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Under the direction of a completely new coaching staff, the Rockbridge County High School girls basketball team has been working hard to set themselves up for success in the upcoming season.
In early August, Darrell Plogger was named the Wildcats’ new head coach, but he is certainly not new to the game. Plogger was the head coach for the RC boys for 10 years, from 2010-20, before he stepped down, although he stepped back into coaching as an assistant RC boys basketball coach last winter. During his time as the boys’ head coach, the Wildcats consistently had winning seasons. Plogger’s most successful season was in 2011-2012, when the Wildcats won the district and regional championship before falling to state champion Brunswick 64-59 in overtime in the Group AA, Division 3 state semifinals.
That experience should help the Wildcats improve from recent years. For the last two years, under head coach Andrew Bellairs, the Wildcats went 5-39, going 3-19 during the 2021-22 season before going 2-20 last winter, struggling to find offense, ending the season on a nine-game losing streak. They went winless in the Valley District both seasons. Bellairs left to take a job teaching eighth grade math in Greenville, S.C.
From last year’s team, the Wildcats graduated just two players, guards McKenzie and Rachel Hines, who are both preparing to play Division I lacrosse. They also lost two younger players who were all-district second team selections: post player Maddie Dahl and forward Lola Mulitalo. Dahl and Mulitalo opted to take the winter off and focus on the upcoming spring lacrosse season.
Despite these losses, Plogger and his coaching staff are confident the Wildcats will improve.
While wins were hard to come by for the Wildcats last winter, they were an athletic bunch, and Plogger sees that, plus a year of experience for the returning players, helping them improve. “I think we’re gonna be pretty athletic,” said Plogger. “I think we’re gonna have a lot of different girls who can put the ball in the basket. That’s going to cause problems for other teams.”
“As hard as they work, there’s talent there, and having another year under their belt will make a huge difference,” added Plogger. “I’m pretty confident we can have some success.”
The Wildcats struggled with turnovers last year, so cutting down turnovers is going to be one of their focuses.
Defensively, the Wildcats plan to apply the half-court set and have been practicing pressing.
The Wildcats are a young team, with no seniors, three juniors, five sophomores and two freshmen. They return just three players to their roster: 5-foot-6-inch sophomore Abby Bouchard and juniors Emma Clark (5-6) and Parker Dameron (5-8). Plogger said those three are likely starters, but all of the players on the team could start at some point.
Bouchard is a versatile player who can play any position, from point guard to power forward. She’s a strong outside shooter and “has really improved at getting to the basket,” he said.
Plogger said Clark shoots the ball well and can also play anywhere from point guard to power forward.
Dameron, who can play power forward and center, is a solid scorer and rebounder.
Another likely starter is sophomore Bella Dorey (5-5). Plogger said Dorey, who played for the junior varsity team, is a good ballhandler and a true point guard.
Also moving up from the JV team is sophomore Natalie Samante (5-5), who can play at the shooting guard and small forward positions. Plogger said Samante is “a really good defender” and “really athletic.”
Sophomore Sadie Moore (5-10), a power forward and center, also moves up from the JV squad and is “a strong rebounder and good scorer around the basket,” said Plogger.
The Wildcats’ tallest player, the only one over 6 feet, is freshman Ruby Goodhart (6-3). Plogger said Goodhart, who played for the JV team last year, is an athletic player who can play anywhere from small forward to center.
Also joining the team is junior forward London Garrett (5-4), a good shooter who played on the JV squad last year.
Two Wildcats will rotate between the varsity and JV teams: sophomore Brooklyn Beverly (5-6) and freshman Desirae Butler (5-4). Both played for the JV team last year. Beverly, who plays at the shooting guard and small forward positions, is “a slasher and aggressive,” said Plogger. He said Butler, a point guard and a shooting guard, is “a solid ballhandler and shooter.”
Joining Plogger’s coaching staff are two assistant coaches who were assistants for him when he coached the RC boys: Paul Pelter and Ricky Haston. New to his staff is Monica Schaus, who played Division I basketball at Radford University and coached girls basketball at Maury River Middle School last year. Coaching is in Schaus’s blood, as her father was a high school coach. Tyler Falls will serve as the head JV coach, as he did for Plogger with the JV boys more than a decade ago.
Confident in Falls and his assistant coaches, Plogger said, “I’ve been really pleased with our staff. They’re very knowledgeable and have sharp basketball minds.”
The Wildcats have already faced adversity, as last Thursday’s scrimmage and Wednesday’s and Friday’s practices were canceled due to the poor air quality caused by the Matt’s Creek Fire in Bedford County.
However, Plogger won’t let those cancellations get in the way of the team’s goals. The RC coach said the main goal is “to get better every day. My philosophy is, if we teach them the fundamentals, the wins will take care of themselves.”
Plogger said the Valley District is probably the best district in the state in Class 3. He expects the toughest competition to come from perennial district power Spotswood, Turner Ashby and Broadway, but he expects no easy district games. The Valley District has added two new teams, East Rockingham and William Monroe.
The Wildcats will begin the season on Monday, Dec. 4, at Staunton. They’ll then play at Fort Defiance on Wednesday, Dec. 6. Both nights will start with junior varsity action at 6 p.m., with the varsity game scheduled to follow at 7:30 p.m. RC’s home and district opener will be on Tuesday, Dec. 12 against Broadway, starting with JV action at 5:30 p.m., with the varsity game scheduled for 7 p.m. RC is slated to face Parry Mc-Cluer twice, with 4 p.m. varsity games on Wednesday, Dec. 27 and on Saturday, Jan. 6. JV action is scheduled for 1 p.m. on both days, with the JV boys playing in between the two girls’ games.
