With 10 returning varsity players; Mefford predicts strong season

The Carroll County Lady Panthers are looking forward to a new season, with 10 of 12 varsity players returning and experience galore in post-season play.

Above, Mark Howard, who works in the maintenance department at Carroll County High School, hangs a new banner, depicting the teams in the North Central Kentucky Conference, in the CCHS gymnasium.

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The girls team ended the 2007-08 season as North Central Kentucky Conference champions and runner up in the 31st District tournament.

“Our main loss from last season is point-guard Amber Girdy, a member of the All 8th Region team,” Head Coach Randy Mefford in an interview last week. “She averaged 11 points per game, three assists and three steals.”

Girdy is playing college ball this season at Carter Community College in Texas.   

Mefford said another key player lost to graduation is Brandi Marsh, “who gave us some quality minutes as a reserve last season.”

She is a freshman this year at Campbellsville University.

Mefford believes his team will be more balanced this season, led by seniors Keshia Henderson, a 5-foot, 7-inch shooting guard, and Lindsay Wallace, a 5-foot, 4-inch point guard. Both girls are three-year starters.

Joining them is  junior Sarah Osborne, a 5-foot, 6-inch two-year starter, and sophomore Kyndal Curry, who at 5-feet, 9-inches, was a standout during her freshman year on the team in 2007-08.

Mefford said fans also should watch for freshman Hannah Devine to be a solid starter for this team. As an eighth-grader last year, she added spark and a hot hand to the squad.

Juniors Marissa Brindley, Mercedes Martin and Jenna Goff, and sophomores Tasha Hunter, Jill Butcher and Sarah Hudgins, also are expected to be big contributors this year, Mefford said.

“Our strengths should be our ability to play pressure defense by utilizing our quickness and our shooting ability,” he said. “We should be a team that plays smart and passes the ball well, also.  Our weakness could be our lack of size and inability to score on and defend against taller teams.”

The Lady Panthers are playing the toughest schedule they have played in several years, the coach added. They will be playing perennial powerhouses Shelby County; Southwestern in Hanover, Ind.; Oldham County; South Oldham; and  teams in the NCKC.

The Lady Panthers host the North American Stainless Classic Dec. 20-23, and then head to East Carter High School for the “Queen of the Bluegrass” tournament Dec. 26-28, Mefford said.

Season starts Dec. 1

The first game of the Lady Panther season is 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, at Shelby County High School.

The first home game is 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, against the Trimble County High School Lady Raiders.