Published: November 07, 2007 10:54 pm      

Continuing to move forward

New coach believes Lady Hornets have what it takes to make another trip to Class 4A playoffs

Last season was one to remember for the Huntsville girls basketball team and it left a future full of optimism for the Lady Hornets.

Years of heartbreak and frustration were washed away when the Lady Hornets became the first squad since 2001 to make the playoffs after tying for the top spot in District 18-4A.

The girls did it one better by winning the program’s first postseason game since 1996, when Huntsville knocked off Houston Sterling 57-44 to advance to the Class 4A Region III quarterfinals.

Huntsville’s improbable playoff run ended the following week, but the stage was set for bigger things to come.

With several returning veterans and some young talent joining the team, new Lady Hornets head coach Devin Gabbard is determined to keep things moving forward.

“I think we are in good shape to make another run in the playoffs,” Gabbard said. “We are in a district with great coaches, and when you start looking at rosters, a lot of teams lost some key players. We lost some people, but we still have some key players and some new kids coming up. Last season’s JV team had a successful season and stars from that team have stepped up for us.

“This was a good time for me to come in. They are coming off a successful season and have a good mix of players to fill in certain positions. It’s a fun time to be here with a lot of promise.”

Gabbard wants the Lady Hornets to be an up-tempo team, running and gunning up and down the court. Huntsville is going to continue to play man-to-man defense and plans to press more to make other teams make mistakes.

The Lady Hornets got things rolling Tuesday night with a 56-42 victory on the road at Lufkin Hudson.

Freshman forward Ronisha Major sparkled in her debut, scoring 13 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Senior guard Jaleesa Thomas added 11 points, six assists, six steals and two blocks. Destini Henderson chipped in 10 points and six boards, while senior Nicole White finished with eight points and three steals to help the Lady Hornets start the season 1-0.

Gabbard was pleased with his team’s performance, but still sees room for improvement.

“I have been talking to them about being patient and last night at times we were very patient, almost to the point where we weren’t looking to score,” the coach said. “We were more worried about passing the ball. If they see the big picture and continue to be patient, then we will get easy scores like layups because of their abilities. I see a light come on a different face every day, and if we can get all 13 on the same page, we will be in good shape.”

It’s been tough for the Lady Hornets to adjust to a new coach and a new system in a short period of time. But the girls appear to be having fun out on the court.

At Wednesday afternoon’s practice, there was a lot of smiling and joking. There was also a lot of listening when Gabbard would break down a play and make adjustments.

The Lady Hornets are ready to show they belong to be in the playoffs every season and that last year wasn’t a fluke.

“It was tough at first, to learn new people and to learn a new coach and what he wants to do,” Thomas said. “But after awhile, we came together as a family. We have a lot more athletic people on the team this year, and we want to go even further.”

The Lady Hornets play Spring Westfield in the opening round of the Conroe tournament today at noon.