Published: November 19, 2009 11:20 pm      

’Neers begin first season with hope

Both North Murray High basketball teams appear excited about joining fall sports team in making history at the fist-year school.

“We want our players to know that they’re capable of playing varsity basketball,” Mountaineers coach Eric Bishop said. “We do have some good talent. The attitude has been great. There is always the thin line between confidence and cockiness.”

With only freshmen and sophomores this season, he boys and girls are competing at the junior varsity level before taking the leap to varsity competition in 2010-11.

“We are going to be playing about three varsity teams this season,” Bishop said. “That should give us a measuring stick.”

Angela Campbell is directing the Lady Mountaineers.

“We’ve already had a volleyball season,” she said. “Some of the same girls played on that team. They showed that they could win with a 16-7 record. The attitude is so good.”

Bishop, a 1994 Murray County High graduate, can provide first-hand evidence for players with outstanding leaping ability. He was a national high jump track champion at University of North Carolina (personal best of 7-foot-6 inches) while advancing to the 1996 Olympic Trials in Atlanta.

“Historically, this group coming up from middle school (Bagley) is offensive-oriented,” Bishop said. “We hope to have good balance inside and outside. On defense, they’re mediocre at best. We need to work a lot on defense.”

Likely starters — all sophomores — are Tyler Duckett (6-0), Jeremy Smith (6-0) and Gavin Ledford (5-7), guards, center Cody Malone (6-4) and forward Chad Stepp (6-1).

“Duckett is certainly a capable scorer as evidenced by a 30-point game last year as a freshman,” Bishop said. “Malone, with his size can rebound, and he has a mean hook. Smith is a good outside shooter. Stepp, who transferred from Dalton, certainly will help, as will Ledford.”

Bishop pointed to freshman Brady Swilling (6-1) as a player who “can jump out of the gym.” Two others from that class come highly touted — posts/forwardsAusten Horn (6-2) and Zach Vess (6-3).

Sophomore guard Austin Owen provides depth with freshmen guards Martin Contreras, Jacob Sexton, Jacob Sturgil, Zach Stanford and Drew Mosteller, along with forward/guard Dillion Cantrell, forward-guard.

Campbell expects to utilize a fast-paced game for the Lady Mountaineers

“When we went to camp (last summer at Berry College),” she said, “we scored 80 percent of our points off the fastbreak. But, we do have some size to go with the speed.”

A trio provide size in the projected starting lineup — sophomore center Alex Hedges (6-0), freshman center Meagan Spivey (6-0) and freshman guard Hannah Hensley (5-10). Freshmen guards Abigail Bradley and Lindsey Ray round out the starting lineup.

Sophomores ready to log time include forwards Justice Barber and Alex Campbell and guards Megan Bramblett and Anna Budden.

Freshmen depth comes from forwards Casey Chapman, Dayln Cochran and Andrea Dunn; guards Dara Dople, Tiffany Gardner, Taryn Thomas and Alex Westmoreland; and guard/forwards Aleshia Townsend and Paige Wilson.