Medora drops girls basketball this winter

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Medora will not have a girls basketball team this winter, the school announced Tuesday, halting practice and breaking up the squad that was due to begin playing Nov. 20.

“Not enough kids,” Athletic Director Kara Hunt cited as the reason for disbanding the Hornets for the season.

There will not be a middle school team, either, she said.

“Unfortunately, after a couple of weeks of practice, it has become apparent that we are not going to have the numbers for a middle school or high school girls basketball team,” Hunt said. “Administration and the school board have made the decision to cancel all girls games for the season.”

Just six players were out for the team headed by longtime coach Brad McCammon.

The Hornets had no difficulty finding enough girls for the fall volleyball team, and the roster is sufficient for boys basketball this winter.

“We were really encouraged because our girls volleyball numbers were up,” Hunt said.

Just last week at a practice, McCammon, who has coached at the school for about 35 years and only recently stepped down as athletic director, noted his team concluded last season with just five active players, the minimum required to start games, proving it could be done, though it is a challenge.

“We played with five at the end of last season,” he said.

McCammon said it is hard to recruit sufficient numbers for teams at a small school. Hunt said there are 102 students in Medora, middle school through high school.

At a last practice, some of the veteran players said they had worked to try to convince friends to come out for the basketball team but had not sold any of them on the idea.

“Some said, ‘I hate basketball,'” said senior Kenley King. “Some said, ‘I’m terrible.'”

Her thinking was, “Why wouldn’t you want to make memories?”

Junior Jarey Babcock said she also tried to convince friends they would have a good time competing on the school basketball team, but her recruiting efforts were not successful, either.

“Not my sport,” was the reply from some of them, Babcock said. “They’re scared to come out.”

Hunt said once the decision was made by school officials she telephoned parents of the six players, King, Babcock, sophomores Maria Cobb and Mariah Cobb and freshmen Jenna Bowers and Aaralyn Hackney, to provide a heads up.

Then she met with team members to inform them they would not be playing South Central on opening day and not playing at all.

Hunt said those who would still like to play basketball this winter could participate in amateur league play or on AAU teams. She said she told the Hornets, “I would help them any way I could.”

She said the players did not seem completely shocked by the team being shut down.

“I think it was something they saw coming,” Hunt said.

As for the future, Hunt said it is unknown whether or not girls basketball will return next year.

“That will be up to the board (the school board),” she said.

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