklin (49-10). "We've got six seniors coming back, so there's a lot of leadership that's already there. One thing I was talking to the team about is the fact we go almost 270 days without a game. If you're going to be a better team, you do a lot of your work in those 270 days. That's one thing they're really done well. They've worked hard in the off-season."
And then there's the experience factor. McDowell lost senior leaders Molly Brooks and Kristin Maney to graduation, but a core group of veterans is back to lead the way.
Four Lady Titans seniors — Autumn Ward, Xandi Gellman, Jami Medford and Kaitlin Gallion — return for their fourth varsity seasons. Senior point guard Jaalen Corpening is a two-year starter. Juniors Madison Thomas and Mary Webb and sophomore Tuccoa Brackett are all returning for their second varsity campaigns. A sixth senior, MacKenzie Holland, is also a two-year varsity player.
"With that first group, that first seven or eight, there's not a situation they haven't seen," said Franklin. "There's not a defense they haven't played against, there's not a situation in a game they haven't been involved in, whether it be a close game at the end or where they have to make a run, or where they have to press to get back into it, or play with foul trouble. Every situation you could possibly have, they've faced it."
As you might expect, facing such obstacles together has forged a tight bond among teammates, both on and off the court.
"I love how hard they've worked and how tight-knit they are," said Franklin. "This group has really been together a long time. They're a lot of fun to be around, and they want to win just as bad as I do. They understand it takes hard work and they've really bought into it. They're what our program is all about."
The closeness has also fostered a style of play Franklin says is, if anything, sometimes too unselfish.
"I love the way they've been so unselfish," said Franklin. "More than I've ever had to do, I'm having to tell them, I love you being unselfish and passing, but you probably had a pretty good shoot. And that's across the board — you don't have anybody who is in it for herself. All they care about is winning."
Last year's team did its winning largely because of tenacious defense and rebounding. At times, McDowell struggled to score consistently, Franklin said. But the coach said he's seen signs any offensive woes the club experienced last season are a thing of the past.
"(There are) Three big things," Franklin said. "We're going to play defense, we're going to play harder than the other team, and we're going to rebound. That's been the key we're trying to emphasize. I think it's going to help us more this year, because we're more of a threat on the offensive end. That's one thing I saw in the summer and in the scrimmage (Freedom Super Saturday). There were times when we really had an easy time scoring because we were a threat from a lot of different areas and had different kids who can do different things."
Backcourt — The list of kids who do a variety of things on the court begins with Ward. The 5-9 senior signed to play at Mars Hill in the preseason. An All-NW4A selection a year ago, Ward led the team with 15.1 points and 3.8 steals per game to go with 2.6 assists. Always a deadly outside shooter, Ward has improved every other aspect of her game in the last two seasons and essentially has no weaknesses.
She'll be joined in the backcourt by Corpening, a 5-7 senior point guard who ran the show for the Lady Titans last year. Corpening made dramatic improvements over the course of last season, has gotten even better during the off-season and should take her place among the ranks of the area's best point guards this time around.
Webb, a 5-4 junior, is perhaps the program's most improved player, and her minutes should go way up this year, according to Franklin. Webb, a superb perimeter shooter, has, like Ward, become more of a complete player.
The team's only freshman, 5-4 point guard Anna Pittman, is also a threat from outside and provides a young understudy at the position. Holland, junior Katie Davis and sophomores Taylor Settlemyre and Amber Fulbright round out a deep and talented corps of guards.
Frontcourt — Gellman has made steady improvements throughout her four-year varsity career, and became the team's first option in the post last season. This year, Franklin said Gellman is completely comfortable with being a go-to player. The 6-1 college prospect averaged 12.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest last year, and is a double-double threat every time she steps on the court. Franklin said Gellman is more mobile than last year and has worked hard on her footwork.
Medford (5-8), a versatile returning starter, turned in several double-figure outings in both scoring and rebounding a year ago. Medford is the epitome of a team player, and can swing effortlessly between the 3 and 4 spots. Gallion (5-8) can do likewise. The enthusiastic senior is exceptional in the high post, mobile enough to play trapping zone defense all over the floor, and is a hard worker on the glass.
Brackett (5-10) is the team's best athlete and saw plenty of action as a freshman. Brackett plays extremely long on defense, harassing opposing guards trying to set up an offense. She has improved her offensive skills, and Franklin said she is poised to have a stellar year. Junior Madison Thomas (6-0) showed flashes of brilliance as a sophomore, and Franklin said he expects her to produce more consistently as a junior. Thomas has nice post moves and is also a mid-range shooting threat.
Sophomore Madalyn Davis (5-6), the ace of the Lady Titans' golf team, is another solid athlete who Franklin said would help the team when she refines her skills. Junior Brooke Epley (5-8), a jayvee standout last season, provides even more depth.
Note: Franklin is assisted by Jennifer Brooks and Tiffany Stacey. Brooks coaches the Lady Titans summer AAU team.

