BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Martin County girls took on their friends from Tug Valley in what is now and will forever be called the “Kennadi Mollett Memorial Game,” winning 58-42 Saturday in the Zip Zone Classic in Inez.
The Lady Cardinal passed away in a devastating car accident days before the event, one she would have been sure to attend.
Before the tipoff, Coach Robin Newsome presented Mollett’s family with a plaque, followed by a moment of silence in her remembrance.
The Lady Cards defeated Tug Valley 58-42 in a game that was tough for the girls to play after attending their former teammate’s funeral just hours before.
“It’s been a very tragic and emotional week for all of us. Our kids have fought through the tragic loss of their beloved teammate Kennadi Mollett,” Coach Newsome said.
The team decorated a chair with her jersey and favorite basketball shoes that had rips in the seams, a testament to the hours and dedication she put into not only the game but her community, herself and her family.
“They have tried to carry on, but it’s been really hard on all of us. We are physically and emotionally drained,” Newsome continued.
The girls played through tears for their fallen Lady Cardinal.
“Kennadi was a great leader for our team last year. It’s been rough,” junior Brooke Marcum said after the game. “We’ll be dedicating this season to her.”
With a young roster, Martin County will be working on a lot of development this season.
“Junior Chloe May has been out for six weeks with a broken foot. Junior Sophie Harless sat out last season due to an injury and is just now getting back into the flow of things. We only have one returning senior in Candace Spaulding. We have a very young team with only one returning starter back in Junior Brooke Marcum. It’s a whole new look for us and we in no way can replace the kids we lost to graduation,” Coach Newsome said.
“The kids are working hard. It’s going to take some time and patience for this group to come together. I’m happy we got the win over Tug Valley. They stepped up under very difficult circumstances and pushed through. At one time we had two freshmen, an eighth grader and a seventh grader on the floor. Maci [Maynard] gave us big minutes. We have a great group of younger kids that are developing and working hard. We will continue to work to improve each day.”
Coach Newsome’s Lady Cards will open their regular season tomorrow versus East Carter at 6:15 p.m. in a doubleheader with the boys team. They will host Raceland on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and travel to Betsy Layne on Monday.