Lady Spartans looking to compete under new coach

Sara Price asks her Mountain Brook High School girls basketball team one question every day.

Did you compete?

Whether it’s game day, a practice or simply a drill, Price wants her team to fight for every inch.

“That’s what we hang our hat on,” she said.

Price was hired in May, coming to Mountain Brook after leading the Pinson Valley program for four seasons. 

“I came in and tried to enter a whole new system and get the girls to buy in,” she said. “They’ve accepted the challenge and they’ve accepted their roles, especially being very young.”

Price is not exaggerating about the Lady Spartans being a very young team. There are no seniors on the squad and just one junior, the rest of the roster filled out primarily with sophomores and freshmen. There are positives that come with that, as well as challenges.

“The girls are really coachable, they want to learn, they want to be here, they want to compete and fight,” she said. “Throughout practice, they’re engaged.”

However, there will definitely be bumps in the road along the way.

“Any young team is going to face their challenges with experience and the learning curve, but they catch on quick,” Price said.

One of the primary things Price wanted to emphasize on the offensive end for the Lady Spartans was the importance of floor spacing and timing within the offense. On the defensive end, the Lady Spartans are focused on playing sound man-to-man coverage.

“We really focused on spacing the floor, being fast and getting down the floor,” she said. “That works well with what we do and the type of players that we have.”

Mary Jane Lassiter has stepped into a leading role for Mountain Brook, despite being a sophomore. Her 6-foot-1 frame allows her to be a commanding post presence, and Price also lauded her leadership abilities in other facets as well.

Natalie Houser is the team’s lone junior and will have a key role on this year’s team as well. Freshman Emma Stearns was pulled up to the varsity team as an eighth-grader last year and put together some highlight-worthy moments. Price said her ability to shoot and her understanding of the game has improved dramatically recently.

Emily Straughn, a sophomore, is labeled as a forward but possesses the skills and size to play inside and on the perimeter. Freshman Sarah Passink has settled into the Lady Spartans’ point guard role and has proven effective at handling pressure from opposing defenses.

Bentley Brewer is an aggressive and physical guard who gives Mountain Brook another dimension on both sides of the floor. Anna Frances Adams and Kate Cotton are “really athletic” players in the mix as well. Price also pulled up eighth-grader Libby Geisler, impressed by her size and ability to shoot and get to the basket.

“I’m excited to see all these kids in the next few years grow and see what they really accomplish,” Price said.

Mountain Brook dropped down to Class 6A this season and will compete in Area 9 with Chelsea, Homewood and Briarwood. Price hopes the final record reflects a strong season, but she will be looking at the bigger picture as well.

“From game one to game 30, we should see a difference tremendously in how far these girls have come and grown,” she said.