An Early Season Look
The UIL basketball season has begun and three games in, the #19 Kennedale Lady Kats are 3-0, averaging 74.6 points per game and outscoring their opponents 224-159. {{more:Read more …}}So far this season, Kennedale has out played 5A Ennis, 5A Burleson Centennial and 5A Mansfield Legacy.started unranked but that has changed…
Kennedale came into the season unranked but their strong start has landed them in the top 20 this week in the recent TABC poll. This is a team loaded with experience and talent. Eight of ten players are seniors and most have played together on varsity since their sophomore years.
?This is a pretty experience team, so that is nice,? said Head Coach Doug Watson. ?They know pretty much what we do. We already have our foundation and so we are able to build on that.? Watson added, ?It makes it a lot easier job coaching.?two all-state players have returned…
Helping to cement this team together are two 2016 all-state players, Evie Whorley (Sr, District Co-MVP) and Lucy Benson (Sr, District Defensive Player of the Year).
Evie Whorley scored 753 points last year was named as a TGCA All-State and a TABC All Region player
Watson told the Kennedale News, ?Evie averaged 21 points a game last year and Lucy averaged a double-double for her games with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Taylor Austin (Sr, 2nd Team All-District), has really stepped her game in our first games. She has provided a third scoring option for us. [So far] we have shot the three pretty well with Sidnee Biscoe (Jr, 1st Team All-District) and Peyton Williams (Sr, 2nd Team All-District). Offensively, we have been playing really well.?
Other returning veterans on this team that finished the year ranked #22 in Class 4A last year include Dajia Simmons (Sr, District 6th Man of the Year), Kylie Embry (Sr, District Bobby Miller Award) and Sydney Johnson (Sr). New to the team is Jordan Jones (Sr) and Kalyne Daniels (So).
Last year Kennedale, finished with an overall record of 24-12 and were 9-1 as District 7-4A district co-champions. In the playoffs, they were bi-district champs before losing out to Abilene Wylie in overtime in area play. Wylie ended up as state runner-up.tough schedule will test this team …
But as usual, Kennedale has a tough schedule and the next couple of weeks will test the abilities of this team. This week, they are in the Brock Tournament that has a number of state ranked teams including #1 Brock (3A), #4 Aledo (5A), #7 Godley (4A), #5 Liberty Christian (TAPPS 6A), #7 Trinity Valley (TAPPS 6A) and #6 Lubbock Christian (TAPPS 4A).
Over the next two weeks, they travel to take on 4A China Springs and #1 Argyle (4A) and then come home to face 6A Martin before hosting the annual Kennedale Lady Kat Tournament the first weekend in December.
