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Photos by Erin Nelson.
Hewitt-Trussville’s Jordan Hunter (2) dribbles the ball down court as she’s guarded by Vestavia Hills’ Grayson Hudgens (12) in a Jan. 7 game at Braasch-Hatchett Court at Vestavia Hills High School.
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Photos by Erin Nelson.
Hewitt-Trussville’s D’Yona Jones (24) shoots a layup as she’s guarded by Vestavia’s Grayson Hudgens (12). The Huskies won their Jan. 7 against the Rebels, 49-47. Vestavia and Hewitt have exchanged the No. 2 and 3 spots in the 7A rankings much of the year so far.
Everyone in the Hewitt-Trussville High School girls basketball program knew it would take some time for this year’s team to round into form.
The Lady Huskies have had to learn how to play without Amiya Payne, the team’s leader for the previous four years and one of the best players in program history. She helped lead Hewitt to a pair of Class 7A state runner-up finishes and was the state player of the year last season.
Hewitt-Trussville also had to deal with a new obstacle this year. Many of the players for the Lady Huskies were also on the school’s flag football team, competing in its inaugural season. Girls basketball head coach Tonya Hunter was one of the coaches for that team as well, with the Huskies winning the state title in early December.
Flag football was still going on for the first few weeks of the basketball season. There were certainly challenges with that, but they were welcome ones.
“It’s really hard playing two sports at a very competitive level along with your academics,” Hunter said. “It was tough on their bodies and we learned a lot about nutrition and rest. Now, we’re getting back into the groove.”
Over time, though, the Lady Huskies’ hoops team has begun to shine. Hunter saw the team take a leap over the Christmas break, when it faced a few tough opponents and came out on top.
In late December, Hewitt-Trussville notched two impressive wins in the Ball-N Prep National Showcase in Hazel Green. The Lady Huskies got a 10-point victory over Southwest DeKalb (Georgia) and followed that up with a two-point win over Sparkman the next day, against a team that will contend for the 7A state title this season.
The Lady Huskies returned from a week off to notch a significant 49-47 win at Vestavia Hills on Jan. 7 to open up Area 6 play. Vestavia and Hewitt have exchanged the No. 2 and 3 spots in the 7A rankings much of the year so far.
“That was a huge win,” Hunter said. “Vestavia is such a well-coached team. That environment was awesome for girls basketball. I don’t know how many girls programs you see in the state where it looks like that, but it was awesome.”
That night, D’yona Jones starred for Hewitt-Trussville, pouring in 27 points, as Vestavia Hills had no answer for her. She scored most of her points near the basket, utilizing her size to her advantage.
“They played two on [point guard] Jordan [Hunter] all night. That allowed D to be open. She’s been playing well for us,” Tonya Hunter said.
Hunter also saw something from her team that evening that she’s been waiting to see: poise and maturity. Adding those traits to go along with the chemistry that the group already possesses is encouraging.
“There’s no drama with this group. We’ve learned how to talk to each other. This year, we did a book reading and emphasized sticking together. When it’s bad and when it’s good, we’re all just sticking together,” Hunter said.
Hunter lauded her starters for becoming strong leaders for the team. Jones, Jordan Hunter, Audre Benson, April Hooks and Chrischandria James are molding the Lady Huskies into what their coach calls a “player-led team.”
As of press time, Hewitt-Trussville had lost just four games on the season, and none of them would qualify as a bad loss. In November, the Lady Huskies dropped back-to-back games against Hazel Green and Park Crossing, the top two teams in 6A according to the Alabama Sports Writers Association. The Lady Huskies didn’t lose again for a month, winning eight in a row before falling to Hoover, the defending 7A champ and still the top-ranked team. In mid-January, Hewitt also fell to Lovejoy, one of the top teams in Georgia.
Hewitt-Trussville has also notched some impressive wins in addition to the one at Vestavia Hills and the ones over Christmas. The Lady Huskies have notched wins over Chelsea and Mortimer Jordan, two teams expected to be in the conversation in 6A. They also avenged the loss to Park Crossing in December.
“We just take it one game at a time, because one thing we know about our area and our region is, every team, no matter what it looks like during the season and toward the end, every team is good,” Hunter said.
The Lady Huskies have been to the state championship twice in the last three years and could find themselves there once again if things go according to plan. But there’s a long way to go before then, and Hunter is just enjoying the ride.
“I hope we come out on a positive end, but I love this team, and I love coaching this team,” she said.
