By Stephen Smoot
“To be, or not to be: that is the question/Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune/Or to take arms against a sea of troubles?”
Donnie Kopp’s first year as leader of the Wildcat girls’ basketball pack has seen “the heartache and the thousand natural shocks,” but the season that started like an unforgiving rock-strewn path of outrageous – sometimes ridiculous – fortune has led to a well-earned conclusion through going right at the sea of troubles.
The season opened with a win at Union but then six tough losses against mostly much larger schools and much more experienced teams. Pendleton County had to throw freshmen and sophomores into the heat of tough early season competition, but that forged them into something stronger, rather than seeing them wilt under the pressure.
Last week, the team produced a 27-point reversal. They took an East Hardy squad that defeated them in Franklin 59-46 last month and delivered a sound 54-40 defeat in Baker.
From last year’s team that earned a berth in the state tournament returned two starters. Avery Townsend started the season as a dependable floor leader and playmaker, but quickly assumed a much larger role than she enjoyed last year playing alongside Ana Young.
They used to say of baseball great Reggie Jackson that he was “the straw that stirred the drink.” Young served in that role last year. It took only two games for Townsend to gain confidence in assuming that role. In many contests this year, she found an extra gear that propelled her into making big plays on offense and defense, often to shut down an opponent trying to fight their way back into a game.
Kopp relied on three key players to anchor his front court. Gabby DePue brought height, athleticism, and good post offense. Jameigh Miller emerged as a rock steady freshman last year who added offensive moves to her repertoire. Both showed hard-nosed toughness in the post season last year.
Unfortunately, illness put DePue on injured reserve for nearly the entire season. Fortunately, freshman Susan Vincell brought steady play inside, keeping opponents off the boards and giving Pendleton County a steadily improving inside threat to score.
Dependable play also came from Nataley Hedrick, Julia Mongold, and Jenna Smith. The girls play sharp defense, creating turnovers with their skill and hustle. Hedrick adds a true knack for chasing down loose rebounds while Smith brings her long-range shot. Mongold’s hard-charging style and single-minded determination in every game serves as a sort of microcosm.
As Kopp has said repeatedly, “There’s no quit in them” and no one exemplifies that spirit more than Mongold
Kiera Heavener saw promotion from last year’s junior varsity squad and has brought a focus on defense and rebounding. She provided valuable minutes off the bench and has made big plays at key moments, including timely shot production.
Along with Vincell, Jessica Parker also showed skills and poise beyond her years. Throughout the season, Parker has rebounded well and contributed consistently on defense. In the last month, however, she has performed more proficiently on offense, using both post moves and floor drives to complete shots. Olivia Gonshor, another freshman who will serve as part of the core of the team for years to come, made the most of her opportunities and has showed her potential all season.
After the one and six start, Pendleton County worked their way to a nine and seven run to close out the season. At the moment of writing, the team still looks ahead to a very winnable section, though results can still produce surprises, which is why Chris Berman used to repeat, “That’s why they play the game.”
That run over the past two months looks all the more remarkable because key performers in the past month have dealt with illness and played through nagging injuries. Privacy law prevents media outlets from hearing specific information on illness or injuries of individual players.
Regardless of the outcome this year, this team has shown themselves as one of the “enterprises of great pith and moment,” producing exciting memories today with realistic goals of much more in years to come.
On Wednesday, the Wildcats, the number one seed in the section, hosted Notre Dame (No. 4), who defeated Harman (No. 5). The winner of Wednesday’s game between Pendleton County and Notre Dame will face the winner of the Pocahontas County (No. 2) and Tygarts Valley (No. 3) game, also played Wednesday. That game will be played Friday on the court of the higher seed.
