Lady Huskies looking for ‘who’s next’

It’s difficult to envision Hewitt-Trussville High School girls basketball without Amiya Payne. She led the way for so many magical moments in the Lady Huskies program over the last several years.

But that’s the reality facing Hewitt-Trussville this winter, as the program moves ahead following its second Class 7A state title game appearance in the last three seasons.

Payne scored over 2,400 points in her Hewitt-Trussville career and is now looking to make an immediate impact at Middle Tennessee State University.

How do you replace all that she brought?

“You don’t,” Hewitt-Trussville head coach Tonya Hunter said.

But all is not lost for the Lady Huskies. Others will grow into bigger roles and be leaned upon more heavily than in years past.

“What you do is you say who’s next? If you can have that mentality, we have a core group where anybody can be next,” Hunter said.

D’yona Jones and Chrischandria James are the team’s two seniors and figure to be players who take a big step forward this season. Particularly in Jones’ case, she has dealt with injuries each of the last two years, never allowing her to get into a rhythm following a brilliant finish to her freshman campaign.

“She’s healthy and is going to stay healthy,” Hunter asserted.

Jones has the height and length to play close to the basket as a forward and Hunter said she has been working on her shot, giving her the capability of playing inside and outside to give opposing teams trouble.

Audre Benson is a junior guard who could be primed for a breakout year. After showing glimpses of greatness each of the last two seasons, Benson put together a tremendous summer on the AAU circuit.

“We knew when she was younger, she had a chance to develop into what she’s doing,” Hunter said. “She still has a very, very high ceiling.”

Jordan Hunter and April Hooks are guards who have gotten plenty of experience despite their youth in recent seasons. They will both have the ball in their hands quite a bit this season and will be asked to provide all-around contributions.

“From time to time, you have a player that comes across like Amiya that can score a lot of points,” Tonya Hunter said. “But with this group, it’s any night a kid can score in double digits and give you a good game. We want them to learn how to play with each other and balance it out.”

Sara Phillips is a three-sport sophomore fresh off the volleyball season and fall travel softball circuit. Hunter said Phillips will definitely contribute, as will junior Abbie Kate Monski. Lily Burford, Lilly Gray, Amber Newman and DeAndrea Powell will also get their opportunities with the Lady Huskies.

Hunter feels good about the potential of this team. She expects to have more players in the guard rotation, which allows everyone to be fresh at game’s end.

“We are going to be a little quicker than we’ve been in a few years,” Hunter said. “We’ll be able to play with a little more depth at the guard spot this year. It’s not a new group, but they have such a new attitude.”

The returners will be asked to take on bigger roles, but they have played in the most pressure-packed moments on the biggest stages throughout last year.

“That’s what we’re going to see early,” Hunter said. “They’ve been in that spot, but they’ve never been the forefront of the team. It’s going to take maturity, so we’re going to go through some bumps with that.”

Even if there are some of those growing pains, Hunter takes each game as an opportunity for her players to see the bigger picture and adjust to the nuances of each game, as opposed to playing in a rigid system with play calls every trip down the floor.

“Style wise, we’ll be able to sit down and defend, be able to move a little bit. We want to space and play off each other and do what we do. I like my kids to learn how to play and play off each other,” Hunter said.

Hewitt-Trussville certainly did not ease into the 2021-22 season, playing perennially strong programs like Ramsay, Chelsea, Hazel Green and Mortimer Jordan all in the month of November. December features a couple national tournaments and a home date against Hoover. Once January rolls around, the Lady Huskies dive into Area 6 play against Spain Park, Vestavia Hills and Gadsden City.

Another 29-5 season may not be in the cards with a team in transition and the difficulty of the schedule, but there is optimism the Lady Huskies could be a factor at season’s end.

“For us to be successful, we’ve got to do the small things very well,” Hunter said. “For them to go where their goals are, we’re going to have to do the small things well.”