Hard-luck Lady Texans struggle to catch a break once more

By Kevin Lonnquist

If you were Wayne Parker five years ago, running the Northwest girls basketball program, you probably thought you had one of the ideal situations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

His program was set with a great post in Shauntal Nobles, who has since gone on to have a solid career at Texas Tech. In fact, this program made the playoffs in each of his first two seasons.

But the present has been anything but ideal. In fact, it's just been a flat-out nightmare. This program has endured a score of season-ending injuries and just hasn't won very much. Call it less than 10 wins in 2010-2011 and 2011-2012.

The 2012-2013 Lady Texans are more than struggling and may not even reach five wins. Following the 59-37 loss to Keller Fossil Ridge last Friday, Northwest was 2-23 overall and 0-9 in District 4-5A play. This team's only two wins were against Fort Worth O. D. Wyatt back in November. The program's losing streak stood at 22 before Tuesday's game at Haltom.

This isn't fun for anyone from the players to the coaches to the parents and the fans. There's frustration, maybe a little embarrassment, and understandably, a little anger.

It isn't a situation, of course, where Parker forgot how to coach. Someone who has been in the game for four decades has seen just about everything - from the talent pool being flush to it being thin. There have been seasons when teams just know how to win and teams that just cannot catch a break.

That's the game. Unfortunately, Northwest has been through this for three consecutive seasons. It must seem like the movie "Groundhog Day."

"I'm not pleased with the wins at all," Parker said. "No one is. I really did anticipate a few more wins. So yes, I'm surprised that the season has been going like this. But the kids have been competing."

In 2010-2011, this team went through two players going down with season-ending torn ACLs within the same week. That season already began with a player out with a torn ACL. That really took the punch away from that team. Then the 2011-2012 season produced only five wins.

This year's group misses point guard Sarah Moss, so there isn't the guard play it needs. One coach who has seen the Lady Texans play complimented the effort but said there just isn't enough healthy talent in the program.

And in the games in which the Lady Texans have had a chance, they've let them slip. In the heartbreaking 44-43 loss to Keller Central on Jan. 11, the Lady Texans held a one-point lead inside the final minute but were spurned by two turnovers. The Lady Chargers converted. That's happened about four times.

"I knew it would be a different season," Parker said. "We lacked some size and had some youth. We were just going to have to learn as the season went on."

Parker believes there is some talent that can make a difference in the coming years. Junior forward Briana Barnhill has one more year. Junior Shayla Vega is a sophomore. Bailey Porter is a junior and post Addy Clements is a freshman.

There is hope. The question is whether everyone connected to the program believes there is enough of it. Parker believes there is.

"If they continue to play like they have for us for the last couple of weeks, there will be a turnaround," he said. "There has been a turnaround. It hasn't been with wins. But I think it's a matter of time."

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