The 2025-26 Varsity Girls Basketball team ended the season at the 5A Tournament with a tough loss to Farmington in the second round. But there was more to the season than the final game. The team consisting of only two seniors, finished 17-8 and second in their conference, and achieved a lot. Leading the girls was captain and Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year, Whitley Rogers, averaging 30 points a game, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. She recently achieved a record of 2700 points in her career, making her the highest scorer in LRCA history. However, she wasn’t the only skilled player on the team. Sophie Schirak shot 77% from the free throw line and was tied with Whitley for top assists. Captain Liv Hatcher averaged 7 rebounds a game, around 17 points, and 37% from the 3’ point line. Head Coach, Ronald Rogers, reflected on how each player added a unique gift to the team. “Harper Watson was so important because she could shoot the ball and it took a lot of pressure off Liv or Whitley. Laura Morris just hustled her tail off and battled all the time. And Adelyn Moore just gave us every ounce of everything in her body every night.” Each player had a different skill and talent, such as Faith Hamilton who was “our little firecracker at 5 ‘3,” Coach Rogers said. “She got out there and just caused havoc because she’s so fast.”
The team also bonded on a unique level. “We’re like a family,” Laura Morris said. “My teammates are my best friends,” Holland Rucker added. “When they do battles out there on the court, they know they can depend on each other,” Coach Rogers said. “I love this team…this has been a really good year. You can hear the laughter in the locker room.” Whether it was putting in the extra work or heading to Seńor Tequila after games, the girl’s basketball team was more than a group of athletes; they were a unit.
Senior player Sarah Hurst said an audience makes a difference. “We want to win either way, but when there’s a student section, we have someone to win for,” Sarah said. Harper Watson added, “I definitely think having more fans would help because we feed off the energy of the crowd and we can really show people what girls basketball is all about.” Next year the team will have an advantage with a team of seasoned underclassmen, losing only seniors Whitley and Sarah this year. “We’re still going to work hard and be good next year. We believe in what we do,” Coach Rogers said.
