After enjoying an outstanding cross country season that included two victories, seven medals and a trip to the state meet, Emma Rodgers didn’t show any signs of slowing down when she finally joined the Montgomery County girls basketball team on Nov. 11.

“I actually did have a lot of energy,” the freshman said. “I should have been focused on the state meet, which I was, but I was really excited to get to basketball. So that first week (of practice) was like my favorite ever because I was really excited to finally play basketball.”

After two months, Rodgers has been a spark for the Wildcats, scoring in double digits in several games, including MCHS’ 50-35 loss to Fatima on Jan. 15 at Ballew & Snell Court. She finished with 10 points with two 3-pointers.

Rodgers said despite the loss to the Comets, she was glad her team finally got to play a home game. The Wildcats’ last home game was on Dec. 16, when they beat Silex 38-32 in their Eastern Missouri Conference opener. They also competed in the Montgomery County Invitational Tournament in early December, where they finished third with a 2-1 record.

“It was really fun and exciting because we haven’t had a home game in a long time,” Rodgers said.

MCHS has five more home games remaining in its season. The next home game will be on Jan. 23 against Wright City. The Wildcats will also have home contests against Clopton (Feb. 6), Louisiana (Feb. 13), North Callaway (Feb. 15) and Southern Boone (Feb. 19).

The Wildcats were originally scheduled to play Fatima on Jan. 9, but was rescheduled six days later due to inclement weather. A 48-39 loss to Blair Oaks in a first-round game of the South Callaway Tournament on Jan. 13 gave the Wildcats a bye in the consolation semifinals on Jan. 15, leaving an opening for their home game with Fatima, which won district titles in Class 3 in each of the last two years and is looking to finish with its 16th consecutive winning season this winter.

“We didn’t do our best (against Blair Oaks) in the South Callaway Tournament, which put us in the consolation game, which was not what we should have been in,” Rodgers said. “So having a good home game and playing against really good competition was nice to have.”

The Wildcats were tied at 14-14 with Fatima at halftime before the Comets pulled away in the second half. They outscored MCHS 21-9 in the third quarter and led by as many as 22 points in the fourth.

“Their defense is really tough because they have a lot of older girls who are really experienced and tough,” Rodgers said. “They just play amazing defense.”

Rodgers played basketball at Montgomery County Middle School last year. Her older sister, Malia, graduated last year as the Wildcats’ all-time leading scorer.
Rodgers’ freshman basketball season got off to a flying start on Nov. 22 as she led the Wildcats with 12 points and three 3-pointers in the 51-26 season-opening loss at Monroe City. She was her team’s leading scorer with 57 points in the MCHS Tournament, including a 25-point effort against Mexico in the third-place game. She also had a 10-point performance against Wellsville-Middletown in the Pink Out game on Dec. 20.

Rodgers, who is one of three freshmen on the MCHS roster, said her time with the Missouri Phenom select basketball team helped prepare her for this winter.

“I like (high school basketball) a lot because there are more opportunities to get better,” Rodgers said. “Playing summer ball helps a lot because when you’re playing summer ball, you’re basically playing really great competition. That’s kind of what’s like going into high school games, which I love because they prepare you for more levels and better games.”

Rodgers is playing for a MCHS squad that has just eight players. She said she’s been pleased with her team’s effort after two months.

“We have our ups and downs sometimes, but we always come together as a team and that’s really nice because we always try our hardest, which I like,” Rodgers said.

Now, Rodgers hopes her team will finish strong as its season comes down to its final two months. MCHS dropped to 5-7 with the loss to Fatima.

“I like us to compete for a conference championship, which will be really amazing,” Rodgers said. “I like to see our attitude and effort keep growing because we have already grown a lot. In practice, we’re just continuing to get better, which is all I can hope for.”

Aubrey Janes was the Wildcats’ leading scorer with 12 points against Fatima.