Woods stepping down from MHS baseball coaching spot

After just two seasons at the helm, Monica Woods announced earlier this month that she won’t be returning as the Spoofhounds baseball coach next season.

She announced that she was retiring from her teaching position at Maryville last month as well and the coaching decision followed shortly after.

She took over after Matt Houchin stepped down two seasons ago. This season, she helped lead the Spoofhounds to a district championship.

Their run came to an end at the hands of Smithville in the Class 4 sectional round.

Woods, believed to be the first female baseball coach in school and Midland Empire Conference history, said it’s time to move on.

“I’ve been in education for the past 32 or 33 years, and it’s just a natural progression of things and it’s time to move on. There are exciting things going on with the Maryville baseball program right now, especially with the new lights coming in,” she said. “The team is in a good spot right now. It’s in a good place for somebody else to come in, who is more permanent, and build on the foundation that has been set.”

Woods also went on to say that she knew the position wouldn’t be her’s for long, and that she was essentially an interim head coach until the school was in a position to hire a replacement.

Woods was one of the handful of retirees from the R-II district that was honored at the board meeting on May 17.

However, she wasn’t there to receive her gift as the Spoofhounds were playing in the Class 4 District 16 title game that night against Lafayette.

Shortly after the Spoofhounds season ended with a loss to Smithville in the state playoffs, she met with Maryville activities director Mat Beu.

“We spoke a few days ago and she wants to step away and enjoy retirement and everything that comes along with that,” Beu said after the school released the news that Woods had resigned her coaching position. “She was thankful to serve us for the last two years and to work with our guys. We experienced great success this year and a district championship under her watch was very exciting. We were very competitive in the MEC, which is one of the tougher baseball conferences in the state. Having her around and the stability and expertise has been fantastic growing the sport.

“She is really passionate about baseball and really cares about the program.”

Her stepping aside means she will have a chance to watch her son, Jakob, play his senior season at MHS.

“We got some exciting returning players and feel we will be competitive again next year and the numbers are good,” Beu said. “There is a lot of interest in the program and that is a good thing. The next baseball coach will certainly come with challenges, but will definitely inherit a good program.”

In other items from the meeting, three other coaching positions were addressed.

Ky Hill resigned as the boys assistant soccer coach.

The district approved the hiring of two basketball assistant coaches.

Megan Sole, a recent graduate of Central College in Pella, Iowa, will become a girls basketball assistant coach. She played basketball for one year at the school before focusing on her degree in athletic training.

She is from Trenton, Missouri, where she played for current MHS coach Quentin Albrecht.

Sole replaced Jen Stock, who resigned. The senior-to-be at Northwest will be doing her student teaching this year in Kansas City.

Chandra DeMott, MHS softball coach, added the duties of middle school basketball assistant coach for the upcoming school year.