By Stephen Smoot
Last year Donnie Kopp returned to his role as head coach in Pendleton County, bringing with him a championship pedigree. He took over a program entering a rebuilding phase, relying heavily on gritty play from experienced juniors while watching freshmen play beyond their years, almost from the first game.
The young and short-staffed team came very close to earning a sectional championship and having an opportunity to win their way into the state tournament.
“We’re going to be better than last year,” noted Kopp, who added, “we’ve matured.”
Additionally, compared to last year, “We’re in better shape physically and injury-wise.”
Kopp has a classic inside out roster with balance between strong physical players inside and gritty, experienced players outside.
“Avery Townsend is one of the better players in the conference,” stated Kopp. Townsend is currently closing in on 1,000 career points at Pendleton County and is the straw that stirs the drink for the Wildcats. He stated that she also never missed a practice while volleyball and basketball overlapped.
Townsend has tremendous speed and quickness. Though nicknamed “Squirrel” by her friends, she better resembles a wild badger on the basketball court. Last year at times, she could almost single-handedly shut down an opposing team’s offense with determined defense.
Also providing leadership as seniors are Jenna Smith and Julia Mongold. Kopp said of Smith, in a comment echoed recently by her softball coach Eric Crites, that she is “like having another coach out there” in terms of giving guidance to younger players.
Kopp explained that Smith “not only knows her role, but also where everyone else is supposed to be at any time.”
Mongold can play the two guard or small forward and provides ferociously aggressive defense.
The classic great teams always had a balance between inside and outside and Pendleton County exemplifies that. Junior Jameigh Miller and sophomore Susan Vincell both provide different kinds of strengths to their positions.
Miller’s game echoes that of former Philadelphia 76er great Charles Barkley. She dominates the inside with effective defense and relentless rebounding, but can also handle the ball like a guard and is comfortable scoring both inside and out. Kopp shared that “Jameigh is doing a heck of a job.”
Vincell earned a starting position as a freshman center last year and, with her height and game savvy, was expected to deliver in defense and rebounding. Over the season, however, she developed post position offensive skills that most players these days do not bother to develop while also showing proficiency at times shooting outside.
Kopp stated that Vincell’s “quicker, taller, stronger, and has a year of experience under her belt.”
Another sophomore whose game brings effectiveness inside and out is Jessica Parker. She effectively defended against players who were bigger, taller, and more experienced while expertly chasing down rebounds.
Kiera Heavener may be one of the hardest working players when she gets on the court. Her game caught up with her pure hustling spirit last year and she made some key plays in important games.
New to the team are the core of the future Wildcats, freshmen Katie Heavner, Lexy Tingler, Chesnee Colaw, and Shayne Clutter. Katie Heavner, Kopp related, was the second player off the bench in the victory against the Union Tigers.
Of the group, he shared that “my four freshmen are all working so hard, it’s unbelievable.”
Among area Class A squads, Tucker County will continue to likely pose the biggest problems, but Kopp said, “Pocahontas County is building a program this year.”
He praised his players’ work thus far, saying, “We might lose games, but not because they’re not in condition. The work ethic has been great with these kids.”
More importantly, however, is the dedication of teammates to each other. “There’s a great sense of unity in them. They really seemed to focus and come together,” Kopp concluded.
