By By Matthew Nascone
The big three are gone.
Lori Bonds, Allison Thomas and Jaime Drew all graduated last year. Each of these girls participated in at least two athletic events at Escambia Academy. Bonds is now playing at Huntingdon College, Thomas is playing at Judson College and Drew is focusing on academics at the University of Alabama.
These three led the Lady Cougars on the court last year, but first-year head coach Andy Gorum said he will look to a new threesome to lead EA when the basketball season kicks off Tuesday.
"We don't have a lot of depth," Gorum said. "But our season will depend on how our seniors can pull everybody together."
Those three seniors are Katie Smith, Morgan Dorriety and Heather White. All three of these girls saw significant playing time and Gorum said they will be an asset to him during the season.
Gorum will take the reigns of the Lady Cougars from EA athletic director Heath Gibson.
"I will basically be borrowing what coach Gibson had them doing and adapting a couple of things to the way I like to do things," Gorum said. "I have thrown everything in the pot, stirred it up and we will see what we get. I think it will be a lot easier on the girls to have a scheme they know and that is why I will use what worked for coach Gibson."
Being one year removed from back-to-back AISA Class 2A state championships and many of the starters from those teams gone, Gorum said his goal for this season is to have a winning year.
And he said he will be evaluating the talent he has when it comes to game time. He said the starting roster is not set and he will make changes as the season progresses.
Gorum said the outlook on the season is bright if the players can play how they know how to play. The Lady Cougars open the season Tuesday on the road at Faith Academy. Tip off is set for 4 p.m.