Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Cowart To Lead Prescott Girls; Meets With Squad

Several of the 2000-2001 Prescott Wolverettes got their first look at the new coach.

Jody Cowart met with some of the team members Thursday, Aug. 10, when all gathered for watermelon in the Prescott Elementary School cafetorium.

Cowart told his charges there's a lot of work to be done this year because of the number of players lost to graduation, and not just Andrea Cossey and Traci Graham.

The team, he said, will start working the first day of class, Monday, Aug. 21, on fundamentals, getting the basics down and going from there.

By the time the district tournament comes around, he said, the team should be ready and make it on to the regional tourney.

"I don't know what will happen," Coward told the team, "but I look at it as a challenge and we will step up to it.

"We'll have to work hard, and there'll be a lot of changes."

He reminded the girls they need to get their physicals taken before school begins. To get this done free, he said, they should meet with Dr. Fox at 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 17, at Christus St. Michael Clinic.

Cowart told the team a little about himself, including his year-long stint at coach at Poyen last year, working at Henderson State University and coming from Kirby.

Ron Wright, superintendent of the Prescott School District, said Cowart should do a good job with the Wolverettes, coming from Kirby, a school with a rich basketball tradition.

He said if the team worked hard, learned the fundamentals, scrapped and fought, they should win.

Cowart said the type of offense he runs will depend on the talent available, with the same applying on the defensive side of the ball.

"There's a lot of young players," he said, "who'll have to step up and play."

The team will run some motion offense, mixing it up to try and keep the opposition in check. The same will be done on defense.

Conditioning, he said, will be the top priority for the team this year. The players must be in top physical shape to play the game.

Cowart understands he came to a team with a large target on its back. For the past five years, the Wolverettes have outclassed and embarrassed most teams in the 7AAA, showing no mercy, but not intentionally running up the score.

While there were many lopsided margins, former coaches did not do this on purpose, but simply because players can't be told not to play hard just because they have a big lead.

Cowart said this is a tough league, but the Wolverettes will surprise some people.

From first appearance, looking at those on hand for the watermelon dinner, the Wolverettes could be a taller team than in years past. Three or four of those present were 5-8 or taller.

Cowart told the girls he will be at the gym daily if they want to come by, visit, shoot or work out.