Lady Huskies listening to new voices

Mallory Posey and Bailey Berry don’t even have to turn their heads. They know.

While they don’t necessarily hear coach Tonya Hunter’s words, they know exactly what she would say in a given situation. When they do turn their heads, their suspicions are confirmed.

“We kind of know what she’s thinking,” Posey said. “We can tell by the looks on her face what we should be saying to the team.”

The Hewitt-Trussville High School senior basketball players have had to step up in the absence of their coach’s voice. Hunter is still there, but her voice is on the mend.

Hunter had surgery to remove her thyroid in early October, throwing a wrench into her normal basketball routines. The constant practice sounds of dribbling basketballs drowned out by Hunter’s voice have been replaced by much softer peripheral sounds, so she can be heard throughout the gym.

“They rely so heavily on my voice that now we’ve got to find a new avenue to get that accomplished,” Hunter said.

Instead of always looking back to Hunter now, Berry and Posey must make their own voices heard.

“I’ve done a lot more talking and vocalizing this year, especially with coach Hunter not being able to yell as much,” Berry said. “Everyone realizes it’s on us to send them the message of what we’re supposed to do.”

The Lady Huskies did not start the season on the best note, with the adjustment period being partially to blame. However, the two senior leaders did not use that as an excuse, especially coming off last season.

“The season hasn’t started like we planned,” Berry said. “We’ve lost some, but every team’s going to lose some. We’re just working on some things. As a team, I think we have all the talent, all the capability in the world, it’s just putting it all together on the court.”

Last season, Hewitt-Trussville qualified for the Northeast Regional by winning the Class 7A, Area 6 tournament, a huge stepping-stone for the now-burgeoning program.

“We were just all really excited because we’d never made it before. Our whole school was there and it was just a really great experience,” Posey said.

Posey admitted the team lost its confidence following a couple of missed layups in the regional final, otherwise the Lady Huskies could have ended up in the Final Four at the BJCC. But that postseason experience will prove valuable down the road.

“We just knew how hard we needed to work to get there,” Posey said. “Going to (Jacksonville State University) and winning area [tournament], that’s just an amazing thing, and we need to work hard and do it again.”

If the Lady Huskies are to make it back to Jacksonville, they will rely heavily not only on Posey and Berry’s leadership, but also their abilities on the floor. Both agreed their skills are adequate, and they focused on finding the confidence to elevate their play.

“When I came out on the court, I had the ability and knew what to do, but it was just having the confidence to do what I was supposed to do,” Berry said. “I was afraid of making a mistake or doing something wrong. But after talking to coach Hunter and working extra outside of practice and doing everything I can, it’s a major change.”

Berry’s ability to shoot the 3-point shot has blossomed in her time at Hewitt-Trussville, while Posey garners the majority of the post minutes this season. Both have used past experiences to ensure they lead the Lady Huskies deep into the playoffs once again.

“We know how to be leaders, but as seniors, we knew it was going to be mostly our role. We’ve talked about how to become better leaders, and we kind of know by being around it for the last four years or so,” Posey said.

The two have played together since playing in the Over the Mountain league as kids, and they are looking to prolong that experience as long as possible.

“Everyone’s going to have to be really committed,” Berry said. “It’s just the small things.”