PERRYVILLE — The Perryville Lady Pirates wrapped up the 2025-2026 girls basketball season with a 15-11 record, a year highlighted by steady improvement, a milestone scoring achievement and a young roster that gained valuable experience along the way.
While the season ended with a loss to Doniphan in the Class 4, District 1 semifinals, the Lady Pirates showed flashes of their potential throughout the winter and finished the year with confidence about what lies ahead.
“We learned a lot this year,” Perryville coach Jason Dreyer said. “Nine of our 11 losses were to state-ranked teams. We played some really good teams, and I felt like our girls realized that if we stay focused, we can compete with just about anybody.”
One of the biggest highlights of the season came early.
Junior forward Aby Amberger reached a major career milestone on Dec. 15, scoring her 1,000th career point during a game against St. Vincent in Cape Girardeau. The accomplishment reflected her impact on the Perryville program and her role as the team’s offensive leader.
Amberger paced the Lady Pirates in scoring this season, averaging 17.4 points per game while also contributing on the boards and defensively.
Behind her leadership, Perryville averaged 52 points per game and outscored opponents 1,353 to 1,242 over its 26 contests. The Lady Pirates also controlled the boards with 873 total rebounds while forcing 360 steals on defense.
Amberger was far from the only contributor.
Junior guard Janie Porter added 11.2 points per game, providing another scoring option in the backcourt. Zoe Hoehn averaged 9.8 points per contest despite missing several weeks late in the season with an injury. Paula Sticht contributed 4.8 points per game in the post, while Lilly Cowell and Ava Robles provided valuable minutes off the bench.
Dreyer said the junior core of Amberger, Porter, Hoehn and Madeline Gremaud provided stability for the team throughout the season.
“Coming into the year, those juniors were the only ones who had varsity experience,” Dreyer said. “So we relied on them quite a bit early. I think they all improved throughout the season.”
Several younger players also made strides as the year progressed.
Sophomores Lilly Cowell, Molly Lefler, Anna Yamnitz, Halie Fritsche, Ava Robles and Paula Sticht all saw playing time, with some splitting minutes between varsity and junior varsity.
Dreyer said the development of the team’s post players was particularly encouraging.
“We haven’t been great in the post the last few years, but I felt like that was a big improvement for us this season,” he said. “Our sophomores down low were playing against older and bigger girls, and they really improved.”
Perryville’s schedule included several tough tests throughout the year, including games against larger schools and state-ranked opponents. The Lady Pirates still managed several impressive victories, including wins over DeSoto, Windsor, Chester and Ste. Genevieve during the second half of the season.
According to the team schedule, Perryville closed the regular season with consecutive wins over Ste. Genevieve and Windsor before entering district play.
The Lady Pirates carried that momentum into the postseason with a 58-43 victory over Dexter in the opening round of the Class 4, District 1 tournament before falling to defending state champion Doniphan in the semifinals.
Despite the loss, Dreyer believes the experience gained throughout the season could pay dividends in the future.
The outlook is particularly encouraging because the Lady Pirates are expected to return their entire roster next season.
“With everybody coming back, we’re excited,” Dreyer said. “We’ve got a lot of girls who gained valuable experience this year, and we’re looking forward to seeing how much we can improve over the offseason.”
For Perryville, the 2025-26 season may not have ended with a championship trophy, but it established a foundation for the future — one built on growth, experience and a core group of players eager to take the next step.
