CULLMAN, Ala. – New basketball coaches discussed their programs and student-athletes shared their goals for the upcoming season during Cullman County Schools Winter Sports Media Day on Monday, Oct. 12, in the Cullman County Board of Education boardroom.
Representatives from West Point, Vinemont, Hanceville, Cold Springs, Good Hope, Holly Pond and Fairview discussed summer preparation, coaching transitions, team chemistry and balancing multiple sports.
West Point
New West Point varsity girls basketball coach Emme Willoughby said her players’ work ethic has helped make the transition a positive one.
“Being here at West Point, it’s been good. The girls have worked really hard, and they’re good girls. They’ve been really coachable, and it’s been a good transition,” Willoughby said.
West Point sophomore Rush Lamar discussed balancing basketball and indoor track and field, emphasizing the importance of consistent training and rest.
“When you know you have to rest, or you know you have to train, you have to do that, because if you’re not consistent, you’re not going to succeed,” Lamar said.
Vinemont
New Vinemont varsity girls basketball coach Jon Berry said the summer gave him and his players an opportunity to learn about one another while trying different approaches on offense and defense.
“It’s been nothing but fantastic. Everybody’s been welcoming. The girls have at least tolerated me so far, but everything’s been great. We had a great summer,” Berry said.
Senior basketball and football player Will Conquest reflected on returning to football after an injury that left his availability for the season uncertain.
“When I was in the hospital, they had said that you’re probably not going to play any football this year. You may be back for basketball,” Conquest said.
Conquest said an early physical therapy milestone helped encourage him during his recovery. He remained determined to return and eventually took the final snap of a game.
“That was really heartwarming for a lot of people, and it was encouraging to me,” Conquest said.
Hanceville
New Hanceville boys basketball coach Tyler Yearwood said he is looking forward to his first season leading the Bulldogs.
“The culture and the environment has been fantastic. Hanceville High School’s a dream job for me, and I’m just super excited about meeting everyone and the support we’re going to have from our fan base,” Yearwood said.
Yearwood said summer activities helped coaches and players become familiar with one another.
“The summer activities were a lot of fun. It was a learning experience for everybody involved, getting used to the new personalities on the team, and the different mechanisms of the players,” Yearwood said.
Senior basketball player Kerrigon Moore said longstanding friendships have helped strengthen her team’s chemistry.
“Most of us have played together since we were little, and with this being the final year together, we’ve really just kind of figured out our team chemistry, and just being best friends with them and spending time with them, it helps on the court as well,” Moore said.
Cold Springs
Bailey Boland, Cold Springs’ new girls basketball coach, discussed returning to her alma mater and working with the Lady Eagles.
“It’s been great to be back. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know these girls and getting to work with them. They’re a great group. They work hard, and they have great attitudes,” Boland said.
Boland said the team attended several camps and lost only one game during the summer.
“I feel like they kind of bought in to what we were doing, and they kind of played our style that we were wanting to play this summer. They all worked hard, and we had a pretty successful summer,” Boland said.
Senior guard Ethan Day said last season helped the boys team recognize its potential heading into coach Drew Adams’ second season.
Day credited departing seniors Tycen Kilgo and Ayden Black with helping the team while younger players gained experience.
“Even though we lost them, we had a bunch of young kids, and it gave them opportunities to grow over the summer, and just show us the ability to help us make it back this year,” Day said.
Good Hope
Good Hope sophomore Addisyn Orton discussed building participation and experience as the school’s bowling team enters its second season.
“We just hope to have the best season we can, and we’ve been putting in work for the past two years trying to do that. This is our second year having this team, so we’re just trying to put in as much work as we can, and spread the word that we have a team out there,” Orton said.
Orton said the first season involved introducing some participants to bowling and getting more students involved.
“For some people, it was their first time bowling. We just had to really work to put a team out there,” Orton said.
New boys basketball coach Cory Meyer said he hopes to build on the work ethic and success he has seen across Good Hope’s athletic programs.
“It’s been great so far. Our guys work really, really hard in all sports, boys’ side and girls’ side. Joining a winning culture is good,” Cory Meyer said.
Holly Pond
New Holly Pond boys basketball coach Colby Adams said working alongside former coach Tim Willoughby for two years helped prepare him to lead the Broncos.
“One of the things that I’ve learned from him is being prepared. He is unbelievably prepared, and he’s taught me the importance of preparation, and the second thing that I’ve learned from him is to bring the energy day in and day out, not only for games, but for practices,” Colby Adams said.
Senior Caroline McBride, a newcomer to the girls basketball team, discussed the role faith has played in her experience at Holly Pond.
“Putting God first in sports is something that I love to do, and since moving to Holly Pond, something I wasn’t expecting, but I’ve grown a lot closer to God,” McBride said.
She credited coaches Scott Adams, Colby Adams, Mary Lauren Hartline and Adrien Adams with helping her connect her faith with athletics.
Fairview
New Fairview varsity boys basketball coach Bobby Meyer said returning to the Cullman County school system after 16 years has given him an opportunity to lead a program whose history he appreciates.
“Being back at Fairview with the great tradition that Fairview basketball and athletics has always had has been very exciting,” Bobby Meyer said.
He said seeing coach Shults’ name on the gym floor serves as a reminder of that history.
“That’s very humbling to see and to see the history that’s behind basketball, especially at Fairview High School,” Bobby Meyer said.
Senior Mali Gregory said summer workouts and a trip to Vanderbilt helped prepare the Lady Aggies for the season.
“Summer workouts went really good. We pushed ourselves. Coach George Redding pushed us hard. We went to Vanderbilt to play basketball. We did very good, so I’m excited for this new season,” Gregory said.
