2019-20 Whiteoak Lady Wildcats Basketball Preview
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
There is some new excitement for the start of another Whiteoak Lady Wildcats basketball season as more players have joined the program, and there is more depth to a roster looking to improve on how they played a season ago.
Last year, the Lady Wildcats were winless (0-23), and the previous season they had just one win, but this season Whiteoak is wanting to show their skills have improved and their added depth will help the program take a step in the right direction as they look to one day regain the success they had in the past.
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The last win by the Lady Wildcats was on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018 on the road against Silver Grove, Ky. by a 48-38 score.
Seniors for the Lady Wildcats are Kensley Bailey, Madison Berkley, Lizz Edwards and Cylee Bratton. The juniors are Kara Ward, Kayla Jones and Hannah Price. Sophomores this season are Ann Ames and Emmy Hawkins, while the freshmen are Brie Walker, Jackey Huston and Brooklynne Campbell.
Bratton led the Lady Wildcats in scoring last season with 9.6 points per game in 22 regular-season games played. She scored 211 points for the 2018-19 season as a junior.
“I’m really excited because we’ve got numbers up a little,” Whiteoak head coach Steve Smith said. “Last year, we had nine players. I’ve got 12 this year and have a couple pretty good athletes coming back. Madison Berkley is a senior and an athlete, and Kensley Bailey at point guard is athletic and fast.”
Smith, who is entering his 16th overall season, added more about his team as they prepare for the season.
“Emmy Hawkins gives us a little size, and she’s got some skills. We’re a more athletic team, and we have a lot more to work with this year. We’ve got a little size, got a little speed, so we’ll see what happens,” Smith said. “Our newcomers are Ames and Berkley, who will be needed, and I’ve got three freshmen, two that’ll get a lot of playing time (Walker, Campbell).”
Preparing for this season saw the Lady Wildcats play in summer games, plus preseason previews and scrimmages.
“We’ve done pretty well,” Smith said. “We lost a lot, but we played a lot better than we did last year. Bringing (assistant coach) Susie Lucas — she was a player at West Union back in 2000-01 — she’s really got them in shape. We’re in shape, and if they don’t run and play defense, she’s going to let them know because that’s the way she played when she was in school.”
For Smith, it comes back to having more players on the roster this season, as he wants to one day rebuild his program back to where it was during his first 13-year stint as head coach when his teams competed for district and conference championships.
The big loss due to graduation for WHS from the last few seasons is multiple-year starter Hailey Monteith.
This season, the non-conference slate of games includes: vs. Piketon, at Paint Valley, vs. East Clinton, at Portsmouth, vs. Northwest, vs. Sciotoville East at Zane Trace, at Sciotoville East and at Portsmouth Clay.
“I’m just excited to have more numbers and to have a little athletic talent back,” Smith said. “The last two years we haven’t had much athleticism. We’ve had a couple girls, and they haven’t had much to help them out. They’ve been on their own. I feel like I’ve got nine that I can play. We’ll need Bratton in the game, because she’s going to be our leading scorer and our leader, her and Kensley Bailey at point guard.”
The Whiteoak Lady Wildcats will open the 2019-20 season at home on Saturday, Nov. 23 vs. Piketon with a noon start.
Last year, the Lady Wildcats were winless (0-23), and the previous season they had just one win, but this season Whiteoak is wanting to show their skills have improved and their added depth will help the program take a step in the right direction as they look to one day regain the success they had in the past.
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The last win by the Lady Wildcats was on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018 on the road against Silver Grove, Ky. by a 48-38 score.
Seniors for the Lady Wildcats are Kensley Bailey, Madison Berkley, Lizz Edwards and Cylee Bratton. The juniors are Kara Ward, Kayla Jones and Hannah Price. Sophomores this season are Ann Ames and Emmy Hawkins, while the freshmen are Brie Walker, Jackey Huston and Brooklynne Campbell.
Bratton led the Lady Wildcats in scoring last season with 9.6 points per game in 22 regular-season games played. She scored 211 points for the 2018-19 season as a junior.
“I’m really excited because we’ve got numbers up a little,” Whiteoak head coach Steve Smith said. “Last year, we had nine players. I’ve got 12 this year and have a couple pretty good athletes coming back. Madison Berkley is a senior and an athlete, and Kensley Bailey at point guard is athletic and fast.”
Smith, who is entering his 16th overall season, added more about his team as they prepare for the season.
“Emmy Hawkins gives us a little size, and she’s got some skills. We’re a more athletic team, and we have a lot more to work with this year. We’ve got a little size, got a little speed, so we’ll see what happens,” Smith said. “Our newcomers are Ames and Berkley, who will be needed, and I’ve got three freshmen, two that’ll get a lot of playing time (Walker, Campbell).”
Preparing for this season saw the Lady Wildcats play in summer games, plus preseason previews and scrimmages.
“We’ve done pretty well,” Smith said. “We lost a lot, but we played a lot better than we did last year. Bringing (assistant coach) Susie Lucas — she was a player at West Union back in 2000-01 — she’s really got them in shape. We’re in shape, and if they don’t run and play defense, she’s going to let them know because that’s the way she played when she was in school.”
For Smith, it comes back to having more players on the roster this season, as he wants to one day rebuild his program back to where it was during his first 13-year stint as head coach when his teams competed for district and conference championships.
The big loss due to graduation for WHS from the last few seasons is multiple-year starter Hailey Monteith.
This season, the non-conference slate of games includes: vs. Piketon, at Paint Valley, vs. East Clinton, at Portsmouth, vs. Northwest, vs. Sciotoville East at Zane Trace, at Sciotoville East and at Portsmouth Clay.
“I’m just excited to have more numbers and to have a little athletic talent back,” Smith said. “The last two years we haven’t had much athleticism. We’ve had a couple girls, and they haven’t had much to help them out. They’ve been on their own. I feel like I’ve got nine that I can play. We’ll need Bratton in the game, because she’s going to be our leading scorer and our leader, her and Kensley Bailey at point guard.”
The Whiteoak Lady Wildcats will open the 2019-20 season at home on Saturday, Nov. 23 vs. Piketon with a noon start.