Woodland GBB enjoying another strong season via senior leadership

Then-Woodland High School junior Rhodie Long tries valiantly to keep a Cardinal possession alive by retrieving a loose ball during the 2023 MSHSAA Class 3 District 2 Girl's Basketball Tournament last February against Chaffee.

Southeast Missourian file

MARBLE HILL – The magic number for the Woodland High School girl’s basketball program this winter would be 15. If the Cardinals can reach that amount of victories, it would match the program’s top mark for success over the past eight seasons.

Heading into Monday’s game with Puxico (3-11) at 7:30 p.m. in Marble Hill, Woodland has won 11 of its 17 games this season and still has at least 10 games remaining on its schedule.

“Our two seniors,” Woodland coach Paul Lynch said recently, “London Cureton and Rhodie Long, they are really tremendous leaders.”

Those two, join fellow senior Ellsie Wilkinson, who is out for the season with a knee injury, in leading the Cardinals, who had a recent four-game win streak snapped in a 66-34 home loss to Dexter. However, that defeat doesn’t diminish what Cureton and Long have meant to the program.

“They are leading the team in charges,” Lynch continued. “They are doing the little things that we work on every day.”

Cureton and Long have played roles in a lot of Cardinal success through the years.

Woodland has won three consecutive MSHSAA Class 3 District 2 championships and are tied with Scott City (11-5) and Saxony Lutheran (11-5) with the most victories so far this season.

“They have been on our successful teams that we have been able to have over the last few years,” Lynch said, “so, they are a good guide for our young girls with their work ethic, and I just love them to death.”

Woodland High School senior guard London Cureton handles the ball against Oak Ridge recently during the Bollinger Cape Scott Conference Tournament at Meadow Heights High School. (Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com)

Long had eight points in the battle with the Bearcats, but Lynch said points scored don’t define her contributions to the team.

“She has improved tremendously over the last couple of years,” Lynch said of Long. “She does the dirty work for us. She is really the kind of grit for our team.”

Long’s development has been methodical and steady through her four seasons, according to Lynch.

“She is just a really good kid and a good leader,” Lynch said.

Against the Bearcats (9-8), the Cardinals were paced by Mallary Barks with 11 points while freshman Addie Massa added 10 points.

Dexter got a game-high 24 points from junior Kate Nichols while senior Abbie Lloyd added 13 points. The Bearcats got nine points apiece from freshman Mauriona Menley and senior Allison Turnbo.

The Bearcats will visit Class 4 No. 1-ranked Doniphan (13-0) on Monday at 7:30 p.m.