DOWNLOAD THIS VIDEO – CLICK HERE
As the second-leading scorer in Lebanon’s history, Raegan McCowan has earned a spot at the next level.
“She’s very, very skilled,” said head coach Jacky Payne. “Raegan’s going to Western Illinois.”
So as a senior, Raegan was ready to put in the extra work on the floor to help her team win. “Coming into the season I knew, I was probably going to get boxed in and probably going to get double-teamed,” Raegan said.
Then Raegan remembers the day in the offseason when that plan changed. It all started with a text from Heaven. “I was scrolling Instagram,” Raegan said. “I got a text from Heaven.”
Heaven Shockley, that is. Central’s First Team All-Conference forward had news for Raegan. “I was like, ‘Is this legit?'” Raegan said.
“I finally decided to text her and tell her that we planned on coming back,” Heaven said.
Heaven grew up in Lebanon, and her family was moving back. “We actually played together since, I think, fourth grade on a little travel team,” Raegan said. “It made my day that day. Not just my day, it’s made my season so far.”
The duo combined to score 64 of their team’s 73 points in their first game together. “Playing with Raegan, obviously, it’s just the best,” Heaven said. “We just had our first game and I’m like, ‘This is about to be the best year.'”
And in his 40 years of coaching, this is a first for Payne as a girl’s basketball coach. “I’ve never had a duo like Raegan and Heaven that can go out there and do what they can do,” he said. “We’ve got an inside punch and an outside punch.”
And a puncher’s chance at the Ozark Conference crown. Whatever happens, Coach Payne is looking forward to seeing these two take Lebanon as far as they can.
“When you get two players like this it makes the game fun,” Payne said.
