Lady Coyotes Mid-Season Report

The Weatherford College Lady Coyotes enjoyed a perfect first half of the 2011-12 basketball season, entering the Christmas holidays with an 11-0 record.
 
And now they hope the New Year is a very happy one as they seek to continue the most successful season since last reaching the NJCAA Tournament in 2004.
 
"I think we’ve got a chance to be as good as any team we’ve ever had," said Bob McKinley, the team’s long-time head coach.  "But if you’re 11-0 and don’t win the next one, it doesn’t matter."
 
The Lady Coyotes have beaten some pretty strong teams on their way to perfection and a No. 8 national ranking. Their victims include Midland, Kilgore and Lon Morris (twice), all perennially tough programs.
 
"We’ve beaten some really good teams," said McKinley. "But when you’re a good team you welcome the chance to play other good teams."
 
The Lady Coyotes are not only defeating their opponents, they are doing so soundly. Weatherford College is scoring more than 84 points per game and surrendering just 60.
 
However, McKinley said the national ranking is not a topic of discussion with his team.
 
"With the Internet being around like it is, they have access to it," he said. "It’s not that we aren’t proud--we are--we just don’t make that a focal point.
 
"With junior college national rankings, if you lose a couple of games, they’ll drop you completely. But these ladies have still accomplished something quite impressive so far."
 
Weatherford’s chief competition in the conference appears to be Hill (14-0), which is ranked 20th. Although their schedule doesn’t appear to have been as challenging as Weatherford’s.
 
"Collin County’s (8-6) going to be tough also," said McKinley, assessing the league. "Cisco’s (8-6) got a good team as well. They also beat Midland."
 
As far as his own squad being the team to beat, McKinley said, "If that’s not a goal, then you leave yourself not having much of a chance. Yeah, I think if we keep playing the way we have been, it’s going to be tough for someone else to win."
 
Then, ever the coach, he added, "But we’ve got to keep playing this way."
 
The Lady Coyotes only need a few more wins to eclipse last season’s 15-13 mark that included a first-round exit in the Region V Tournament.
 
The Lady Coyotes, along with the Coyotes, return to action Friday and Saturday in the Jacksonville Classic.

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by Rick Mauch