Back for More: Reigning champion Simpson wants to be atop Class C again
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
The year before taking over the Simpson girls’ basketball program, Lyndsey Rachal saw the Lady Broncos play in the Class C state semifinals with a veteran team.
The graduation of five seniors, coupled with the departure of two more girls, didn’t present Rachal with a fully stocked team for her debut at the Vernon Parish school.
Rachal, who had a young child at the time, didn’t want to be a candidate for the job that was created when Stephen Briscoe left. She entered a meeting where the opening for the position was discussed and departed as the successor to Briscoe.
“It was not my plan to coach,” she said. “I went into the meeting saying that I wasn’t doing it. I didn’t want this.”
Rachal cobbled together a roster, recruiting cheerleaders who had never played before. Her task of replenishing the roster included looking at the lower levels of the school, which included sixth, seventh, and eighth graders.
The results may have been predictable.
Simpson went 3-23 and 5-25 in Rachal’s first two seasons. The Lady Broncos encountered plenty of losses, where lopsided defeats proved demoralizing.
Rachal, a former player under coach Mike Charrier, but who never reached the state tournament, was challenged to find a way to improve the level of play for a program relying on young talent.
“I can’t say that I never doubted it,” said Rachal, a Northwestern State graduate, who won three state titles in softball at Simpson as a player. “I struggled after tough games. These kids struggled because we’re losing day in and day out.”
Rachal instituted a plan of attack. Her teams played as many as 40 games between May and June, incorporating overnight stays at hotels and trips to the lake as rewards for their increased commitment to the game, giving them something to look forward to during the building process.
She was continuing relationships with some players that had been part of the town’s Little Dribblers’ grassroots program. They moved up through the ranks until reaching Simpson High and becoming a part of a program at that school that boasted five state championships.
Simpson had won before, and Rachael was intent on getting the Lady Broncos back to that standard.
A 17-win season, which included a trip to the playoffs, was a significant step in that direction. That continued with 27 wins and another first-round playoff exit, until Simpson reached the top of the Class C mountain once again last season.
“They saw what they were capable of, and they knew what was coming,” Rachal said. “It just took a little way to get there.”
The Lady Broncos led the state in victories (41) and added to the school’s trophy case with a dominant 73-41 victory over Summerfield, winning the school’s first state title since 2001. Olivia Edwards was the game’s MVP with 21 points and 10 rebounds and was chosen Class C’s Outstanding Player. She was joined on the all-state first team by Kodi Miller and on the second team by Bella Hunnicut.
“We didn’t expect to win it last year,” Rachal said of her team that finished 41-2. “We knew we were good enough. We played the same teams the year before when we had 27 wins. I scheduled the same. We traveled, went to the tough tournaments, and just kept piling up the wins, winning games that we weren’t supposed to win like the bigger 4A-5A schools.”
Simpson (36-4) is on a direct path to repeat as Class C champions once again. The top-seeded Lady Broncos, who once again top the state in victories and are the state’s No. 10 overall-ranked team by MaxPreps, host the Johnson Bayou-Hornbeck winner in next week’s regional round.
“It’s actually harder this year,” Rachal said. “Not because of the kids, but you’re the hunted. You have a target on your back, and everybody wants to knock off last year’s state championship team.”
The foundation of today’s success is a testament to Rachal and a determined group of young ladies who endured their share of hardships. With marked improvement over the first several seasons under Rachal, the Lady Broncos began to reflect the program’s successful past.
What was once a dormant homecourt environment evolved into a full-fledged advantage once Simpson began hitting its stride over the last three seasons.
“When I first started, no one was at our games,” Rachal said. “Then it was time for the boys to play, the gym was packed because they had a couple of state championships. You try and not put a lot of focus into that, but the kids saw that. Now I look around and know that we’re making money because the gym is full.”
Once she had the personnel, Rachal introduced an exciting, fast-paced style of play that was not only exciting to the players, but fans alike in the tight-knit community of Simpson – population of 585 – located between Alexandria and Leesville.
The Lady Broncos applied pressure on defense and, because of their supreme conditioning, were able to maintain a transition game that’s been a staple of success.
“When people tried to run with us, they couldn’t keep up, and by the third and fourth quarters, they’re run down, and we’re just getting started,” Rachal said. “We’re in shape. We like to run the court. This year, we focused more on our half-court (offense) when teams fall back into a tight zone against us. We’ve been good at that as well. Until this year, teams tried to run with us, and we do better on the move. We do better in transition than we do setting up.”
Rachal also prepared her team for last year’s run, and has done so again this season, against some of the state’s top programs.
The Lady Broncos were 3-1 against teams from Classes 5A-4A, but 9-0 against teams from Class C, which included four comfortable wins en route to the District 3-C title.
The result last season was an unforeseen victory total that surprised even Rachal before the state tournament.
“KALB (TV) came by the school to interview and asked me how it felt to have the most wins in the state of Louisiana,” Rachal said. “I didn’t even know that. We keep up with stats and who we’re playing, but I had no idea. We were just playing the game, winning as many as we could.
