As hoops season tips off, one thing is certain: The Lady Vikings will be off and running.
For a team that was the quickest in the conference a season ago at pushing the basketball up and down the floor, the Lady Vikings offense of 2007-08 look to accomplish the feat from frenetic pace to breakneck speed. Meanwhile, the stifling defense that sparked many a fast break last season hopes to be new and improved with the infusion of several faces who have helped lead the junior varsity squad to three straight conference tournament championships.
“We’re real excited about this season, and we know the Western Highlands will be strong as ever,” Lady Vikings head coach Missy Lyons commented during a recent practice. “We know Mountain Heritage, Mitchell, Polk, and Owen are stronger. We have a lot of girls participating and we’re trying to start out very intense.”
A lot of girls may be an understatement as practices have been loaded with talent from over 30 girls who are taking part in the opening weeks of practice as the teams get ready for the junior varsity and varsity campaigns.
“We have a lot of girls who can play basketball, and we want to give them the opportunity,” Coach Lyons remarked. “A lot of the girls have worked hard this summer and attended camp. We got a good start, and as soon as we got some of our girls from cross country to join us, we began working hard in practice just trying to get into basketball shape with sprints, shooting a lot, and are beginning to work on offensive and defensive sets.” 
Avery lost three starters from last season’s sectional runner-up team, but boasts the return of a number of key contributors and new additions. Six-foot senior Kim Gragg has led the squad in scoring the past two seasons and will anchor the inside for the Lady Vikings. Gragg is already generating interest from several colleges in her basketball services after graduation.
Fellow seniors Laura Lacey and Katie Peters will provide leadership at the forward positions, as the girls will be part of Coach Lyons’ system for their third season. Also working down low this season at the forward and center positions will be senior Andrea McFee and junior Katie Ellis, the junior varsity team’s leading rebounder a season ago.
The guard spots will be manned by a number of talented returning players, including Tasha Buchanan, Samantha Shook, Sara Singleton, and Allison Vance, along with players such as Hayley Pyatte who contributed to Avery’s junior varsity success. One of the most welcome returnees to the Avery team is senior guard Joy Jennings, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last season at Alleghany and whose leadership on the court was sorely missed for much of last season.
“We’re not going to have the big inside power players this season but we’re going to be very fast. We have some great shooters back, and we have several girls who did a great job playing YBOA together over the summer. The girls are really meshing together and I’m just amazed at how much teaching I don’t have to do anymore because these girls play year round and have really bought into our program,” Coach Lyons added. “Every year we just seem to be better when we get started.”
Avery came within nine points of claiming a berth in the regional tournament in Winston-Salem a season ago. While that loss continues to sting, it also motivates this year’s club to push harder and beyond even their own limitations this year.
“We’ve already talked about last year’s loss, and the seniors came up with the theme of ‘The Will to Win’, and sometimes that’s what it’s about, the will to win over teams that might be more talented, to just want it more. The girls saw that last season and saw what one single player can do on a certain night, and you have to be up every night or someone can knock you down,” Coach Lyons added. “It was a great learning experience for us and it fuels our desire to win. The girls just don’t want to lose, and I think it will take them a long way this year.”
