Southmoore Sabercats Winter Sports Preview

SOUTHMOORE SABERCATS

BY: CONNOR PASBY

SOUTHMOORE BASKETBALL

Southmoore boys basketball heats up in a hurry, but can also have cold spells. Last season was a bit of a seesaw, finishing with a 10-13 record last year, losing six of their last eight games.

They bring back scoring threats and key ball handlers. Entering his seventh season, head coach Tim Stogsdill has been impressed with the hard work and dedication in the offseason.

“The weight room has been good for us,” Stogsdill said. “I give credit to Coach Daniel Harper for doing a great job in the weight room.”

Ryan Guerrero (5’11”, Sr) has been the rock for the Sabercats for four years. He was the leading scorer last year with 15 ppg. Don’t be surprised if that number goes up.

“He’s done a great job for us throughout his career,” Stogsdill said. “He’s not a vocal leader, but the kid is great at leading by example.”

Jess Ledbetter (6’, Jr) is a key player returning that got a handful of minutes last year and will step into a bigger offensive role. A handful of other players will also take on a bigger role. Stogsdill said Rodney Gray is “out of the doghouse” for this year.

“He’s really had a good preseason, I’ve been impressed with how he’s played,” Stodgsill said. “He’s explosive and will provide another tough matchup for our opponents.”

Kolton Brammer (6’, Fr) is the name to keep an eye on this season and many years to come. He’s been finding his way in the starting lineup during the preseason scrimmages.

“We threw him in the mix early and the kid is ready to go,” Stodgsdill said. “He makes freshman mistakes but has such a high basketball IQ. He will play some point guard for us whenever we move Guerrero over to shooting guard.”

The Sabercats lack size, but the defense has been on full display. Despite going 2-8 in the last ten games, the Sabercats held their opponents to 58 ppg.

“We’ve been taking pride in that in the preseason,” Stodgsdill said. “We’re not very big, but we can switch everything.”

The Sabercats have been known for taking quick shots and firing from the 3-point line. They’re not afraid to get in offensive shootouts with teams.

“We can spread it out on people, and I think we’re a tough team to cover,” Stodgsdill said. ”We’re a very uptempo type of team.”

In year one, girls head coach Kayla Fourkiller is already changing the culture at Southmoore. Before Fourkiller’s arrival, the Sabercats were coming off a 2-17 record in the 2020-21 season. Now, the Lady Sabercats had one of their most dominant seasons in the last five years.

They racked up 18 wins and made a deep run in the 6A playoffs. Now, the expectations are higher, due to the amount of talent that returns. Fourkiller expects more from her young, talented team this year.

“The young girls stepped up last year, and we’re expecting big things from them,” Fourkiller said. “We’re expecting them to have a good season for us and to carry on what we accomplished last season.”

The Lady Sabercats return most of their scoring, which is a challenging sign for opponents. Southmoore is led by two sophomore sensations that kept getting better. Brianah Wren (5’8”, So) has made an imprint early at the high school level and will be a big part of the backcourt.

Kaydence Pettit (5’5”, So) joins Wren in the backcourt. The two guards bolted Southmoore to an 18-8 record last year. A dynamic backcourt is key to have at the 6A level, and the Lady Sabercats have their dynamic duo for three more years.

“They both started last year for us and helped us in a big way. I feel like this is going to be a breakout year for both of them,” Fourkiller said.

Alana Edwards (5’10”, Jr) is a post player that will play a big role again. She has been playing well in the preseason scrimmages.

Kenzi Shipman (5’5”, Jr) is a sharpshooter from the outside. Fourkiller is glad to have her back, after suffering an injury last season.

The ability to score the basketball was no problem last season. The Lady Sabercats had seven games where they put up over 60 points, including an 80-point game against Moore. The Lady Sabercats have had success shooting from the perimeter, as well as in the paint.

“We’re going to have more girls contribute for us this season, which will give us more team effort,” Fourkiller said.

There are still goals intact heading into year two for Fourkiller. She loved everything her team accomplished last season, but there’s still room for improvement.

“We’re just trying to get the girls to mesh,” Fourkiller said. “That’s going to be one of the keys this year for our team. It may take a little bit, but I feel like we have the right parts there.”

SOUTHMOORE WRESTLING

There’s great excitement surrounding the Southmoore wrestling team. The boys are returning most of their production from last year, losing just one senior from a year ago. The girls are at full strength, returning every wrestler.

Zac George is entering his eighth season with the program and third season as head coach. George has seen improvement across the board and is expecting to compete at a high level.

“We have significantly improved from a year ago,” George said. “We’ve been looking good in the preseason. The kids just keep getting better each day.”

The preseason has been successful for Southmoore, George said.

“We did a variety of different events this summer with camps and workouts,” George said. “Also, a lot of team bonding, and it’s been thrilling to see that.”

The girls return their leader, Ciana Grate, who was a State qualifier last year and is expected to get there again. She had an honest chance to get to the State finals but came up short.

“Ciana Grate had a great season,” George said. “She’s a great wrestler, and we’re expecting her to have a better season this year.”

Blayklee Vasquez also had a great season. She competed in the 100-lb class and was one match away from qualifying for State. Serenity Vaughn was also one match away from qualifying for State, competing in the 155-lb club. Both players are looking to get over that hump.

Hayze Ivey has been a wrestler to keep an eye on. Ivey placed fourth in a preseason Nationals meet. He is expecting to make a deep run late in the season and have a chance to get his name qualified for State. Noah Reynolds (Jr) is coming along in this Southmoore program. Reynolds was in the 113-lb group and was an alternate State qualifier last season. Reynolds will be relied on to put up points for this Sabercats team, along with Ivey.

George has a young, talented group this season, which includes sophomores stepping into bigger roles.

“Our freshmen from last year are really talented, so now they’ll be weathered sophomores with some experience under their belt,” George said.

George expects the boys team to be more competitive this season and have a chance to qualify more wrestlers.

“We’re trying to build towards where we were three years ago,” George said. “This year is a chance to get back to being better.” –19SM