Lady Huskies aiming to back up last season’s success

It’s one thing to get to the top. It’s another to stay there.

That’s what the Hewitt-Trussville High School girls basketball team is tasked with doing during the 2019-20 season. Last season was the best in program history, as the Lady Huskies reached the final four for the first time and advanced to the Class 7A state championship game.

“After we finally took a breath and realized what just happened, the community was ecstatic, very supportive of the girls and the history they made,” head coach Tonya Hunter said. “Just to be in a community like Trussville is amazing, with all the support you have for any sport. They really showed up for us, especially in the final four.”

Hewitt-Trussville lost to Hoover in the championship game, as the Lady Bucs won their second title in three years. Not many teams were anywhere close to Hoover’s level throughout the season (they lost just once the entire way).

The Lady Huskies lost one player from last year’s successful squad, but an important one. Morgan Kirk manned the point guard position for each of Hunter’s first five years at Hewitt-Trussville, and her experience can’t be replicated overnight.

“Morgan Kirk meant a lot to our program,” Hunter said. “Mindset, poise, stability, those crucial things in a program. We’re trying to fill those things now, and it’s been tough.”

Two things have stood out in Kirk’s absence, including the obvious question of who will be the new primary ball-handler. That question does not yet have a firm answer but will likely be shared by a handful of players throughout the season. The other is putting a renewed emphasis on teamwide communication, on and off the floor.

“Everybody’s going to have to be committed and play a role in communication throughout the whole program,” Hunter said. “There’s 13 of us on the bench and the coaching staff. We’re going to have to all help out.”

But with the majority of the roster returning, is there a sense of complacency among the team? Hunter doesn’t think so.

“Every year, whether we bring back the whole team or we’re bringing back 95% of it [like this year], it still changes,” Hunter said.

Hunter said from the outset of practice, each day is about getting better individually and collectively. Pushing her players on a daily basis has left no time for the Lady Huskies to rest on their laurels and bask in the red trophy they earned for their efforts last season.

“As a coach, if you couldn’t do it, I wouldn’t ask you to do it,” Hunter said. “I’m asking you to do some things that I know that you can do, and they’re stepping up to the challenge. They’re going hard.”

The Lady Huskies have a pair of seniors this winter in Leah Harrison and Erica Jones, both of whom have logged quality minutes dating back to their ninth-grade seasons. Harrison recently committed to play at the University of West Alabama and is known for her aggressive mentality on the court.

Hunter said Jones finally got healthy toward the end of last year, as she recovered from a knee injury. Jones picked up an offer from Mobile in December and will likely have a few more options as the season progresses.

Amiya Payne, a Starnes Publishing All-South Metro first-team selection last year, headlines the junior class, along with Londyn Johnson-Yates, Anyce Harvey and Amir Brown. Johnson-Yates is a guard who has worked to improve her shooting. Hunter noted Brown’s strong preseason, and Harvey is an athletic player committed to play softball at Middle Tennessee State. D’yona Jones and Mary Cartee are the team’s sophomores.

D’yona Jones’ contributions were a big reason the Lady Huskies made their postseason run a season ago, and Hunter said she has stretched her shooting range.

Guards April Hooks and Kenleigh Cahalan are just freshmen but will both be counted upon heavily throughout the year. Eighthgrader Jordan Hunter is also expected to help out at the guard spots.

Hewitt-Trussville isn’t taking it easy in the month of December, playing tough teams like Huffman, Ramsay and Wenonah. It won’t be easy to achieve the same results as last season, but the talent is there.

“We’ve just to make sure to put them in situations where they’re all playing great at the same time,” Hunter said. “They’re excited for each other. One gets accolades, they’re excited for that person. We’re excited to try to put the pieces together.”