The Mount Vernon school gym is alive this winter with the sounds of a healthy Lady ‘Neers team making a comeback.
It’s almost hard to believe their gym went silent just a year ago. “It was really sad,” said junior Adelynn Hall, who played on the squad last year. “I mean, I love basketball so it was a little discouraging.”
It’s hard to fathom this program that recently won five district championships, including a state runner-up season in 2021, and produced Lady Bears standout Lacy Stokes, didn’t have enough players to finish last season. “I just want to prove to everybody that we’re back,” Adelynn said.
Someone else who’s back is head coach Dusty Killingsworth. After coaching two of those district title teams and then taking a five-year hiatus, he’s embracing the new challenge of rebuilding a program close to his heart from the ground up.
And that means adapting to his players’ needs.
“There was one young lady that said FFA is their primary thing,” Killingsworth said. “And so we have to meet them where they’re at. So if we treat them as a Division I basketball player that could be tough for those kids who are FFA first, or volleyball first, or softball first, or something like that.”
The Mountaineer golf coach and teacher has known these kids since they were little. So the recruiting took care of itself.
“I really didn’t recruit anybody,” said Adelynn, “I felt like everybody wanted to play. We got a new coach and it was like, ‘Whew.’ It was easy.”
“When I was little watching him coach, he always talked to his players,” said junior Cheyenne Bieber. “He always had the energy with his players and he still has that with us. And I’m so thankful he has the energy and brings the energy to this team.”
The Lady Mountaineers have hovered around .500 much of the season. And with no seniors, they’re back to being excited about the future.
“We’re going through a rebuilding stage, but I feel like we have just as much of an opportunity to do what Mount Vernon has done in the past,” Adelynn said.
“We’re going to work every day for it,” Cheyenne added. “We’re going to get there our senior year.”
Whatever mountains lie ahead, they’re back to enjoying the journey.
“I’m so happy now because look at all these girls in here,” said Adelynn.
