A rivalry, with a twist

Oakwood Lady Panthers Head Basketball Coach Ashley McGruder shakes hands with her former high school basketball Coach Andy Snider. Photo by Melissa Missildine Oakwood Lady Panthers Head Basketball Coach Ashley McGruder had a lot to be excited, and nervous, about when OHS plays their big rival game against the Neches Lady Tigers. This is Coach McGruder’s her first year at Oakwood, her team is mostly freshman, there is a long-standing rivalry, AND the Neches Coach was her basketball coach during her senior year of high school!

McGruder played basketball all through high school at Palestine. She had several coaches through the years but they never lost a game. Her Senior year, Andy Snider was brought in to coach the varsity team. According to McGruder, he was a tough coach but a good one. That year, they won District. Now, all these years later, Snider is coaching at Neches and McGruder's girls would face them on the Lady Panther's home court. The Lady Panthers fell to the Lady Tigers 7-74. Although now her peer, Snider still gave McGruder a pep talk after the game. He told her “not to take it too hard, be persistent... it was just one game and that it will get better with time.”