“We thought we were going to make a solid run at it,” Rachal said of the state title. “By the time we got to the state tournament, we were not nervous, and that was our first time being there. They were locked in and were more nervous for the quarterfinal game (78-48 win over Pleasant Hill). I played everybody on the bench, and then we got to the finals and beat them by 30. It’s kind of a shock to everybody as to what just happened. The kids turned it on and peaked at the right time.”
Simpson’s run to the Class C title last season was accomplished without any seniors.
That fueled expectations for this season with returning two seniors in Miller and Ashlyn Allain and a pair of juniors in Miller and Hallie Rollins, and Hunnicut, a sophomore.
Rachal set up another schedule to challenge her team, which opened the season 14-0 until a 78-76 loss to Class 2A Midland on Nov. 26 at the end of the LaGrange tournament.
The Lady Broncos covered different parts of the state in search of competition, taking part in eight tournaments at Florien, Alexandria, and Lafayette Christian Academy.
Simpson split two games in the Alexandria event with a 71-20 triumph over Class 3A Marksville and a 68-56 setback to Class 5A Neville.
A trip to Lafayette brought a matchup with the Division III select power host school and a 59-53 victory on the heels of a 59-58 win over Division V standout J.S. Clark of Opelousas, the reigning Division V state runner-up.
Neville accounted for two of Simpson’s four losses this season, taking a 59-45 win, but the Lady Broncos responded with a 57-53 triumph over Huntington, the reigning Division I select state champion.
The loss to Neville on Jan. 3 turned out to be Simpson’s last. The Lady Broncos, 8-0 against Class C schools, are currently on an 11-game winning streak.
“With an older group, I really wanted to push them harder, so going into district, we would be more prepared,” Rachal said. “We’ve played the best of the best. We were hunting competition. They trust me. They’re along for the ride. A lot of times, I let them go into the game blind, and that’s terrible. That way, they don’t have any expectations and just show up and play their game. They’re not worried who are the better players.”
Rachal said her team has grown up to become mindful of their opposition in blowout victories. Instead of simply piling on the points toward a mercy-rule win, she’s quick to empty her bench so that younger players can gain valuable playing time for the future.
“The first time we played Evans (73-57 win on Nov. 22), we had a large lead and started subbing,” she said. “It used to happen to us. I told the kids, and they feel the same way. It’s not fun to win like that or lose like that, let’s be respectful and get everyone involved. We have spots to fill next year, and I need someone to step up, and you have to have court time to do that.”
Rachal singled out her team’s rebounding as a key that sets them apart from previous teams. There’s also been a maturity that’s enabled them to move forward in the event of a loss.
“The ability to rebound the ball is so much greater than it was when they were seventh and eighth graders, and freshmen,” she said. “They would also struggle after a tough loss, wallow in it for several days. Now we’re moving right along. They’re also making better decisions. The thing that stands out for the kids is they’ve never adopted a selfish mentality. On any given night, all five on court could be in double digits, maybe three with double-doubles.”
Edwards, whom Rachal describes as a “walking bucket,” is the leader of Simpson’s well-balanced offense.
Her 18.4 points lead a team that’s scored 70 or more points 13 times this season, with a high of 77 in a district win over Pleasant Hill (77-57) on Jan. 22. She also averages 5.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 4.0 steals.
“She can knock down the 3,” Rachal said. “She can also leak out for layups. She had many moves to get to the bucket.”
Among the attributes that enable Simpson to compete favorably against bigger competition is the makeup of its frontline.
Rollins, a 6-foot-1 junior post player, and Hunnicut, a 5-11 forward, allow the Lady Broncos to more than hold their own in the paint and on the glass.
Rollins averages 10.3 points and 10.4 rebounds to go with 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists. Hunnicut produces 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.0 steals.
“When they play together, they’re unstoppable,” Rachal said. “They control the boards. We harp on controlling the boards to control the game. The guards make everything else happen on the outside.”
Allain is one of the team’s top 3-point shooters, evidenced by her eight 3-point baskets in a 73-57 win over Bell City on Nov. 14. She averages 10.6 points and 3.1 rebounds with 6.3 steals and 2.0 assists.
“When we’re struggling to score from the outside, we get her the ball,” Rachal said. “The kids recognize when somebody’s hot, we’re getting it to them.”
Miller is the team’s leader on the floor. She scored 11.8 points and has 5.2 rebounds, but tops the Lady Broncos with 7.1 assists and has 2.5 steals. Her twin sister, Ashley, is the team’s top reserve.
“She’s our motor,” Rachal said. “She makes things happen on the court. She gets steals, takes care of the ball. She’s able to score (in double figures) on a given night.”
Another source of pride for Simpson has been the play of its defense, which has limited opponents to less than 40 points in 14 games, adding another solid piece to a team with championship ambitions.
“It’s the package that makes us,” Rachal said. “Not one person.”