Hopkins County Central was the surprise of the girls’ 2nd Region basketball tournament last season.
The runner-up to Madisonville-North Hopkins in the 7th District, the Lady Storm battled its way all the way to the championship game of the regional before finally bowing to perennial power Henderson County.
With all five starters back this season, Hopkins Central has everyone’s attention and won’t be catching anyone by surprise this year.
“We are just looking at continuing the momentum we finished the season with last season,” noted Lady Storm head coach Phillip Cotton. “We are looking to play faster this season, being better conditioned, work on limiting our turnovers and continue to improve our man-to-man defense with more ball pressure.”
Juniors Tyah White and Calajia Mason did the majority of the scoring last season but several players are capable of big offensive performances.
White provides much of the interior presence after getting 15.2 points and 9.2 rebounds a game as the Lady Storm went 20-15 last season. She shot 51.3 percent from the floor.
Mason tallied 14.6 points and 5.1 boards a game while knocking down 32.8 percent of her 3-pointers.
Freshman guard Addie Menser scored 9.6 points a game as an eighth grader in 2023-24.
Sophomore Kenzleigh Harrison netted 7.3 points a game and is a threat from long range after shooting 31 percent from behind the arc, while classmate Braylee Marsh got 3.7 points and 7.3 rebounds a night.
Sophomore Macy Cotton will likely be one of the first players off the bench with freshmen Marlee Thomas, Tijah Hobgood, Riley Richardson and Josie Howard all expected to see time.
The Lady Storm coach also said there are some talented middle schoolers coming up that could see some action as well.
Cotton notes that, “No one person sticks out” on the team. “They all have worked on their weaknesses this offseason — shooting, strength, conditioning, ballhandling.”
PLAYERS UNDER THE RADAR
Cotton and Richardson could surprise with their play this season and look like two of the first players off the bench.
However, Hopkins Central has a lengthy list of youngsters who could end up playing key roles as the Lady Storm looks to add production from its reserves this season.
BIG GAMES
The Lady Storm will make the trip to Elizabethtown Tuesday, Dec. 3, to open the season against the 5th Region school.
Hopkins Central also has a pair of holiday tournaments on the schedule, taking part in the Smoky Mountain Christmas Classic in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the week before Christmas and competing in the Rafferty’s/Double Dogs Caveland Classic at Edmonson County starting the day after Christmas.
Any game against cross-county rival Madisonville-North Hopkins is a big one, with the Lady Storm and Lady Maroons figuring to battle for 7th District supremacy again this year. The teams will square off Dec. 12 in Madisonville and Jan. 20 in Mortons Gap.
Matchups at 1st Region contenders Marshall County (Jan. 27) and McCracken County (Feb. 6) highlight the back half of the schedule.
OUTLOOK
The Lady Storm is a bit of an oddity — an experienced squad with no seniors.
And the squad has big hopes for 2024-25: “To win post- and pre-Christmas tournaments, win 2A sectional, win the district title and compete for the regional championship again,” said Cotton.
Hopkins Central will be in the thick of things in the 7th District again. The Lady Storm and Lady Maroons have met in the championship game the last four years with each side winning twice.
Hopkins Central will be among the contenders in the 2nd Region as well, with Cotton expecting Henderson County, Christian County, Crittenden County, Lyon County and Madisonville to all be in the hunt.
With its collection of young talent, Hopkins Central figures to be in the mix not just this season, but for years to come.
