By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
History has proven that the Hamilton Heights girls basketball team never backs away from challenges.
Last year was a challenge for the Huskies, who dealt with losing three players to injuries at various points during the season. Still, Heights fought its way to a 15-10 record and the sectional championship game, where it narrowly lost to Heritage Christian.
This year’s Huskies team is back at full strength and ready to go. While there were a couple of key graduations, Heights has six players back from last year, as well as several promising younger players.
“We have a gym this year full of girls that are basketball kids,” said second-year Heights coach Keegan Cherry. “The exciting thing for me as a coach is when you have a gym full of players that could potentially help you at the varsity level someday if they choose to stick with it, and that’s what we’ve got. I’m optimistic for this season. I’m excited for our seniors. We’ve got a brutal schedule, so we’ll be tested, but hopefully come tournament time, we’re ready.”
Three of Heights’ returners are seniors. That includes Kayla Kirtley, who averaged 14.5 points per game last season. Kirtley missed the last seven games of the season due to an injury, but she looked ready to go in practice Tuesday.
Three of them are seniors, including Kayla Kirtley, who was the scoring leader with 14.5 points per game. Kirtley was also a solid rebounder, with 3.8 boards per contest.
“She’s been rehabbing extremely hard,” said Cherry.
The other two seniors are Lexi Branham, who was limited to 12 games last season because of an injury. Branham averaged 4.8 points per game. Ana Collar is the third senior. Coming off a great volleyball season, Collar returns the most rebounds for the Huskies (7.1 per game) and the most steals (3.7).
“Ana’s the heart of this team,” said Cherry. “She’s a fighter. I was talking to Hamilton County TV that during our sectional final game with Heritage Christian, in terms of athleticism, Ana was right up there towards the top with any of those girls. Incredible volleyball player, but more importantly, she’s a kid that loves to compete. I don’t care if you’re playing basketball or volleyball, she loves to compete. She knows how to compete. She makes everybody around her better.”
Lauryn Wiley is the lone junior on the team; she averaged 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds last year. Sophomore Bayleigh Runner played varsity all season long as a freshman and did very well, averaging 7.5 points per game. Another sophomore, Payton Dissett, got some playing time at the end of the season.
Heights will play its first two games on the road, opening at Brownsburg tonight and traveling to Danville on Saturday. The Huskies play their first home game Nov. 10, welcoming Noblesville to the Husky Dome. Cherry said his team has added Bishop Chatard and Greenfield-Central, and will play at the East Central Tournament.
“We’ll have East Central in the first round,” said Cherry. “That’s a quality program. We’ll go up to Fort Wayne Snider. So we’re definitely going to be challenged.”
Heights roster
Seniors: Lexi Branham, Ana Collar, Kayla Kirtley.
Junior: Lauryn Wiley.
Sophomores: Payton Dissett, Chloe Henderson, Taylor Mason, Bayleigh Runner.
Freshmen: Sierra Hinds, Jillian Osswald, Ella Shields, Chloee Thomas.
Bayleigh Runner averaged 7.5 points per game for the Hamilton Heights girls basketball team last season as a freshmen. Runner is one of six returning players for the Huskies last year. (Brian Reddick/File photo)