Pictured is Madi Taylor
When the Hackett Sr High Lady Hornets started this basketball season, they knew they would be faced with a plethora of uphill battles. But it was also going to take more than that to get the Lady Hornets to about-face and run. Since moving from 2A basketball last year to the 3A this season, the Sr Lady Hornets have taken on some hard-core players such as Danville and most recently Paris. Hackett has also taken on West Fork, Mountainburg, and Dover. Although the girls played hard right up to the final buzzer in every match, they sit 0-5 in total season play.
Tuesday night the Sr Lady Hornets hosted the Lady Eagles of Paris. The first quarter ended with a score of 15-14 Paris after each team spent that time spreading their wings while trying to prove dominance. But things started to fall apart for the Lady Hornets as they went into halftime under 38-18. Unfortunately, Hackett was unable to recover and took a 61-27 fall. Getting down and gritty for the Sr Lady Hornets and leading in scoring was sophomore, Teonna Best, who is an offensive dynamo. Though each game holds different scenarios, one thing that remains the same is that Teonna consistently leaves opponents with the knowledge that they just faced the Best!
With 5 points apiece in the match was sophomore, Kyleigh Hill, and junior, Madeline Freeman. Hill is a player who can meticulously run the court with skills better than Tom Crise in a Mission Impossible movie while Freeman leaves people questioning if she has eyes in the back of her head due to her ability to know where every player is every second of every game allowing her to shut down her opponent’s hoop dreams. With 3 points in the match, is senior, Madi Taylor. Taylor is light-footed and speedy and can dance circles around her opponents as if she was a figure skater in another life. Sophomores, Tori Blanton and Olivia Bouse, although talented in many areas, each have one main thing that sets them apart while helping them conquer the hardwood.
Bouse, who netted 2 points, is the smallest Sr Lady Hornet on her team at 5’1 and is able to use that to her advantage by swiftly maneuvering uptown, downtown, and all around the competition to collect blocks and baskets. And on the opposite height spectrum is Blanton who at 5’10 is one of two of the tallest on the team. Also snagging 2 points, Blanton rules the area under the net with a strong arm while delivering swifter sentences than Judge Judy. “Right now we just have to get back to the basics, take care of the ball, and value each possession,” explained coach, Broc Adams.
“We knew it was going to be a tough league, and we have a lot of younger girls getting valuable minutes. It will just take some time to get the kinks worked out. We still have a lot of season left and I’ve told them from Day 1 that I want to be playing our best basketball in February. We are just going to go to work every day and try and get better!”
On Friday, December 18, the Sr Lady Hornets will hit the road to take on conference foes the Cossatot River Lady Eagles. “Cossatot is a very energetic team…we will have to slow the pace down and get them out of rhythm. They are undefeated right now, so it would be a great win not just on the road but to break their streak!”
Photos courtesy of Bridget Freeman
