Cantrells all on the court at Terra Ceia

Terra Ceia girls basketball: A family affair

By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
When Jordan Cantrell was putting up a career-best 38 points in her team’s win over Northside in the 28th annual Washington Daily News’ Holiday Invitational, Rod Cantrell had the best seat in the house.

Of course, Rod wasn’t sitting the whole time. He was oftentimes standing up directing Jordan and the rest of the Terra Ceia Knights. Rod is not only Jordan’s father, but he’s her coach as well.

To add a little icing to the cake, Rod has played a large part in shaping the basketball skills of his youngest daughter, Rachel, who is the leading scorer for Terra Ceia’s junior varsity team.

“I’m thankful to Terra Ceia Christian Academy for giving me the opportunity to coach,” Rod said. “I’ve been coaching since I was a senior in high school. I love it. I love the game and I love the kids and I love trying to make a positive impact in young peoples’ lives.

“The opportunity to coach my daughters is super special. I’m trying to savor the moments because they’ll be gone before I know it. “It’s almost a dream come true in many ways because a lot of people don’t have that opportunity. I’m very thankful for that.”

Rod, who is married to Gina Cantrell and is also the father of a son, Seth Smithwick, said that separating “dad” from “coach” on the court is not difficult.

“I don’t think it is,” Rod Cantrell said. “In fact, I’m tougher on (my daughters) than I am on the other players. I don’t have any problem getting in their face or getting on them.”

Jordan, a junior who will turn 17 on Jan. 3, is accustomed to her father being her coach.

“I’ve been used to it my whole life,” Jordan said. “He’s been coaching me since I was 5. I love it.

“He’s always pushing me and there’s always somebody there telling me what I’m doing right and telling me what my weaknesses are and what I need to work on. It’s nice because I like to be pushed.”

While Rachel, who leads her junior varsity team in scoring at nearly 15.0 points per game, doesn’t play for her father just yet, the 14-year-old eighth-grader does benefit from having him as a coach in the system.

“It’s a good experience,” Rachel said. “I like it. Having (my father) as a coach to go home and see what I did wrong and what I did right and to learn from my mistakes is good.”

Rod has been pleased with how his daughters have grown into solid basketball players. Jordan, an all-state and all-area selection as well as being last season’s Tarheel Independent Conference Player of the Year, is averaging 20.4 points, 5.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 steals per game.

“Toughness and they’re fearless attacking the paint (are their strong points on the court),” Rod said. “(They’re also good with) ball handling and leading their teams.

“Hopefully, they’re learning a lot from this whole sports experience. That’s really what it’s all about.”

The Cantrell sisters will be on the same floor for the Knights next season, Jordan as a senior and Rachel as a freshman.

“I’m excited about it,” Rachel said. “I’m nervous about playing bigger people and better competition, but I’m excited about playing with my sister.”

Rod, who earned WDN co-Coach of the Year honors last season, is hoping for the best.

“My sincere hope is that they won’t have a sibling rivalry; that they look at each other as teammates and not necessarily as sisters,” Rod said. “I hope there’s no jealousy there. It should be interesting and fun.

“Plus, I hope the other players on the team buy into the whole team concept. That’s a concern of mine. I think it’s going to be interesting with the dynamic that occurs from beginning to end, not just with them but with the other players. I think I need to do a very good job at preaching the teamwork concept. It’s not just about the sisters. I know maybe some parents will look at that and think I’m being preferential at times, but I try my best to be fair as a coach and play everyone when I can. I want to give everyone the amount of playing time I think they’ve earned and deserve.”

The Terra Ceia coach already has an idea how he’ll utilize the girls on the court.

“I think there’s going to be a good inside-outside attack,” Rod said. “Jordan has a real propensity to attack the paint. At times, she’s so headstrong that she’ll run into a brick wall. If she can learn to stop and dish it back outside to a very dangerous outside shooter, like her sister, it could be a nice inside-outside game.

“Rachel is an incredible defender. She’s very aggressive and gets a lot of steals.”

While Rod has given tips to Rachel, the youngest Cantrell has also gotten some advice from her sister, Jordan.

“I try to push her to practice more,” Jordan said. “It’s hard to get her out there to practice. She’s got a natural ability and I don’t. I have to work it to get there.

“She already has the natural shot. She has a better shot than me. I’m trying to get her out there because I know we can be tough together next year. I’m excited for that.”

Rachel, who said that passing and shooting are her favorite aspects of basketball, said she’s not worried living up to her sister’s name.

“It just makes me excited,” Rachel said. “I want to try to be as good as her and try to be even better. Watching her play gives me ideas. She really helps me out.”

The Cantrell sisters do get on the court together on occasion, which often turns into a little one-on-one. Jordan and Rachel never could agree on who wins as both claimed they had the upper hand on the other.

Besides that little spat, and maybe some fighting over clothes (they are, after all, teenage sisters), there is a chemistry there that should work well on the court.

Rod couldn’t be more excited about the prospect. And he couldn’t be prouder of his girls.

Well, except for maybe how he feels about his daughters, who both get straight A’s in school, off the court.

“They have great hearts,” Rod said. “They’re good kids. They make their mother and father very proud in every way. They’re good students and I love them very much. I’m proud of them, not just on the court but as people.”