PHELPS, Ky. — Despite still being a young team, the Phelps Lady Hornets have a lot of excitement heading into the 2022-2023 campaign as they return a lot of experienced players on the hardwood this season.
“We’re very excited to get the season started, we’ve had a lot of girls working a lot in the summer,” second year Phelps coach Justin McCoy said. “We’re still young, we’ve got two seniors and the rest of them are sophomores or down.
“They’ve been hitting practice hard, and I feel like District is wide open this year. I’m realistic with them, I realize we aren’t a Region Champion or anything like that yet, but our goal is to make it to the region. Phelps hasn’t done it in a really long time, and I feel like this group of girls has a good chance to get there.”
In fact the Lady Hornets have yet to advance to the 15th Region Tournament as members of the 60th District as their last appearance at region came in 2009 when they were led by JR VanHoose winning the 59th District beating Shelby Valley and then advanced all the way to the Region Championship game where they lost to Johnson Central 53-39.
Back this year for the Lady Hornets are the top two scorers from a season ago in freshman Caleigh McCoy and Amelia Casey. McCoy averaged a team best 15.1 points as an 8th grader a season ago and is expected to take an even bigger step forward this season. Casey averaged 7 points, a team best 8.5 rebounds, and three blocks per game last season as she is a force on the inside.
“Caleigh McCoy led us in scoring last year as an 8th grader and she’s back with a year under her belt,” coach McCoy said. “Amelia Casey is one of our big scorers inside and she’s a senior we need her to be a leader. We also got a guard transfer in from Pike Central in Kylea Weddington and she’s going to be a big help to us in handling the ball this year.”
Last season for Pike Central Weddington started 28 games and averaged 5.6 points and hit 24 three-pointers which was second for the Lady Hawks.
Also returning as starters from last season is center Faith Potter (3.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and forward Skylar Rife (5 ppg. 6.4 rpg) who both started in every game a season ago as freshman and will be relied upon on both ends of the floor.
Coach McCoy said he also expects 7th grade sharp-shooter Kaylyn Slone to turn some heads this season as she will be asked to step up and produce some varsity minutes.
“We want to try to get up and down the floor some,” McCoy said. “We’re working to get in shape right now. Some games against certain teams we will have to slow it down and play in the halfcourt. But I have a quick lineup that I can go to if we want to press and run the floor.”
Phelps added 15th Region foe Betsy Layne to the schedule this season and will still be playing fellow region opponents Shelby Valley, East Ridge, Magoffin County, Pike Central, and Belfry.
“I told the girls to be good at the end of the year you’ve got to play good competition,” McCoy said. “There’s some games on the schedule that we should win but it’s a pretty tough schedule for a young team.”
2022-23 Phelps Girls Basketball Schedule
Dec 2, 22 Shelby Valley home 7:30 p.m.
Dec 3, 22 Mt. View (Welch), WV home 7:30 p.m.
Dec 5, 22 Twin Valley (Pilgrims Knob), VA home 6 p.m.
Dec 7, 22 Betsy Layne home 7:30 p.m.
Dec 9, 22 Hurley, VA away 6 p.m.
Dec 12, 22 Jenkins home 7:30 p.m.
Dec 15, 22 Hurley, VA home 6 p.m.
Dec 17, 22 TBA
Dec 22, 22 June Buchanan away 7 p.m.
Dec 28, 22 Jenkins away
Dec 30, 22 East Ridge home 7:30 p.m.
Dec 31, 22 Wolfe County away 3:30 p.m.
Jan 3, 23 Jenkins at Appalachian Wireless Arena 6:30 p.m. 15th Region All “A” Classic
Jan 6, 23 Betsy Layne away 7:30 p.m.
Jan 10, 23 East Ridge away 7:30 p.m.
Jan 14, 23 Wolfe County home 7:30 p.m.
Jan 16, 23 Magoffin County home 7:30 p.m.
Jan 17, 23 Belfry home 7:30 p.m.
Jan 18, 23 Council, VA away 7:30 p.m.
Jan 20, 23 Buckhorn home 6:00 p.m.
Jan 21, 23 June Buchanan home 2:00 p.m.
Jan 23, 23 Mt. View (Welch), WV away 7:30 p.m.
Jan 24, 23 Pike County Central away 7:30 p.m.
Feb 2, 23 Pike County Central home 7:30 p.m.
Feb 4, 23 Buckhorn away 5:00 p.m. Scott Blank Classic
Feb 7, 23 Council, VA home 7:30 p.m.
Feb 10, 23 Belfry away 7:30 p.m.
Feb 11, 23 Lee County home 7:30 p.m.
Feb 13, 23 Magoffin County away 7:30 p.m.
Feb 18, 23 Rose Hill Christian away 2:00 p.m.
2022-23 Phelps Girls Basketball Roster
Number Name Class
1 Kaylyn Slone 7th
2 Hailey Blankenship So.
3 Amelia Casey Sr.
4 Skylar Rife So.
5 Bailey Norman Fr.
12 Makayla Layne Sr.
13 Morgan Dotson 7th
14 Caleigh McCoy Fr.
22 Faith Potter So.
23 Cloey Bevins 8th
24 Kylea Weddington So
30 Aerionna Pigman Fr.