McDowell Lady Titans head coach Brian Franklin talks about the Lady Titans:

10 – Anna Pittman, 5-4, Fr., Guard – "She's the only freshman on the team, and obviously, we see that she's got a lot of potential. She's a left-handed point guard, which I like. We've had a really good left-handed point guard here before (Anna Atkinson). She's already one of our best shooters from the perimeter. Just in three weeks, she's improved her ballhandling and passing."

12 – Katie Davis, 5-6, Jr., Guard – "Katie played on our jayvee team last year and hurt her ankle toward the end of the year, which set her back some. She's a great team player and is working hard every day in practice."

20 – Kaitlin Gallion, 5-8, Sr., Forward – "She's a worker, and she's going to give an all-out effort every day. She has an unbelievable energy in her game. They're all really excited about the season, but Kaitlin's probably the most excited. She'll be great for us defensively and we're really counting on her to get to the boards. One of her strengths is passing from the high post."

21 – Mary Webb, 5-4, Jr., Guard – "We've got three players who have improved the most from last year to this year, and she is one of them. Last year, she didn't play a lot of meaningful minutes, but we're going to count on her this year; she's in that rotation. She's doing a lot of good things and she looks comfortable out on the court. She's little, but she's a lot more athletic than people understand."

22 – Brooke Epley, 5-8, Jr., Forward – "Brooke was on the jayvee team last year and was the only one we moved up to the varsity last year. She's a great kid and she's working real hard. She's gotten a lot better with her ballhandling skills and shooting the ball from the mid-range."

24 – Autumn Ward, 5-9, Sr., Guard – "I could talk to you for hours about Autumn. I think her signing with Mars Hill will help her because she can just relax and play, and I'm looking for her to have a really big year. Most people think about what a great shooter she is from the perimeter, but there's so much more to her game than shooting. She does so many things for us."

25 – MacKenzie Holland, 5-7, Sr., Guard – "MacKenzie has been a tremendous leader for us. Her game has really improved a lot and she's really come along. She has the perfect attitude; she comes ready to work every day and get the job done. The coaches and players all respect her. She's a winner and she's a big part of our team."

30 – Xandi Gellman, 6-1, Sr., Center – "She's one of the three (along with Webb and Tuccoa Brackett) who have really improved. She's great with either hand. Because of her footwork and athleticism, I had several college coaches talking to me about her last weekend (Freedom Super Saturday Scrimmage) because she played so well. She's shooting the ball real well from the mid-range. That's a big part of her game that she's added. One of the best parts of her game is how she's getting up and down the court."

32 – Jaalen Corpening, 5-7, Sr., Guard – "Last year at the end of the season, she was our most improved player by far. Any time you can get somebody who is a good athlete, is in the top 10 in her class academically and is willing to work like she is, you're going to be OK. She's one of the best kids around anywhere. I had several different college coaches talking to me about her as well. (I like) Her overall attitude and the way she carries herself, and she's so tough."

34 – Jami Medford, 5-8, Sr., Forward – "Jami is one of those who, you can watch the game, and there's no one thing that stands out. She doesn't score a million points or have a million rebounds, but she's one of those who is just a winner. It's like, every team she plays on is going to win, and she's going to end up being a big part of it. She's the kind of player you've got to have. Every really good team has one or two players who hold everything together, and she's one of those for us."

40 – Taylor Settlemyre, 5-6, Soph., Guard – "She's one of our young kids, and of all those kids, she's the most polished right now. She's a good shooter from the perimeter and once she works on her mechanics a little bit, she's got a chance to be a great shooter. She understands the game and she can be a good player for us."

42 – Tuccoa Brackett, 5-10, Soph., Forward – "She can play every position on the court but point guard, and is the best athlete on our team and probably the best female athlete in our school. Her skills are starting to catch up with her athleticism, and if she continues to work on her skill, shooting and ballhandling, she can be one of the best that's ever played here, and that's not just me saying that; it's a lot of people. She's already getting interest from colleges."

44 – Madison Thomas, 6-0, Jr., Forward – "Madison is another one getting some recognition from colleges. She's a big 4, and the biggest strength to her game right now is playing 10 or 12 feet out. She's a good shooter and was one of our best free throw shooters last year. She's a threat from the high-post position and we're working on her back-to-the-basket skills and playing hard all the time. She has a great opportunity to play college basketball."

50 – Amber Fulbright, 5-10, Soph., Guard – "Amber is another of our young kids who got moved up. She's real long. The best thing about Amber is she has soaked up everything we've told her. She will do things exactly the way you want them done after you tell her for the first time, and that's a great thing. She has improved a lot over the first three weeks of practice."

52 – Madalyn Davis, 5-6, Soph., Forward – "She's an all-around athlete. She's so tough and so athletic. Aside from Tuccoa, she's one of the best athletes we have on the team. Her skills are pretty raw, but she has a wonderful attitude about working and being a part of the team. She's one of those who could surprise some people."