GIRLS BASKETBALL: Due to low numbers, no Newburg girls’ basketball this season

Instead, the handful of Newburg student-athletes who had expressed interest in playing basketball will do so by co-oping with the Dixon High girls’ basketball squad – another program which has endured roster number problems in recent years. Newburg announced that decision following a board of education meeting Oct. 29.

Mikaela Donnelly, a St. James native, was to serve as the Lady Wolves’ basketball head coach this season. She is also Newburg’s softball head coach. Donnelly would have been the fourth Newburg girls’ basketball head coach in four seasons.

Donnelly will not help coach the Dixon team. Instead, Newburg will provide supervision at practices and games for its students, according to the school.

Donnelly has indicated three Newburg student-athletes were planning to play with Dixon – sophomores McKenna Suschanke, Laynee Caquelin and Eva Sherrer.

Newburg has been a past girls’ basketball Frisco League power, winning nine consecutive conference titles at one point during the 1980s and 90s, earning a couple of state tournament Final Four berths in the process.

The Newburg situation is the latest in a concerning trend of lower girls’ basketball participation in the area.

Belle High School, which had to co-op in softball with Vienna High School this fall due to lack of numbers, nearly had to do the same thing during the basketball season.

In fact, a girls’ basketball head coaching position was not filled by Belle until the Oct. 29 board of education meeting due to uncertainty concerning the program. However, Belle announced two weeks ago it would, indeed, field a girls’ basketball squad this season. Nathan Lansford is listed as the new Belle girls’ basketball head coach on the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) website.

Even larger programs in the area that have been highly successful in recent years have had lower roster numbers. That includes Phelps County schools – like Newburg – Rolla and St. James.

“It’s happening everywhere,” said Rolla girls’ basketball head coach Charley Parker, himself a former player and girls’ basketball coach in the Frisco League. “I’ll only have about 14 (players) this year, although next year’s numbers will be better. We’re trying to get a lot of involvement in our youth with elementary open gyms and some camps.”