Unaka Lady Rangers Lady Rangers in rebuild mode

BY ALLEN LAMOUNTAIN STAR CORRESPONDENT

Coming off a 24-win season and a loss in the Region 1A semifinals in 2021-22, the Unaka Lady Rangers will be hard-pressed to match that output. Only four players from last season’s roster have returned with the senior graduation of four starters.

Macy Ensor, Tara Whitehead, Julie Simerly and Kiki Forney all graduated and junior post Mailie Guy transferred to Happy Valley, leaving senior Lyndie Ramsey, sophomore Emma Taylor, and juniors Haley Taylor and Alisha Harrell as the only players with any experience at the varsity level.

“We’re working hard but we don’t have a lot of experience,” Lady Rangers head coach Kenneth Chambers said. “Haley Taylor and Alisha Harrell have played some, but other than that, there is not a whole lot of experience at the high school level. Right now, Lyndie is out. She is experiencing some health issues, she lost 10-15 pounds and for a girl with her small frame, that is significant. We are hopeful for her to return.”

Ramsey – an All-State performer and a finalist for the Miss Basketball trophy in 2022 – will play a large role for this young team with two freshmen and two sophomores as a floor leader.

“We have a young team this year and we will have to learn to overcome obstacles,” Ramsey said. “We face new challenges in seeing defenses they have not seen and a faster pace of the game. We need people to knock down their shots when open and to have the confidence to take the shot.”

The other problem the Rangers will face this season is their lack of size. Guy was a solid post who stood nearly six feet tall but this group of Rangers more resemble Smurfs than giants.

“The young girls are going to have to learn how to play at a varsity level,” Chambers said. “The game is more physical and they will have to learn to deal with that aspect, but they are working very hard and are eager to learn. We hope that we can get through the early portion of the season with them gaining experience and by the time we get to the end of the season that they have improved. We need to find out what they can and can’t do.”

Unaka will have to shoot the ball well because rebounding with such a small team is going to be difficult, especially in the post. The Rangers open a tough early schedule with games against Morristown East, Dobyns-Bennett at the Sullivan East Thanksgiving tournament and Rockwood in the Harriman Christmas tournament as well as a tough conference slate with Hampton, Cloudland and University High.

Unaka opens its 2022-23 season on November 18 with a game against Cosby in the Hall of Fame tournament.

Unaka

Cheerleaders

Rachel Lloyd, Jordan Pippin, Kylee McCall, Celeste Wilson, Tiffany Shepard, Emma Davis, Madison Markland, Bregayle Scalf, Alexis Fuller, Micah Gray, Makayla Bunten, Emma Slemp, Kimberly Proffitt, Mollie Buckles, Mackenzie McCall, Makenzie Fuller, Scarlet Salinas, Makenzie Sampson, Madison Warren and Amariana Harter.