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Photo by Erin Nelson
Hewitt-Trussville’s Jordan Hunter (2) drives toward the goal guarded by Sparkman’s Jamya Griffin (10) during the girls Class 7A Northeast Regional final between the Huskies and Senators at Pete Mathews Coliseum at Jacksonville State University on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Hewitt-Trussville fell to Sparkman 55-44. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Hewitt-Trussville’s Jordan Hunter (2) shoots a 3-pointer during the girls Class 7A Northeast Regional final between the Huskies and Senators at Pete Mathews Coliseum at Jacksonville State University on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Photo by Erin Nelson.
This year’s Hewitt-Trussville High School girls basketball team will have a significantly different makeup than the one that took the floor last year.
But head coach Tonya Hunter has a feeling this winter’s team will feature a similar progression arc throughout the season.
Last season, the Lady Huskies had their fair share of ups and downs in the first five weeks of the campaign. There was a pair of four-game winning streaks separated by a two-game skid. Then, Hewitt dropped three straight in mid-December.
After the stops and starts, though, the Lady Huskies took off. They won 16 consecutive games, including blowing through the area tournament all the way to the regional final.
There are plenty of familiar faces on the squad this year, but not many possess a wealth of varsity experience. Add a handful of newcomers to that mix and it’s a largely inexperienced team.
“That’s going to be interesting to me at the beginning of the season,” Hunter said. “I’m projecting that it will take us a while to know what Hewitt-Trussville basketball is asking for, but we’ll be playing really good at the end.”
Hunter is encouraged by what she’s seen in terms of the team searching for and settling into their individual roles.
The Lady Huskies have five seniors this season. Jordan Hunter and Mia Ada possess the most experience of those, with Jordan Hunter entering her sixth year on the varsity team and Ada returning after recovering from a knee injury.
Sara Phillips, Amber Newman and Jasia Reedy will also take larger roles with the program in their final year.
Tonya Hunter has coached her daughter Jordan for many years now, and the two will look to make the most of their final season together.
“Playing six years for a coach that’s your mom is tough. She could finish my sentences. I’m more quiet now because she knows exactly what I want,” Tonya Hunter said.
Jordan, who is committed to play at Auburn University, has improved each season to become one of the top leaders and players in the state.
“Seeing her grow as a player over these six years is really cool,” Tonya Hunter said.
Hunter said she is approaching coaching this team differently than with teams in years past. But that is not necessarily a negative thing. She prefers to call it evolving as a coach. The Lady Huskies have had much of the same core group for the last few years, but now there is more of a back-to-basics approach.
“I’m back to teaching and I kind of like it, because I haven’t done it in a while,” she said.
Hunter knows her team will play vigorous defense and believes the shooting percentage will be a strong number for the team. She noted the lineup will be “guard heavy,” but post player Ashlyn Howard has been a standout in the preseason.
Ryleigh Martin and Lauryn Holley are freshmen who will contribute immediately, while Olivia Burton is one of the top defenders on the roster. Kennedy Gill is also a junior on the team.
Ahead of the season, Hunter sees a team that enjoys being together and working toward continual improvements.
The Lady Huskies have a challenging schedule and will compete in Class 7A, Area 6, against the likes of Chelsea, Oak Mountain and Spain Park.
