Six seniors lead the Lady Bulldogs into the Nov. 12–14 tournament at Wylie High School, where coach Duane Hopper wants to see the same fast, physical defense that carried them through their first two games.
By Greg Jaklewicz
“The old saying, defense travels,” Wylie girls basketball coach Duane Hopper said.
It already has. The Lady Bulldogs opened the season with a 40-28 win over Canton at the South Oak Cliff Showcase in Dallas, then beat Seminole 52-40 on the road. They held the two teams to an average of 34 points.
Now Wylie gets to see how that defense plays in front of its own crowd. The Lady Bulldogs host the Stanley Whisenhunt Classic Nov. 12–14 in the Wylie High School gym. Wylie is in Pool A with Hawley, its Thursday opponent at 10 a.m., and Joshua, which it plays Friday at 10:30 a.m. From there, pool results determine the matchups.
A good start after an early exit
Wylie went 29-6 last season and swept its eight district games. The closest district game was a 16-point win at Wichita Falls Legacy. Then Amarillo Palo Duro, the fourth-place team from its district, beat Wylie 46-35 in the first round of the playoffs.
“Playoffs is just a different animal,” Hopper said. He expects another tough first-round matchup and wants the Lady Bulldogs to spend the season getting ready for it.
“We’ve got to be ready for it mentally.”
The opening games gave Wylie a start. Hopper liked how his players handled two physical teams that got up close and played man-to-man defense. He wants to see that same physical play at home, with sharper execution on offense.
“We’ll need some offense. The name of the game is to put the ball in the hole but defense will give us a chance in every game if we play well enough.”
Six seniors set the tone
Four-year players Londyn Franklin and Thereza Enduki lead a group of six seniors, the most Hopper has had since returning to coach at his alma mater. Brianna Cokonougher, Ava Jarrett, Reese Wilson and Chloe Villeda round out the group. Villeda is recovering from a summer injury, and Hopper hopes to have her back by the end of the season.
“Londyn Franklin, if you were to watch us, your eyes would turn to her immediately. She knows how to score at all different levels,” Hopper said. He expects Enduki to put points on the board, too.
“They’ve played in big games, so they’ve seen it all,” he said.
Junior post Jenna Stricklin is still playing for Wylie’s state semifinal volleyball team. Sophomore Brianna Biggerstaff and juniors Kaelyn Briley and Grace Chavez are returning letterwinners who give Wylie depth. Hopper sees more ways for this group to score, from 3-point shooting to play inside and production off the bench.
“The starters don’t always have to fill it up,” he said. “We might have some help from our bench.”
Back in the Wylie gym
Hopper is in his fifth season coaching at his alma mater. His teams went 32-34 in his first two seasons and 56-12 over the past two. Coaching at Wylie was hardly the future he pictured as a player at Hardin-Simmons University. He thought he might become a federal probation officer like his grandfather. As his playing days wound down, he realized how much he wanted to stay in basketball.
A chance to coach at Wylie in the summer, including with girls coach Kurt Richardson, showed him where he could do that.
“I fell in love with coaching girls. They just get after it. They work hard. They will run through a wall for you,” Hopper said. “And there is great tradition here at Wylie for girls basketball.”
This weekend, he wants his team to play fast and physical. He’d also like the girls to look up and see a gym full of people who came to watch them play.
“But when we host a tournament, we want the stands to be full and the girls to have fun. This is a special moment for the girls and the student body.”
Stanley Whisenhunt Classic schedule
Nov. 12–14 · Wylie High School gym
Thursday, Nov. 12
10 a.m. · Wylie vs. Hawley (Pool A)
11:15 a.m. · Cisco vs. Lubbock-Cooper (Pool B)
12:30 p.m. · Seminole vs. Arlington Martin (Pool C)
1:45 p.m. · Hawley vs. Joshua (Pool A)
3 p.m. · San Antonio Sotomayor vs. Cisco (Pool B)
4:15 p.m. · Frisco Wakeland vs. Arlington Martin (Pool C)
5:30 p.m. · San Antonio Sotomayor vs. Lubbock-Cooper (Pool B)
Friday, Nov. 13
10:30 a.m. · Wylie vs. Joshua (Pool A)
11:45 a.m. · Frisco Wakeland vs. Seminole (Pool C)
1 p.m. · Bracket play begins. Five games, with the last tipping off at 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 14
9:45 a.m. · Semifinal
11 a.m. · Semifinal
1:30 p.m. · Third-place game
2:45 p.m. · Championship game