Crittenden County returns all five starters from last year’s 18-win team that finished as district runner-up. The Lady Rockets enter this season with a chip on their shoulders as they work to return the district trophy to Marion for the first time in three years.
Crittenden won 11 games against region opposition and secured the district’s top seed with a 5-1 mark. They lost to Trigg County 48-40 in the district championship.
The Lady Rockets have more in their crosshairs than just a district title. Crittenden feels like they have a solid chance at winning the All A Classic region title for the first time since 2017.
Shannon Hodge returns for her 28th season on the Lady Rocket sidelines. Crittenden has posted six straight seasons of 10 or more wins and will likely make it seven straight this year.
Returning one of her more experienced teams has Hodge and the Lady Rockets the slight favorite in both the All A region and district race.
Taylor Guess broke onto the scene as a freshman and was one of the region’s top scorers at 17.8 points per night. Her ability to get into the paint saw her account for over half of Crittenden County’s free throw attempts where she hot 75-percent.
Sophomore Natalie Boone is Crittenden’s top outside threat after knocking down 30 3-pointers last year and scored seven points a game.
Seniors Jaelyn Duncan and Chandler Moss also give the Lady Rockets scoring in different ways. Duncan averaged seven points and five rebounds while hitting 50-percent of her shots, mostly inside.
Moss averaged five points and four rebounds and can play several positions.
Nahla Woodward is a three-year starter inside that scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds a contest. When she is able to stay out of foul trouble and remain on the floor, the Lady Rockets have a solid inside-out game that makes it hard for opponents to defend.
Woodward is one of six seniors on the Lady Rocket squad that also includes Kacie Easley, Matthia Long, and Lily Perryman. While they don’t have numbers that jump off the stat sheet, all three have played in Hodge’s system for four years and provide valuable minutes off the bench.
If the Lady Rockets can handle the pressure defenses that will be thrown at them and get consistent production from its depth bench, that chip on their shoulder could be replaced with a pair of trophies.
Crittenden can get an early leg up in the district race as they open the season Tuesday and Lyon County and host Livingston Central next Friday.
