Summers County came into last season as the Class AA state runner-up. Despite graduations, the expectation were high.
Unfortunately for the Bobcat faithful, Summers lost in the sectional and regional title games, failing to return to Charleston.
With multi-time all-stater and 1,000-point scorer Grace Harvey now gone, the Bobcats are rallying, aiming to uphold the program’s standards.
It’ll start with key starters Abby Persinger and Avery Lilly.
“I like our kids coming back with Abby, Avery and Cheyenne Smith all starting last year,” Summers head coach Rick Blevins said. “They’re doing a great job being leaders this year. Yeah, there’s holes to fill obviously. Grace Harvey’s gone so we have to replace her and I’m not sure we can replace what she brought with one person. I think as a group though we’re gonna be fine. We’re working pretty hard every day and just trying to get better every day.”
With that in mind, the expectations remain the same – play on the Coliseum floor in March.
“We’re always trying to get there so going to Charleston is the goal always,” Blevins said. “We missed it by one game last year that’s kind of a bitter pill for us so we’re gonna try to get over the hump although that been made any easier. They just moved James Monroe into this region and that makes it even harder than it’s been. Wyoming East is Wyoming East so you know nothing’s changed there really. They lost a really good player or maybe a couple of really good players but they reloaded so you know everybody’s looking up at them right now. I think they’re the team to beat. They’re two-time defending champions so we got our work cut out for us.”
Another program staple has been Summers’ approach to the game. Blevins doesn’t expect that to change with defense leading the way.
“I believe that our defense will be very good,” Blevins said. “I think our rebounding will be very good. We’re coming along offensively but yeah we got some new kids in different positions and so we are trying to get everything figured out. But you know we’re gonna compete and we’re gonna play hard. We’re gonna show up every night hopefully and give it our best shot.”
Adding to Blevins’ confidence is a deeper stable of players. He’s hoping to build depth and play eight or nine on a nightly basis.
“We have we have several kids that we’re hoping to get good contributions from,” Blevins said. “Hadley Bennett, Kaylee Cole Melania Hayes, Jaelynn Boone – I think we’re gonna be pretty good. I like our chances and it’s obviously a really difficult region but everybody’s contributing. We have a freshman, Carly Persinger, who’s gonna get a lot of playing time for us. We’re not gonna end up being the Sisters of the Poor, I don’t see that happening but the road is difficult. There’s a lot of land mines out there waiting for us.”
The way last season ended would naturally lead to some concern after a pair of blowout losses to teams Summers contended with in the regular season. There won’t be any time for that with another loaded schedule that features Wyoming East twice, James Monroe, Class AAA contender Wayne and Class AA state runner-up Williamstown.
“I think we had to put last year behind us,” Blevins said. “I think that the kids are using it as motivation because they don’t wanna go that route again so they are motivated to play better, to play harder. I think, now we haven’t played the game yet, but I think that our kids are gonna respond late cause they don’t wanna have a repeat of that.”
