After two seasons at the helm of the Jackson girls basketball team, the school announced last week that head coach Adam Stoneking has stepped down from his position to become an assistant principal at the high school starting next school year. This is now the second time in three years the program has lost a head coach to an administrative position with the district.
Former Indians head coach Tyler Abernathy, who led Jackson to win six district championships during his stint, accepted the assistant principal position at Jackson Middle School following the 2020-21 campaign. Prior to becoming the Indians head coach, Stoneking served as an assistant coach under Abernathy for two seasons.
Stoneking ended up with a combined coaching record of 38-17 and finished 13-2 in SEMO Conference regular-season play. The only conference team the Indians lost to during Stoneking’s two years was crosstown rival Notre Dame, going 0-5 versus the Bulldogs (Note: Jackson hasn’t defeated Notre Dame since the 2018-19 season).
On top of winning nearly 70% of his game, though, Coach Stoneking helped Jackson win two of its last three-straight Class 6 District 1 Championships. The Indians finished four points shy of reaching the final four in Stoneking’s first season as they fell to St. Joseph’s Academy 41-37 in the state quarterfinals.
This winter, Jackson won its third-straight district title and finished with the program’s most wins in a single season since 2018-19 (24) with 21. Also departing from the Indians with Coach Stoneking will be two-time all-stater and one of the program’s seven 1,000-point scorers 5-foot-10 senior guard Katie Waller, who is set to graduate this spring.
Whomever takes over as Jackson’s head coach will have a 2022-23 all-conference and all-district selection in 5-7 sophomore guard Camryn Alsdorf at their disposal. She averaged 10 points, five rebounds, four steals and one blocked shot per game this winter.
Other starters the Indians will return along with Alsdorf are juniors like 5-7 guard Holland Guilliams and 6-1 post Nadia Wasilewski. Other notable players coming back who primarily played off the bench will be sophomores in 6-1 post Katy St. John and 5-5 guard Lillie Cole.
The school is accepting applications for Stoneking’s replacement at this time.
