Current West Virginia Governor and Greenbrier East girls head basketball coach Jim Justice sees something in sharpshooting guard Cadence Stewart that maybe other don’t see.
Justice sees a similarity to another all-state guard from several years back that also wore the Lady Spartans uniform.
That former standout happens to be his daughter, Jill Justice.
“I saw it first hand with Jill. She was not the fastest kid and not the most gifted kid, but someone that loved it and worked at it all the time,” Justice said. “Jill made it work. Cadence is an echo of that, she is a real star and such a good kid.”
Over her first two years of high school at East, Stewart has frustrated opponents from behind the arc. As a freshman she drilled 60 3-pointers. Last season in just 19 games played, Stewart knocked down 80 long balls, including nine in one game. For the season. Stewart shot 43 percent from deep.
“Shooters have great hand-eye coordination and touch. Cadence has that and she is just a phenomenal shooter,” Justice said. “In addition to that, Cadence works at it all the time. Basketball is her sport and she doesn’t play any other sports. She is dialed in all the time and she is really competitive.”
Rewind back to where it all began and all-state guard seemed to be out of the equation.
“I was not very good at basketball until I went to a shooting camp with Jimmy Clayton in Teays Valley the summer before 5th grade. I just fell in love with it,” Stewart said. “I really liked being able to make shots, rather than shooting it two-handed. It all stemmed from that.”
While the camp gave her the basics, the main component of why Stewart became one of the state’s best shooters is simple – hard work.
Jason Stewart is the current athletic director at Greenbrier East and coaches the girls at Eastern Greenbrier Middle School. He has watched his daughter’s progress over the years and even though Cadence is his daughter, he can’t help but be amazed.
“I have coached for the last 20 years and there have been very few kids that works as hard as she does at her craft,” Jason said. “She is always wanting in the gym or lifting weights. I don’t have to push her because she is motivated to be good.”
For her part, Stewart knew from a young age that if she was going to be successful that she would have to put in extra time.
“I am not the most athletic kid. I still work on that a lot in the off season, but I knew I had to be good at something to get on the floor,” Stewart said. “I used to play post, but I am not big enough to play post anymore. You have to have something that makes you standout.”
Stewart’s dedication easily made her stand out in middle school. Heading to the high school would be a different adventure on a Greenbrier East team loaded with talent.
“It was wild. I knew how good they were. Honestly I thought I was going to play JV,” Stewart said. “My goal originally was to just be on varsity so I could go on our trip that year to Florida after Christmas. I ended up playing a lot, so that was fun.”
Putting on the Lady Spartans uniform had a special meaning for Stewart beyond just making the varsity team.
“It is a big deal and it’s a tradition. We have been a winning team and I am happy to represent East,” Stewart said. “My mom, Andrea Baker, played here and she played softball in college.”
Needless to say, when Stewart stepped on the floor for the first time, there were some nerves to battle.
“Well, I bricked a layup, so I was pretty nervous. Coach Justice told me, ‘Cadence, we are not trying to get a double-double in turnovers and points.’ That kinda shook the nerves out of me,” Stewart said laughing. “After I made my first shot I was fine.”
Playing numerous minutes as a freshman has really helped her development as a high school player according to Stewart.
“I am much more confident. Being able to play that many minutes as a freshman really helps you gain confidence,” Stewart said. “As a freshman, all I could really do was shoot. Now I have improved on my skills.”
Stewart started as a small piece of the Greenbrier East puzzle. Now, entering her junior season, she is one of the leaders for Justice and the Lady Spartans.
A question about her being named second-team all-state last year may explain Stewart’s leadership ability the best.
“It is never a goal to get an individual accomplishment. I cannot be successful without the help of my teammates. They deserve the credit. I just want to help get us to Charleston,” Stewart said.
Stewart is also aware that making that coveted state tournament trip to Charleston will not be an easy task. The key, according to Stewart, to making to making a run to the state tournament may come as a surprise from a prolific scorer.
“We are going to have to play really good defense,” Stewart said. “Woodrow (Wilson) is always a threat and they are our biggest rival. We have to lock down and work as a team.”
