Cougars come together behind experience

A more experienced roster has helped Cannon School’s girls’ basketball team get off to a strong start.

The Cougars, which have depended on young players in years past, had a 6-4 record heading into last week’s Cape Fear Tournament. They’ve already eclipsed the number of wins from last season, when Cannon went 5-18.

“What we’re seeing is a maturing of the system,” said Cannon coach Jack Warren, who has six upperclassmen on this year’s squad. “We’ve taken two or three years to get to this point in our program.”

Junior Ellen Montgomery, a Hough transfer, and sophomore Caitlin Brewer have led the team early this year.

Montgomery, a 5-foot-6 guard, has given the Cougars a boost, averaging a team-high 14 points a game through the team’s first 10 games.

“She has a very good understanding of the game and a high IQ,” Warren said.

Montgomery enrolled at Cannon in the fall, but was able to start working out with the team this past spring after completing her first season on Hough’s varsity team. She said getting to know her new teammates early helped make the transition to a new school and basketball program smooth.

“We’re almost like a family now,” she said. “We’re all big on not only winning game, but being a team on and off the court.”

Brewer, a 5-foot-8 forward, also has been big for the Cougars, averaging 10 points and seven rebounds per game.

Warren said Brewer is versatile, also being able to play on the perimeter.

“She’s a very natural scorer,” he said. “She can get points in different ways.”

Warren said the duo complements each other well, adding that their devotion to the sport has been contagious.

“They’ve been very dedicated in the gym and also working on their own,” said Warren.

“They also have a lot of enthusiasm for the game. They both really work at the game. They want to be good.”

Warren said Brewer and Montgomery are not afraid of contact and play hard on the court.

“They both have that winning tenacity to them,” he said. “They have a winning edge.”

Seniors Leah Baker and Hailey Foreman, who have been with the program during the coach’s four-year stint, also have played key roles for the Cougars.

“They’ve been through all our battles,” Warren said. “They’ve shown excellent leadership.”

Baker has averaged nearly 10 points a game, while Foreman has added nearly four points and seven rebounds a night.

Juniors Reed Harmon, who’s averaging seven points a game, and Taylor Tart, a transfer, have also contributed.

Warren said freshman Izzy Sofio has been coming into her own as has exchange student Sophia Kalm.

Brewer, who admits that last year’s struggles were at times frustrating, is glad to see her team improving. The 16-year-old credits that to the team’s offseason training.

“The improvement is visible,” said Brewer. “It’s nice to see the outcome of our hard work.”

Montgomery, a 16-year-old Davidson resident, agreed.

“We’re really starting to come together as a team and figuring out our strengths and weaknesses and how to make each other better,” she said.

One of those strengths is the team’s ability to spread the ball around.

“We run plays well, involving everybody,” Brewer said. “It’s not a one-man show.”

To continue seeing success the rest of the year, facing opponents like powerhouse Providence Day, Warren said his Cougars will have to continue putting in the effort.

But he’s not worried. The experienced team is well motivated.

“We have a common goal: we want to be a good basketball team,” said Warren. “We want to make the playoffs.”