The Dawson Springs Lady Panthers put up 12 wins in 2019-20.
However, an 0-7 mark against 7th District foes kept the Lady Panthers from making a run at a winning record as the squad finished 12-19.
It was the third-straight 12-win season for Dawson Springs, which put up 11 wins each of the two years before that.
But the Lady Panthers continue to come up just short of their first winning season since going 12-10 under coach Norman Manasco in the 2002-03 season.
Dawson Springs got off to a 2-0 start this past season and finished by winning five of its last eight games. But a 1-8 stretch in the midpoint of the season was too much to make up, record-wise.
One of the team’s goals was a strong showing in the All A Classic. However, the Lady Panthers fell just short in a 48-42 loss to Lyon County in the quarterfinals of the All A regional in January.
Dawson’s season ended with a 63-33 loss to No. 5-ranked Madisonville-North Hopkins in the semifinals of the 7th District tournament in late February.
The Lady Panthers do boast one of the 2nd Region’s top players in guard Brooklyn Clark. Just a freshman, Clark has already topped 1,000 career points at Dawson Springs and averaged 20.5 points a game this season. An all-region selection, Clark also grabbed 7.1 rebounds a night.
Clark provides a huge building block for Lady Panther teams in the future.
Dawson loses just two players to graduation. Denisha Randolph, who was the second-leading scorer at 10.2 points a game, and Jalynn Hooper, was led the team in rebounding at 8.0 boards a contest, were the squad’s only seniors.
Freshman Abby Ward scored 7.7 points a game this season and figures to take on a bigger role next season for what will be a youthful Lady Panther team. Dawson had no juniors on this season’s roster.
Despite what appears to be a young team next year, the Lady Panthers figure to make another run at that elusive .500 mark.
And with some talented youngsters, Dawson Springs could be a program to keep an eye on in the future.
