Deep Lebanon squad off to 5-0 start
When Lebanon coach Chad Cruthis walked off the court following the Greyhounds 57-51 loss to New Athens in the semifinals of the Class 1A Okawville Sectional last February he had a feeling of contentment.
Although disappointed the high school careers of his seniors had come to an end, Cruthis and his Greyhounds girls squad walked out that gym content in knowing they had shown remarkable improvement. And that their future was bright.
“The first time we played them early in the season they beat us by 20 and then we played them again at their place and lost by 12. After they beat us by six in the sectional semifinals, I told the girls this proves how much we improved over the course of the season,’’ Cruthis said. “Now if they had beaten us by 25 it may have been a sign that we needed to make a few adjustments.
“But the fact that we had narrowed the gap on them each time meant that we were headed in the right direction. The fact that we had made that huge improvement from the beginning of the season until the end, as a coach, that’s all you can ask for.’’
Currently 5-0 and ranked second in the News-Democrat Small School poll behind Central the Greyhounds are still headed in the right direction. Led by the sister act of sophomores Krista Bass and Kendra Bass, Lebanon already has wins over two of the three teams which beat them a year ago.
Lebanon defeated Triad (53-47) in the title game of the Columbia Tournament and opened play in the Cahokia Conference (Kaskaskia Division) with a 45-34 win at New Athens.
The Yellowjackets handed Lebanon three of its five losses in a 23-5 season a year ago.
Lebanon has four of its top six players back from a year ago. Krista Bass, a 5-3 sophomore, leads the Greyhounds balanced attack with a 12.3 average, while twin sister Kendra Bass, Lebanon’s first player off the bench last season is also in double figures (12.0).
But the real key to the Greyhounds is their depth as Cruthis has eight players he feels could be starters on almost any Class A team in the metro east.
Senior Mallory Schmitt, who missed all of last season with a knee injury is a 5-10 inside player who has teammed with (6-1) sophomore Madison Schoenfeld to give Lebanon two inside threats, while athletic guards Kenlea Meeker and Casey Berberich are both juniors.
Freshmen Abigail Reinneck and Emily Reinneck have also been keys early in the season for the Greyhounds.
“I am very lucky in that I’ve got an eight-player rotation that has bought into the team first concept. I feel I could start anyone of these girls on any given night and bring players off the bench who are used to starting and I don’t think I would hear any complaints from any of them.
“With these girls its like whatever I need them to do from night to night for us to win is what they will do. If I need them to score one night, they will. If I need them to pass and rebound the next night, they will do that as well. It’s a very special group of kids.’’
Berberich, one of the top Class 1A track and field athletes in the area, is spending her winter months runnning the Greyhounds offense from the point spot. The 5-6 junior averages 7 points and 2.5 assists per game and is high energy at all times.
Offensively, the Bass sisters combine to average nearly 25 points per game while the Schoenfeld and Schmitt, a strong 5-10 post player, has defense, rebounding and athleticism inside.
“The Bass sisters are excellent athletes but even moreso they are two of the most competitive kids I’ve ever been around,’’ Cruthis said. “Mallory (Schmitt) coming back from the (knee) injury has really been a big addition for us because she’s a big strong girl who gives us a lot in the post.m
Schmitt has averaged 8.6 points and 6.8 rebounds thus far and along with the athletically gifted Schoenfeld has provided a solid one-two punch inside.
“I’m not sure Madison Schoenfeld realizes how good of an athlete she can be,’’ Cruthis said. “She played volleyball this fall and when the cross country coach was looking for runners for the team she went out and did that as well.
“Now she was an 800 meter runner in track last year but without any training this fall, she goes out in the (Cahokia) conference meet and is an all-conference runner and then qualifies for the sectional. Kendra Bass played soccer and she went out and ran cross country and we have a freshman who did the same thing. We’ve got girls who do the extra things just because they love to compete. That’s why i say, this is a special group of girls.’’
Lebanon, which will host New Athens on Dec. 18, in a return showdown, has upgraded its schedule this year and will play in the Carrollton Tournament in January. Also entered in this tough midseason event are Civic Memorial, host Carrollton and Class 1A pre-season favorite Hardin-Calhoun.
Hardin Calhoun was the Class 1A state tournament runnerup last season.
“It will be a good test for us to see where we stack up against some different competition. Carrollton is always good and Civic Memorial won a Class 3A sectional title a couple of years back. Then you’ve got Hardin (Calhoun),’’ Cruthis said. “Our girls have been very good about staying in the present. They realize that we have to take one game, one opponent at a time.
“The goal is to be healthy and to be playing our best basketball late in the season. If we are, I think our girls have the confidence know they compete with almost anybody.’’
This story was originally published December 2, 2015 at 12:20 PM with the headline "Deep Lebanon squad off to 5-0 start."