With their top three scorers back from last year’s 18-11 squad, Hopkins County Central’s girls appear poised to make noise in both the 7th District and the 2nd Region this season.
The Lady Storm will pin much of their hopes on seniors Brooklyn Clark, Emile Jones and Mercy Sutton.
That trio was instrumental in leading Hopkins Central to the sectional crown in the Kentucky 2A Championships and a berth in the 2A state tournament last season.
Clark, a 5-5 guard, scored 12 points a game and grabbed 5.9 rebounds last season and should top 2,000 career points this season. She made 50 3-pointers and could be an even bigger part of the offense this season.
Jones, a 5-6 guard, led the Lady Storm with 13.7 points a contest a year ago. She shot 34.4 percent from behind the arc. Jones was second on the team in rebounds with 6.1.
Sutton, a 5-10 forward, just missed averaging a double-double last season with 9.9 points and 11.8 boards.
“Mercy Sutton has worked hard in the off season playing with two different travel teams and really improved her overall skill level, especially her outside shot,” noted Lady Storm head coach Phillip Cotton.
Another senior, Lillie Whitaker-Greer, steps into a bigger role after getting 3.6 points and 3.8 rebounds a game as a junior.
“We have a mix of old talent with young talent,” noted Cotton. “I expect us to have an adjustment period with the younger kids adjusting to varsity level basketball and the older kids trusting them. My hope is that we are improving on this each day and by the end of the season we are playing our best basketball.”
Keep an eye on freshmen Calajia Mason and Tyah White. Both saw some varsity time last year, getting 3.2 and 2.6 points, respectively.
Cotton begins his third season on the bench at Hopkins Central. He was chosen the 2nd Region Coach of the Year last season.
The Lady Storm has big goals this year, with a district championship and a trip to the regional final with a chance to go to state on the wish list.
Hopkins Central also wants to repeat as 2A sectional champ and return to the state tourney in Owensboro.
The Lady Storm figures to battle with Madisonville-North Hopkins for 7th District supremacy.
Both of those squads are among the three or four teams lining up behind perennial power Henderson County in the 2nd Region.
Hopkins Central’s girls will tip off the regular season on Friday, Dec. 2, facing Franklin County in the Independence Bank Tip-Off Classic in Owensboro.
