New coach. New faces. New uniforms

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     New is definitely the vogue word this year where Tennessee Temple Academy girl’s basketball program is concerned.

     The new coach is Shameca Gardner, who was elevated to head coach after serving as an assistant coach for the Temple girl’s last season.

     “We still have some of the same girls from last year, but this will be an entirely different team,” Gardner said. “Last year, we had a lot of height. This year we don’t. We’ll play four, sometimes five, guards. Get it out and go, that’s what I want to do.”

     The aforementioned height Gardner was referring to is Danielle Rector and Amanda Jordan, who have moved on to Mississippi State and Samford, respectively. Rector, a 6-3 post, departed as the program’s all-time leading scorer. She was a finalist for Ms. Basketball in Tennessee. Jordan, a 6-0 post, was also an All-Region selection.

      Together, the inside duo combined for over 30 points to power Temple to 23-9 record and a trip to sub-state. Gardner knows her team’s points are going to have to come from elsewhere – more likely the perimeter – with Rector and Jordan having exhausted their eligibility.

     “Down low, that’s where our biggest question mark is,” Gardner said. “Any time you lose players of that caliber, there’s going to be a void there. We’ll have to do the best we can.”

    Candace Dyer, who started as a sophomore last year, will be looked upon not only to carry her team but also fill the shoes of the best player in school history in Rector. The junior guard heads a big junior class that also includes P.J. Sexton, Janette and Jessica Elliott, Brooke Johnson and Shay Moore.

    “Candace will be our go-to player, there’s no question about that,” Gardner said. “If we need a basket, we’ll look to her. She’s put in a lot of hard work in the off-season, as have a lot of these girls, and I expect her to have a big junior season. I’m expecting her to average around 20 points a game. As she goes, we’ll probably go.”

    Gardner, a former four-time All-American at Tennessee Temple University where she averaged 28 points per game during her stellar career, knows all too well that Dyer can’t do it all herself. That’s why fellow juniors P.J. Sexton and Janette Elliott will be called upon to help relieve some of the burden.

    Sexton and Elliott are both better known for their defense, but each has improved their respective outside shots. Gardner is anticipating the duo averaging anywhere from 16-20 points combined per game.

    “Candace will stress herself out too much if she tries to be Danielle, Amanda and Angela all at the same time,” Gardner said. “We can’t have that. P.J., Janette and some of our other girls are going to have to step up and help Candace through this. And Candace is going to have to trust them.

    “P.J. and Janette are my best defenders,” Gardner said. “If I tell them to guard somebody, they get after them. They are very tenacious. If I can get all three of those girls. . . Candace, P.J. and Janette playing good defense and scoring on offense we should be able to compete with most of the teams we’re going to play. You usually need two-three people who can score, not just one, to be successful. I think we need all three of them to be able to score a little for us to have a good team.”

    The progression of Dyer and her teammates will go a long way in determining what kind of season Temple has under its third head coach in as many years.

    Other players expected to make significant contributions this season include: Junior posts Brooke Johnson and Shay Moore, a newcomer, as well as sophomore post Jennifer Sells, sophomore post Sara Broome and sophomore guard Kellie Kellogg.

    “I’m really excited about the season,” Gardner said. “I’m sure we’re going to have our ups and downs because we lost so much and a lot of the girls who will be playing really haven’t played a lot with the exception of Candace. But I still think we have the parts to be a pretty good team. We’ve got a long ways to go, though. We’re going to have to continue to work hard.”

    The schedule, as always, is touch. The Lady Crusaders will face nationally-ranked Cleveland, tradition-rich GPS and Grace among others.

    “We’ve got a very challenging schedule,” Gardner said. “We play Cleveland over Thanksgiving and they’ve got one of the top teams in the state. And our district will be tough as always. Grace lost some girls, but I still think they’re the team to beat.”