2025-26 Basketball Preview: Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs

The Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs have eight players returning to the roster this season, as they look to keep developing their game and keep improving from what they built last season. 

The Lady Mustangs are coached by Whitney Lewis, who is entering her 15th season as head coach at Lynchburg-Clay.

LCHS had just one player graduate from last season’s team, and besides the eight returning players on the team, the Lady Mustangs have three incoming freshmen as well joining the program. Lynchburg-Clay’s assistant coach this season is Lexi Waits. 

Last season, the Lady Mustangs finished with a 5-8 record in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference Division I standings and were 8-15 overall. LCHS averaged 37.7 ppg in SHAC play and allowed 39.8 ppg in SHAC games. Overall, the Lady Mustangs averaged 38.4 ppg and allowed 43.5 ppg. 

“We have eight returning players to the program after graduating one senior last year. We have three incoming freshmen this year as well,” Lewis said. “All of our upperclassmen were able to play substantial minutes and gain varsity experience last year. We are looking to build off of that experience with our upperclassmen and look for our underclassmen to continue to develop as the season looks to get started.”

Seniors this season for Lynchburg-Clay are Ava McLaughlin and Joslyn Rockey.

Last season in 23 games, McLaughlin averaged 2.1 points per game, with 1.7 rebounds per game. Rockey, who was an honorable mention Coaches All-District selection, averaged 5.7 ppg with 2.6 steals per game and 4.9 rpg. 

“Our seniors, Ava McLaughlin and Joslyn Rockey, uphold everything we want in our program. They set the standard for effort and selflessness,” Lewis said. “Every great team needs players willing to do the dirty work, the 'little things,' and no one does that better than Ava and Joslyn. They both can shoot the ball well, and we are looking to them to take advantage of the opportunities to score.”

The junior class consists of Savannah Bell, Adilynn Carraher and Madison McMullen. 

Bell averaged 3.7 ppg last season with 1.4 assists per game, 1.1 spg and 2.8 rpg. Carraher – who was All-SHAC, first-team Coaches All-District and third-team OPSMA All-District – ended last season averaging 10.5 ppg, 1.4 spg and 3.2 rpg. McMullen, a special mention OPSMA All-District honoree, finished the 24-25 season with 7.3 ppg, 1.1 apg, 1.7 spg and 4.5 rpg.  

“Our juniors are building off their varsity experience from last year,” Lewis said. “They play with passion and have the ability to change the scoreboard quickly. They are determined to take the next step in their game, and I am excited about the scoring potential this group brings us.”

Sophomores for the Lady Mustangs are Lily Ferguson, Lizzie Hall and Jocelyn Brown. The freshmen class consists of Kendra Doss, Brystal McClain and Scarlett McElwee. 

Ferguson last season averaged 5.5 ppg, 1.6 spg and 1.7 rpg. 

“Sophomore Lily Ferguson is another player who I think will have a great season,” Lewis said. “She had an outstanding freshman year, and we are hoping she can pick up where she left off and expand her impact both defensively and on the offensive side of the ball.”

In preparation for the upcoming 2025-26 season, the Lady Mustangs have taken part in open gyms and have a winning mindset from other sports they’ve played. 

“Our preparation for this season has been continuous, from our summer months of open gyms and competitive summer league games, to the fall and preseason,” Lewis said. “Many of our players achieved success in the district soccer and volleyball tournaments. Our players have that winning mindset and focus to carry on to basketball season. 

“With the official season started, our practices and scrimmages have been highly competitive and incredibly valuable. We’re seeing improvements every day, with the team becoming visibly more comfortable and confident playing alongside one another.”

Lewis speaks highly of her players, not just for their skills on the court, but for the people who they are and how driven they are.

“When you look at our roster, the greatest strength isn't just talent; it's the quality of their character,” she said. “This is a team of driven players who play for each other. You simply won't find a group less concerned with who gets the headlines or the spotlight.

“Every single player buys into the philosophy: show up, work hard every single day and be willing to do whatever the team needs. They are coachable, selfless and dedicated to the collective goal. That team-first mentality is what truly sets us apart, and it’s why we have high expectations for this season.”

Even with the work the Lady Mustangs have put into this offseason, there are still improvements to be made from last season in all aspects of the game, including fewer turnovers and battling for rebounds, according to Coach Lewis. 

“Last season, turnovers were an issue that hindered the flow of our offense. With the maturity and confidence in our practices and scrimmages so far, our main goal is to take better care of the ball to translate into more attempts at the basket,” Lewis said. Offensively, we want to play with more authority. 

“We're challenging the team to be far more aggressive on the offensive side of the ball, constantly looking to score, attack the defense and improve the quality of our shot selection. The intent is to always improve our looks at the basket compared to last year.

“The fight on the glass is going to be key for us as an undersized team,” Lewis continued. “We want to be dedicated to rebounding and ensuring we hold our opponents to one shot and done on every possession. If we can keep our turnovers under double digits, attack aggressively and finish defensive possessions with rebounds, we believe we’ll be right where we need to be.”

Even with some improvements the Lady Mustangs are working on, the expectations remain the same for Coach Lewis and her team, and that’s to compete when they step onto the court. 

“We have the same expectation every time we step onto the floor: compete each and every night, no matter the opponent, no matter the situation,” Lewis said. “We want to be the hardest-working team on the floor, every single night, and be relentless in doing so. If we can do that, we will give ourselves a chance to win and be successful in every game.

“This group works hard every day in practice and is selflessly driven to compete every night. Selfless. Driven. Hardworking.” 

As usual, the SHAC will be competitive once again, with LCHS competing in the Division I of the conference. Last season the SHAC Div. I champion was North Adams, followed by Eastern, LCHS, West Union and Peebles. 

“The league always provides a high level of competition. As a team, we stress that every night in the SHAC is a battle, and we must respect every single opponent every single night,” Lewis said. “I think it’s going to be a competitive year. We respect the work every coaching staff and every player puts in across the league, and we look forward to the challenge of competing with them every week.”

Lynchburg-Clay’s non-conference games include: at Minford, vs. McClain, vs. Georgetown, vs. Southeastern, at Clermont Northeastern, vs. Hillsboro, at Blanchester, at Williamsburg and vs. Bethel-Tate.

“We try to design the non-conference schedule to be a challenge. We view these games as crucial preparation for the demands of our league and hope that, in turn, our schedule, both league and non-league alike, prepares us for a postseason run,” Lewis said.  

Coach Lewis is excited for the start of the season, and so is her team. 

“We are excited to get the season officially underway,” she said, “We are eager to see our seniors, Ava McLaughlin and Joslyn Rockey, compete in uniform for one more year and to watch our team improve every game. We are committed to being the hardest-working team on the floor every single night, and we look forward to earning the respect of every opponent we face this season.”

Lynchburg-Clay opens the 2025-26 season on Saturday, Nov. 22 on the road for a non-conference game against the Minford Lady Falcons at noon. 

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