Girls
Coach: Jesse Markum
21-22 Record: 6-17
The Knights have just eight players on the roster to start the season for new coach Jesse Markum whose main goal this year is to not only improve the number of wins but change the culture in the girls program. “This program has been down for several years and one of my goals is to talk to them about how to win games and what it takes,” said the new head coach. “We’ve redecorated the locker room and I’ve posted a big diagram of (legendary UCLA coach) John Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success” and once a week we sit down and talk about some of the 15 character traits that Wooden outlined including working hard, friendship, honesty and integrity.
We’ve also established a mantra of “Play Hard, Play Smart, Play Together” and I think these girls can do all of those this year which should lead to more victories if they really take it to heart.” The Knights will welcome back senior Brooklyn Boughman along with Kassidy Lee, Mykala Greenhaw, Graci Lollis and Sutv Harjo, a move in from Okemah. “Mykala is probably our best player. She’s a multi-sport athlete and we’ll probably lean heavily on her this year,” said Markum. Also figuring in for the Knights will be underclassmen Allana Lawrence, Serenity Rex and Maray Cummings. But in addition to teaching the girls how to win in basketball, Markum has a greater purpose in mind. “I tell the girls that if all I teach you is how to put a leather ball through a steel rim, I’ve failed you. I want to teach you how to be good people when you get older as well.”