Lady Rockets have plenty of weapons

Crittenden County Girls

Members of the 2020-21 Crittenden County Lady Rockets basketball team are (seated front from left) senior Lilly Perryman and Kacie Easley, (second row seated) seniors Chandler Moss, Jaelyn Duncan, Nahla Woodward and Matthia Long, (standing from left) Addie Hatfield, Natalie Boone, Taylor Guess, Jaylin Tapp, Brylee Conyer, Hannah Long and Riley Smith, (back row) manager Alyssa Woodall, assistant coach Bristyn Prowell, head coach Shannon Hodge and assistant Jessie Matthieu.

It’s certain to be a year of historic proportions for the Lady Rocket basketball team, if for no other reason than the pandemic that is creating so many uncertainties. Already, season has been postponed until early 2021. The Lady Rockets open play Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Right out of the chute, the team’s resilience will be tested against an always tough Lyon County opponent.

There is also historical significance as Hodge joins her former colleague, retired football coach Al Starnes, as the longest serving head coach in CCHS history as she begins her 27th season.

It’s been many years since Hodge has had six seniors on the roster, and perhaps more importantly, 10 players who have varsity experience. Last year’s team went 18-11.

“We’re going to try to pick up the pace, play a little more pressure basketball than we have in the last couple years and look to put 10 people in the game,” Hodge said. “There’s no reason we can’t get out and get after people.”

With a lot of speed and a mixture of offensive and defensive specialists, CCHS girls begin the quest for Fifth District and All A Classic championships with seniors Nahla Woodward, Chandler Moss, Jaelyn

Duncan, Lilly Perryman, Kacie Easley and Matthia Long. 

“We expect Nahla to be a scorer and a rebounder (she averaged 8 boards per game last year), and Jaelyn has been practicing well. She should score and rebound and use her length defending,” Hodge said. “Chandler is deceptively quick with her hands, and she’s a good rebounder.”

Hodge has bragged on Perryman’s 15-foot jump shot and expects Easley to create commotion on the defensive end. Long rounds out the senior class, but hasn’t fully joined the team while recovering from health issues.

Leading the Lady Rocket offense will be sophomore Taylor Guess, who is mature beyond her years on the court. She got her first varsity playing time as a seventh grader, so it already feels like she’s been around forever. Guess averaged 17.8 points per game as a freshman and was a member of the All Second Region Team. Guess is joined in the backcourt by Natalie Boone who had 30 3-pointers in her freshman season. Sophomore Addie Hatfield, who suffered a knee injury early last season, has picked up where she left off, practicing well, Hodge said, as has Brylee Conyer. 

“(Conyer) has grown, gotten stronger, her confidence is boosted and she’s really going to be a contributor,” Hodge said. “She’s really quick and going to be good defensively.”

Freshman Riley Smith earned some varsity minutes late last season and the coach says she brings “instant offense” to the floor. Classmates Jaylin Tapp and Hannah Long round out the roster.

The coach said it’s hard to name a starting five just yet; in fact, she said it could change frequently, but she’s excited about the multiple combinations she can put on the floor.

“We just want to be able to play, but this is going to have to be a year of flexibility,” Hodge said. “We may not know from one day to the next what’s going to happen and it’s an emotional roller coaster for the kids and parents because you just don’t know what to expect. But I’ve always said basketball is something that prepares you for life and this is one of those times where you have to just be flexible and be able to handle whatever comes your way.”

CRITTENDEN COUNTY 
LADY ROCKET BASKETBALL
2020-21 ROSTER
­Player No. Class Ht Pos.
Jaelyn Duncan 22 Senior 5’8” F
Kacie Easley 41 Senior 5’5” G
Matthia Long 35 Senior 5’5” F
Chandler Moss 23 Senior 5’5” G
Lilly Perryman 25 Senior 5’5’ F
Nahla Woodward 44 Senior 5’9” F
Natalie Boone 11 Soph 5’5” G
Brylee Conyer 00 Soph 5’7” G
Taylor Guess 10 Soph 5’7” G
Addie Hatfield 3 Soph 5’7” F
Hannah Long - Fresh 5’5” F
Emily Mattingly - Fresh 5’4” F
Riley Smith 14 Fresh 5’5” G
Jaylen Tapp - Fresh 5-9 F

LADY ROCKETS UNDER COACH HODGE

1993-94 6-19
1994-95 15-13
1995-96 11-14
1996-97 17-9
1997-98 12-14
1998-99 14-13
1999-00 11-15
2000-01 11-16
2001-02 5-20
2002-03 6-18
2003-04 12-13
2004-05 11-16
2005-06 16-10
2006-07 6-20
2007-08 13-12
2008-09 11-9
2009-10 13-14
2010-11 21-9
2011-12 4-24
2012-13 4-23
2013-14 7-18
2014-15 16-12
2015-16 15-16
2016-17 25-8
2017-18 15-14
2018-19 14-14
2019-20 18-11
Total 329-394