Young Hawk girls' team is winning
Ask Hanahan girls’ basketball coach Teresa Kendle about the 2015-16 edition of the team and she will pause and put things in perspective.
“I hate to say it, but we’re young – and inexperienced,” said Kendle one of the Palmetto State’s all-time great coaches. That’s where we are.”
The team is young. There is only one junior on the team and no seniors. The roster is rounded out with four sophomores, three freshmen and an eighth grader.
But someone must have forgotten to tell the players they are youthful. They own a 5-1 record entering into the new year. And the Hawks are winning in convincing fashion. They have averaged 39.1 points per game while allowing only 28.0.
“We have a real good future,” Kendle said. “We have some athletes. There’s no doubt about that. Once our players understand the varsity way, we will be OK. It’s so different than jayvee.”
The team didn’t compete in any holiday tournaments over the holiday break, but that didn’t mean they weren’t busy. Kendle elected to work on fundamentals, discipline and defense.
“We’re not to that level yet,” Kendle said of the decision not to participate in tournaments. We still have a lot to learn – and that needs to be the focus.”
Kendle knows the brutal part of the schedule is yet to be played. That’s what Region 8-AAA presents. Kendle says Orangeburg-Wilkinson is the favorite.
“No doubt about that,” she said. “They are so strong. Hilton Head is strong and Beaufort always presents a challenge. Stall finished second last year and Berkeley looks like it has a group of talented young girls. We can go middle of the pack. Hopefully, we won’t be fifth this year. We want to make the playoffs.”
Dani Harper is the lone junior on the team. This is her third season on the varsity team. She plays forward and provides scoring, rebounding and leadership.
Harper’s sister Arielle is one of the more promising freshmen in the Lowcountry.
There are times when four sophomores are on the court. The sophomores include Madi Gardner, Ashley Meckley, Samone Snyder and Madelynn Ferris.
Emani Dallas, Morgan Strickland and Elisha Leake are the other freshmen on the roster.
Golden Thrower is the promising eighth-grader.
Kendle is in her third year at the school after a long stint at Summerville. She was the basketball and volleyball coach and her teams were perennial state contenders.
She spent her first season at Hanahan as the junior varsity coach and took over the varsity program last year. She led the Hawks to a 10-10 record. But the Hawks missed out on the playoffs as they went 4-6 in league play.
“I have a great group of girls,” Kendle said. “Five of them were on the jayvee team when I arrived, so that’s been kind of neat. They know what to expect. They are a fun group with great attitudes and they are team-oriented. They have the support of their families. That’s important.”