Lady Panther Basketball Team sets sights on State Tournament
By TODD FORREST Sentinel Writer

The Union County Lady Panthers began practice earlier this month and Coach Mike West is looking at his most talented squad in his four years as head coach. Union County returns four starters off a team that won eleven games last season and nearly knocked off Putnam County, the eventual Region Champion on their home court, during the Region Playoffs.

The Lady Panthers also knocked off 7AAA powers White County and Pickens County for the first time since the 2000-01 season. However, Coach West's young team also suffered some growing pains, falling to Towns County three times as well as Murphy NC and Tallulah Falls on the road. "We were one bad call away from the State Tournament last year and were beaten by the eventual region champion in the third round of the playoffs. You could say that we turned the corner last year with big wins against White, Lakeview, and Pickens," said Coach West on the 2006-07 season.

This season's squad will be the most experienced team in recent years with four seniors and two juniors returning from last season. The Lady Panthers also return four starers from last season however they lost Lauren Dyer to graduation. The loss of Dyer means the Lady Panthers will lose a player that averaged ten points and eight rebounds game last season.

The Lady Panthers do return their leading scorer, Junior guard Candace Williams. Williams averaged just under fourteen points a game and three assists. Williams also led the team in three-point shooting and was second on the team in free throw shooting at 72%. "My individual goal for this season is to become more of a player and not just shooter. I would like for all of us to play as team and with charisma. If we work hard and play to the best of our ability, I think we have a shot at winning sub region and making state," said Williams about her expectations this season. Williams will continue to handle the point guard duties despite being better suited for the two-guard position. Williams did bring home All Sub-Region Team honors despite playing out of position. "It was tremendous honor(to be on the All Sub- Region Team), I tried to make the best of playing out of position and it was worth it," said Williams.

Also returning is defensive specialist and Senior Leslie Bittenbinder. Bittenbinder led the team with a two steals per game average. She also averaged four points, five boards, and two assists per game. Other returning Senior starters are Kayla Gowder, and Kaley Sullivan. Gowder finished third on the team in scoring at eight points a game and second on the team in rebounding at five boards a game. Gowder will take Dyer's place as Union County's main inside scoring threat. Sullivan will join Williams in the backcourt and will provide some more outside shooting. Sullivan finished second on the team in three-point shooting and shot 63% from the foul line. Senior Brittany Odom also returns after missing most of last season. Odom will provide experience and depth in the Lady Panther backcourt.

Junior Sarah Fulgham also returns from last season's starting lineup. Fulgham averaged five points a game and led the team in free throw shooting at 73%. At 6 foot tall, Senior Mary Catherine Edmondson will add some much needed size in the frontcourt. Last season Edmondson provided some productive minutes in the post during the final weeks of the season. Her playing time should increase this season. Coach West is also looking to get some production from the underclassmen as well. "We are hoping to get some help out of our freshman class. We do have a talented group of freshman in Tori Dyer, Kaitlin Seabolt, Holli Abernathy, Jennifer Hunt, Whitney Kelly and others that hopefully will be able to step in and help us. I am probably the most excited about Whitney Brown who is a 6'3 tenth grader who has

really made some strides in the last month in our individual workouts. If she can step up and help us that would be a tremendous help."

This season the Lady Panthers will be looking to knock Fannin County off of the 8AA North throne. Last season, Union County played Fannin within single digits in both games. Fannin County will have a new coach for the first time in over 25 years and lost some key players from last year's squad. However health and depth will be the key to the Lady Panther's success. "This year we have a team that will definitely compete as long it stays healthy, finds some depth, stays out of foul trouble, rebounds, and makes free throws, but I am very excited about this year and have very high hopes and expectations for this team myself," said Coach West.

The sub-region will possibly be the most balanced that it has been in many years. Dawson County and Banks County will be competitive. Rabun County went to state last season but lost a lot of players due to graduation. East Jackson has a young team that will only get better with experience. East Jackson is a new school who will be joining 8AA North this season. "I think the subregion is going to be like the SEC East, where everyone is capable of beating each other on any given night, unless Fannin is still that much better than the rest of us. think that we have a very realistic chance at state if we can do those things: stay healthy, find some depth, stay out of foul trouble, rebound, and make free throws," said Coach West.

A state playoff trip would mean much more to this year's seniors since they were freshmen when Coach West took over and the program was at a very low point. Coach West has turned the program around and has the Union County girls primed for their first winning season and state playoff trip since 2001.

This program was quite honestly much worse off than I had anticipated. We had very few players in the program, one senior, and virtually no experience playing GAC, Wesleyan, Buford, Pickens, White, Lumpkin, Fannin, and others. We started three freshman that will be seniors this year in Kaley, Kayla, and Leslie. The program is probably on schedule, but it sure has taken longer than I wanted it to," said Coach West on the improvement of the girls program over the past four years. "Finding a way shock the basketball world by watching my girls upset a Region 6AA team in the State Tournament! That would be the coolest of all cool; especially if was a Buford, GAC Wesleyan."

The Lady Panthers will play

scrimmage game on November 13th at 6:00 P.M. at Gilmer County. The first regular season game will be in the White County Tip Off Tournament on November 19th. The Lady Panthers will take on the Indians of Lumpkin County at 3:15 p.m.