HC Hawks Prep for State Campaign

It happened more than eight months ago — Feb. 27, to be exact. But the memory still lingers in the mind of  girls basketball coach Wendy Reeves.

The Hawks, who rolled through the Suburban North Conference unbeaten during the regular season, dropped a stunning 42-40 decision to league rival  in the championship game of the regional tournament at McCluer North.

The dream of a second successive trip to state was gone. Central beat North 54-48 during the regular season and was gearing up for another potential trip to Columbia. Just like that, a promising season campaign was over at 18-8.

"I hate the way the season ended," Reeves said. "You always want to win the conference, and we were proud of that. But everyone wanted to get to state — that's the main goal. It was hard to end the way we did."

That postseason upset will likely serve as a motivating factor for the Hawks, who are posed to sit atop of the class of the Suburban North Conference. Central has won 24 successive league games dating back to a 67-58 loss at Riverview Gardens on Jan. 30, 2007. Three times, the Hawks ran the table with a spotless 7-0 conference record.

With four key players returning, a sweep of all seven conference games is again a distinct possibility.

"We've got some quality players back," Reeves said.

Seniors Erika Beard, Candyce Ussery and KeAris Vaughn form a solid nucleus. Junior Alyssia Winston and sophomore Alexis Chappelle will likely round out one of the most experienced lineups in the conference.

Beard, a first-team all-conference selection, should again provide muscle up front. She averaged 10 points per game in 2009-2010 and leads all returnees with 6.6 rebounds.

"She's just really quick," Reeves said.

Ussery, 5'7", led the team in scoring on average 11.7 points last season. A four-year varsity performer and a three-year starter, she played a key role on the team that finished third in the state with a 26-3 record in the 2008-2009 season.

Vaughn, 5'7", was the first player off the bench last winter and should replace the only key loss — graduated standout LaVetta London.

Winston, 5'11", will serve as the post player for a team that is short on size — but long on quickness.

"We're vertically challenged," Reeves quipped.

Chappelle, 5'5", was the only player to appear in all of the Hawks' games last season.

"We don't have the depth and the height that we've had in previous years," Reeves said. "There will be some kids playing different roles. But this core group is very familiar with the system and they'll be fine."

The Hawks again wear the tag of heavy favorite in the conference race. But this time, Reeves and her players want more than just a league crown - they want to be state champs.

"That's always our goal," Reeves said.