CENTRAL SALLISAW TIGERS
GIRLS
Coach: Shane Brown
22-23 Record: 15-12
Things are on the optimistic side this season as the Central Sallisaw Tigers get ready to start the 2023 season. Coach Shane Brown has all five starters returning from a team that finished the season on a high note as they lost in district but then won three straight to capture the regional title before falling in the first round of the area tournament in overtime to Minco.
“We finished strong last year and are looking for continued improvement this season. We play a difficult schedule which should have us battle tested for the playoffs,” said Brown. The Tigers are paced by VYPE Top 100 nominee Cambree Bair (5-9, So.) who averaged 18 points a game last year as a freshman. “Cambree had a great freshman season and led the team in scoring and rebounding and she’s also a very good defensive player. I expect her to continue her development into one of the top players in Class 2A over the next three years,” said Brown. The lone senior on the team is Autumn Cernicek (5-5). “Autumn is one of our top defenders and is very important to our success even though the stats may not show it. She does all of the little things to help us win games,” said Brown. The rest of the roster is pretty balanced in terms of experience and age. There are four juniors that will help fill out the starting lineup this season including Hadlie Woods (5-6), Ayrland Jiles (5-6), Haley Cheek who brings some size at 5-foot-10 and Ryleigh Pierce (5-5). The sophomore class consists of Bair, Alyssa Harris (5-5), Brianna Taylor (5-4), and Cheyenne Busch (5-8). They along with freshmen Alyvia Warner (5-3), Gracie Thompson (5-3) Keeley Poindexter (5-5) and Paris Campbell (5-4) will look to hone their skills in practice and be ready to come off the bench to add depth as needed for the Tigers.