MANILA LADY LIONS BASKETBALL
Head Coach: Sammi Morphis
Assistant Coach: Cary Cossey
Coach Sammi Fowler-Morphis started going to school at Izard County Consolidated. She went there from the 3rd-10th grade. She moved to BIC her Jr. year and then graduated from there. She went to Williams Baptist College after high school to play basketball. Her Jr. year of college she transferred to Central Baptist in Conway, and there she realized she would much rather be close to home. She spent her Sr. year at ASU and graduated with her masters degree.
Her first teaching job was at Marked Tree Schools, where she taught fourth grade and was the assistant coach to the girls basketball and softball team. She was then hired to be the head coach for the lady lions. Coach Sammi is working on her third year here at Manila.
She was married to Rhett Morphis on August 5th, 2016, and she just recently had a baby boy named RJ! Her and the team both plan to go far this season.
Coach Cary Cossey went to school and graduated from Bradford High School. He graduated in 1992. After graduation he went to college at UCA and graduated there in 1998.
His first job, as a coach, was at Delta High School, and there he was a girls and boys basketball coach. He coached there from 1999-2002. In 2002, he chose to leave Delta High school and he went to Humphrey High School where he coached the boys basketball team from 2002-2003. In 2003 he began coaching at Bradford High School. He coached there from 2003-2007. In 2007 he was asked to begin coaching girls basketball at Buffalo Island Central. He coached at BIC from 2007-2016. In 2016 he came to Manila High School to be the head Jr High Girls basketball coach. He hopes to remain a coach here for as long as possible.
Coach Cossey's wife is named Teri Cossey. She also teaches at Manila, as the 4th grade Reading teacher. Coach Cossey has two children, Grant and Ashlyn Cossey. They both attend Manila, Grant is in the 7th grade, and Ashlyn is in the 4th grade. Coach Cossey plans to assist Coach Fowler in leading the Manila Lady Lions to victory this season.