By Michael Allen thecabin.net Copyright 2009 The Cabin. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For the Conway Christian girls basketball team, the season-long quest for a 5-2A North District title and a return trip to the regional tournament begins today at home against Nemo Vista.

Last season, the Lady Eagles reached the school’s first state tournament as a member of the Arkansas Activities Association. With all five starters returning to a squad that finished second in the 2A-5 North Conference and ended as runners-up in the district tournament, the Lady Eagles’ lofty goals seem attainable.

“We can definitely build off the foundation that we laid last year,” Conway Christian coach Ashley Nance said. “The girls have been working hard, and we’ve gotten better in the offseason. I tell people all the time that this year’s team is night and day different from last year’s. They’re more mature, and they’re used to the philosophy. And they have a year under their belts. They know what to expect in my second year.”

When Conway Christian hits the court to open the 2009-10 season, there’ll be two seniors and three juniors in the starting lineup. The Lady Eagles’ 6-foot-0 rebounding and scoring machine in the post, Mallory Clutts, along with combo guard Cheyenne Wood are the two upperclassmen. Juniors Kelly Hays and Christina DenHartog have been collecting state championships since they were in the eighth grade. The two guards have led in scoring, steals and assists the past two seasons. Bre’anna Hobbs moved to Conway Christian from Wonderview before her sophomore season. Hobbs ended up being one of the go-to players in the post by the end of the year.

“We have everybody returning and we’re still young,” Nance said. “With the team we have this year, we’re going to have a big target on our backs. This year we have something new. We actually have a good bench with some people who can step right in and play.”

Merideth Climer, Alexi Dather and Sarah Martin figure into the eight-player rotation, according to Nance. The added depth is something Nance believes can not only help in conference play, but also help against some tougher teams in the Lady Eagles’ nonconference portion of the schedule.

“Last year, I didn’t have any control of the schedule. This year, I really wanted to play some good, tough teams,” Nance said. “It all starts with this opening week. It’s going to be a rough week ahead. The girls are ready though. We’ve been practicing since the second day of school. So we’re ready to bring the bleachers out and get some fans in here so we can have a basketball game.”

The Lady Eagles host Nemo Vista at 6:30 p.m., and Harding Academy on Thursday around the same time. This Saturday, Conway Christian will play Bald Knob in the Highland Classic.

“Not to overlook Nemo, but Harding Academy will be the toughest team of the week,” Nance said. “They have everybody coming back. We beat them in their gym on senior night, so I’m sure they’ll be looking for revenge. But, first we have to take care of Nemo Vista.”