After losing its leading scorer and best 3-point shooter to graduation last season, the Warrenton girls basketball team expected to use the first part of the 2017-18 campaign figuring out life without Jenny Jansen and Kaylee Anderson.Then the Warriors lost two starters to injuries, and the team is back to square one again.After dealing with back problems over the summer, senior guard Rylie Cox was cleared to play by doctors.But a rough fall in the Dec. 5 win over Elsberry led to a fractured L5 vertebrae, and the senior point guard is expected to miss six weeks.“She had some back issues before that, which I think were precursors to this,” Warrenton Head Coach Greg Williams said. “She saw some doctors that gave her some exercises and things were touch and go, but she played through it. She was cleared to play, of course, but they did an MRI after that particular hit and they knew she had a stress fracture.”Doctors said Cox should be ready to go by early February.“That’s what they say and that’s what we’re hoping for,” Williams said. “They feel confident that she’ll heal OK after being basically shut down for six weeks.”Around the same time, junior forward Allison Tonioli was involved in a car accident that caused a concussion, among other injuries.She’s missed the last two weeks, but is hoping to return for the Sport and Spine Shootout in Moberly Dec. 30.“She should play on the 30th,” Williams said. “They do a lot of different testing, so as soon as she passes the protocol, she’ll be in there. She could get released today, but she is day-to-day.”The Warriors are 0-2 without the duo in the lineup, and Williams has been forced out of his comfort zone in attempts to plug holes on offense and defense.“Sports is motivation, and right now we’re incorporating new kids in and things are different,” he said. “The timing isn’t there, but this will make us better because kids have to play and perform. They have to figure it out, and they’re learning that this isn’t the J.V. level. It’s the real deal. I wouldn’t have played them as much if we were 100 percent. It’s probably better for us at the end of the year, though, because we won’t be as worn down, and these girls will have the reps and the experience from playing in these games.”Six underclassmen  — Brooke Smith, Miranda Nelson, Lexi Frederick, Malea Payne, Allison Gerard and Morgan Frye — make up 75 percent of the roster without Cox and Tonioli.Seniors Ashtyn Dixon and Kayla Nelson are the only players with meaningful varsity experience before this season, which has changed Williams’ approach as of late.“We’re basically re-touching on fundamentals and working on basic, minute things,” he said. “There are things we took for granted with athleticism, and now we’re working on the little things, like timing.”Effort — or lack thereof — has been a problem for the younger Warriors recently.“It’s hard at the varsity level to learn how to compete and play hard, but that’s been one of the struggles,” Williams said. “In a varsity basketball game you can’t be walking around. It’s just too competitive. Last night Keokuk beat us on effort, they just played harder.”Williams said he views the regular season as “practice for the playoffs,” and his entire team is expected to be healthy ahead of the district tournament in late February.“It will be about getting them back and into the fray and seeing how much conditioning and skill they lost, because with a concussion and a fractured back, you can’t really do anything,” he said. “You’re shut down, so the ball skills just aren’t there. Most people would expect someone to come back from those injuries and be right back where they were, but that’s not really the case.”Being forced to play younger, inexperienced players has appeared to reinforce Williams’ belief in structured feeder programs for elementary and middle school players.“That’s why you should have your program set up at the lower levels with coaches that can teach and buy into what you’re doing,” he said. “Kids should be able to come up and know what we’re doing. They should be able to compete, play hard, defend, block out, rebound and handle a basketball. That’s not too far out of the question to ask somebody to come into high school ready to do that.”He acknowledged a handful of fifth-, six- and seventh-grade players who have shown promise on the court.“You’ll see them in the next few years,” he said. “We’re just thankful for the parents and people who put in the time to do those things.”.MORE RESPONSIBILITY — Brooke Smith drives down the baseline against Fort Zumwalt North Nov. 30. Smith, a sophomore, will be expeted to carry the scoring load while Rylie Cox recovers from a back injury. Kory Carpenter photo.