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Kenzie Henderson is one of Oglethorpe County's five returning starters, but the only junior. That core led the Lady Patriots to the Class A Division I Elite Eight last season. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
Experience is at the forefront of the Lady Patriots’ pursuit of another playoff run this season.
Oglethorpe County’s girls basketball team returns all five starters from its 20-9 campaign last year, including four seniors: Region 5-A Division I Player of the Year Denim Goddard, Aariana Bell, Amber Watkins and Abby Jones. The fifth starter is junior Kenzie Henderson.
The Lady Patriots, who are ranked fifth in the GHSA preseason Class A Division I rankings and No. 10 in the Score Atlanta rankings, open the season at home against Morgan County at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14.
“It feels good to have the same people back on the court,” Henderson said. “Even though it's our last ride together, I know these girls will use their all to have a good season.”
Last season, Oglethorpe County went 6-0 in the region for the championship. That propelled an Elite Eight run, two steps farther than a first-round exit the previous season. OCHS defeated Paideia and Rabun County in the first two rounds before losing 64-44 to Woodville-Tompkins on the road.
The Lady Patriots also have made the state playoffs two straight seasons after missing it for 18 straight years.
“Since pretty much everyone was returning, it wasn't a typical sad, ‘this is over’ type thing,” head coach Brianna Dickens said. “It was almost like fuel for the next year, and we knew how we needed to approach the offseason in the summer.”
There has been a steady growth for OCHS girls basketball in three seasons under Dickens. The year before Dickens began coaching, the team won only two games. Since then, the Lady Patriots have won 12, 19 and 20 games.
Dickens said she attributes their growth to experience.
“I came in when they were freshmen, and then they just bought into (the culture),” she said. “They're very coachable, and they also have high expectations for themselves.“
The Lady Patriots’ high expectations come from knowing they were unable to advance as far as they hoped last year. They plan to use that as extra motivation this year.
“It's all easy and fun and games when you remember we won region and we finished with a great record, but that’s not this year,” Dickens said. “Everyone starts with a clean slate right now. Everybody's 0-0. So, we just have to build off of (our past success), keep those expectations and work hard.”
Henderson said, “I’m looking forward to having a winning season and getting past the Elite Eight with my girls for their last ride.”
*ROSTER AND SCHEDULE BELOW*
