The Tigers finished with a 13-13 record, falling to Republic in the district tournament.
Heading into his fourth season at the helm, head coach Brandon Clift believes the experience gained will pay big dividends as the winter campaign begins.
“Last season, I felt that we competed well nearly every night and continued to grow as a team,” Clift said. “While we faced our share of challenges, our players showed resilience and a strong commitment to improving throughout the year. One of the biggest positives was the number of younger players who gained meaningful varsity experience — those minutes will be invaluable as we enter this season. Their growth and confidence should help us take another step forward as a program.”
A quintet of talented upperclassmen return to lead Ozark this season in Bria Wright, Maggie Sult, Kelly Navizovskyy, Avery Havens and Carsyn Wood.
Wright, a 5-foot-10 senior, averaged 6.6 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 1.7 steals per contest last season.
“Bria leads by example.” Clift said. “She shows up and works hard every day, and she led the team in rebounds last year. Bria is an extremely athletic post player who runs the floor well.”
Sult, a 5-foot-4 senior, recorded 2.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game as a junior.
“Maggie is a quick guard who attacks the basket well,” Clift said. “She is an excellent on-ball defender who, as a senior, is expected to set the tone for the defense.”
Navizovskyy, a 5-foot-6 senior, posted 4.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game last season.
“Kelly is a good ball handler that can shoot the three well and attack the basket,” Clift said.
Havens, a 5-foot-11 junior all-conference and all-district honoree, averaged 11.5 points, 3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1 steal per contest in 2025.
“Avery is a very capable scorer as she led the team in scoring last year as a sophomore,” Clift said.
Wood, a 5-foot-4 junior, recorded 2.2 points and 1.7 rebounds per game last season.
“Carsyn is a solid player who brings a level of toughness to the floor that is contagious,” Clift said. “After getting quality minutes last year as a sophomore, I believe she will take a big step forward this year.”
Clift also expects a host of varsity newcomers to compete for minutes this season in freshman Reese Henry, sophomore Zoey Browning, freshman Sadie Havens, sophomore Lola Kensinger, senior Hayle Wofford, junior Audrey Jenkins and junior Addison Hughes.
“We will have a good mix of returners as well as some underclassmen that will play a big part in our success this year,” Clift said. “With the schedule that we have, this group will be tested early and often. I believe that will prepare us for the conference season as well as districts.”
Clift believes his team’s chemistry and camaraderie will play a key role this season and was evident through his seniors’ efforts over the summer session.
“We look to be a tough-minded team that relies heavily on defense and rebounding to drive our success,” Clift said. “We feel that in order to compete at the highest level those two things have to be the staple of our program. We also have a lot more size this year than we have h... Click here to read full article
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