The Pampa Lady Harvesters’ basketball season tips off on Saturday, and while the squad graduated most of their varsity starters last season, this squad is anxious to show last season wasn’t a fluke.
The 2024-25 season saw the Lady Harvesters go three rounds deep in the playoffs while winning the fourth and fifth gold balls in program history.
“We beat Midland-Greenwood in the Bi-District Round and Clint in the second round,” Head Coach Clint Watson said. “We lost to Brock in the third round, and they only graduated two seniors this past year. It was the third gold ball since [I] have been here.”
“Any time you can win and the younger players can see it’s attainable (is important). The team I have this year is equal in height to last year. These girls can see you don’t have to be blessed in height to be successful. You just have to play with a ferociousness.”
The Lady Harvesters lost Berlin Bartlett, Briley Daniels, Cambree Dyer and Preslee Segura to graduation, the former three being four-year starters on varsity.
“Just the experience from those three (Berlin, Briley and Cambree) was a huge loss,” Watson said. “It’s a whole team in a way.”
But the Lady Harvesters return four on varsity in Payton Gowin, Karsyn Brown, Emmy Boutsamaly, Madi Barton, Addy Humphrey and Brooklyn Warren. They will be joined by Myla Zarate and Aunestie Wilson.
“They have that go-getter attitude,” Watson said. “Myla and Addy played almost every second possible. That experience will help them immensely. We’re going to rely on defense, and they are defensive-minded, tough, and not afraid to get physical.”
The Lady Harvesters have played in one scrimmage by the time of this interview against Stratford, and had one Tuesday against Gruver.
“We went to Stratford (for a scrimmage Saturday). It took us a bit to get going,” Watson said. “I knew it would with five sophomores and five juniors. Once we started going, they just played. They were not fazed or like, ‘Oh man, this is varsity ball.’ They just played, and that’s huge.”
Against Gruver, Watson looked to see the storied program be physical and a good test for the Lady Harvesters.
“I would just like to see the girls build off Saturday with the jumping into pressure off a make or miss,” Watson said. “The sophomore group were seventh graders when I took over. I’ve been with them four years now, and we know what to expect from each other and to build on our team chemistry. I feel like we are pretty close already.”
Looking ahead to the Lady Harvesters’ non-district schedule, Watson feels like every night will be a tough, physical contest.
“We have Spearman, Lubbock-Cooper, Bushland, Panhandle and Panhandle,” Watson said. “We have to be ready to play every single night. That’s what that’s going to teach us for District. Our district has no easy game at all.”
The Lady Harvesters will also play in the Canadian and Brownfield Tournaments.
Pampa’s District, 4-4A, has Canyon, Randall, West Plains, Hereford, Dumas, Borger and Perryton.
“It begins and ends with Canyon,” Watson said. “They just go. Randall graduated a couple of girls but they will be just as tough as ever. West Plains has a new coach but he’s a proven winner. Hereford will be tough just in the fact they are like us. They don’t have a lot of height but they get up and down the court. Borger, you know how rivalry games, especially ‘that’ rivalry, are.”
The Lady Harvesters take the court Saturday at McNeely Fieldhouse here in Pampa at 1:15 p.m. against Spearman.