By Jessica Brooks
HoosierAuthority.com

MARSHALL - Turkey Run's girls basketball team hadn't made it past sectionals since 2000, and prior to that it had been 17 years since the program had won a sectional title. But in their come-from-nowhere 2007-08 season, Turkey Run surprised the Wabash River Conference by sweeping their conference schedule and upsetting the two-time defending conference champion Attica Red Ramblers in the sectional. The team went on to win the 1A Sectional #56 title.

This season, Turkey Run is a well-known “force to be reckoned with”. Several WRC teams have made it a season goal to beat the Warriors, but so far none have been successful. In fact, the powerful Warriors are off to a 5-0 start in the conference as of Jan. 9 with an average margin of victory of 36 points.  

So what has made the difference these past two seasons? Well, video coordinator Eric Eaton and I traveled to Turkey Run to find out. We have identified three key "factors" that have contributed to the team's success.

Factor 1: Head Coach Sam Karr
It can't be a coincidence that the surprise 2007-08 season came at the same time Sam Karr entered the scene as the new Turkey Run girls basketball head coach. His speed-driven tactics of pushing the ball up the floor to put lots points on the board created both energy and a motivation to win. As senior point guard Meghan Doss will tell you, Karr holds each player accountable for what happens in the game, and no player wants to make a mistake. But don't get me wrong -- Karr is a friend to his team, and he wants the team to achieve new heights.

Turkey Run went 19-6 in Karr's first year, but the Warriors have a much tougher schedule this season that includes 11 teams above the 1A classification, seven of them being 3A. Karr knows it will be tough to beat last year's record, but the Warriors are 11-1 as of Jan. 9, a promising start that includes a win over 4A Terre Haute North.

Make sure you check out the video tab in the upper right hand corner of this article for some interviews with coach Karr!

Factor 2: Senior Point Guard Meghan Doss
This 5'1" sharpshooter is what I like to call "the not-so-secret, secret weapon." Teams hear about Doss driving on players eight and 10 inches taller than she is, but they don't necessarily believe it until she drives on them. She'll shoot 3's until her opponent steps up their outside defense; once they do, she drives it down low and either scores or draws the foul (or both) almost without fail. As the lone senior on Turkey Run's team, she rules the team with an iron fist. Because it's her last high school season, Doss has a high energy playing level that her teammates strive to keep up with. She expects her team members to respect her sense of urgency and play with her as they would if it were their own final season. And they do; they respect her and want it to be a great last season for her, so they follow her lead in practice and games. Last season Doss averaged 11.6 ppg and is on a roll to beat that average this season. In the game that Eric and I attended, Doss was the high scorer with 22 points. She plans to attend and play basketball for Vincennes University after graduation.

Make sure you check out the video tab in the upper right hand corner of this article for my interview with Doss!

Factor 3: The Turkey Run Triplets
That’s right—triplets. But you wouldn’t guess it by looking at them. Sophomore sisters Adrianne, Chelsea and Meghan Francis are as different as can be, but on the floor they connect as the dynamic trio one would expect. Adrianne is the leading post player for Turkey Run, towering over her sisters at 5’10”. She averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds per game in her freshman season, and continues to dominate down low this season. 5’8” sister Chelsea is a starting guard on the team, and Meghan dresses both JV and varsity. Not only do the sisters play well together, but their cheers also motivate each other during games. There is no lack of sisterly competition among these three. Their mom tells us that they make each other work hard in basketball and everyday life. This trio is an asset to the team in all facets of the game, as well as in forming a team bond. The sisters bring closeness to the team that may otherwise be lacking, and that helps the whole team feel a part of “one big family.”

The three Francis sisters also share a unique bond at home, often assisting their parents, Karen and Larry, with the caring of foster children. It's an aspect of their lives that Meghan calls a total positive.

You'll definitely want to check out the video box in the upper right hand corner of this article for several interviews with the triplets!

Come February when the state tournament commences; Karr, Doss and the Francis triplets will attempt to take the program to new levels. Turkey Run’s girls basketball program has never advanced past the regional round of the tournament. Could this be the year that all changes? Well, we shall soon find out.