BY BOO NEWSOME
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — When Inez and Warfield High School consolidated in 1971 to form Sheldon Clark High School, there was no girls basketball team.

Mary Lou and John Haney had the vision to start a girls basketball program at Sheldon Clark High. The Inez couple and educators had some girl teams playing in the local church league and some of the girls were pretty good.

When the Title IX Education Amendment Act of 1972 passed, prohibiting schools, based on sex, from excluding participation in any education program or activity, Mary Lou went to bat for young girls in Martin County.

Mary Lou approached Sheldon Clark High School principal Wilburn Goble and asked if she could start a girls basketball team. Goble was skeptical at first and asked Haney, “Do you think we could be competitive and win?”

Mary Lou bet him a steak dinner they could, and she and AJ became the coaches of the newly formed girls basketball program.

The Haneys presented their first girls team in 1974. The “Cardinalettes” program became known across the region and the state as a hotbed for girls basketball and gifted players.

Over the years the program has produced numerous Division I, II and III players, a Miss Kentucky Basketball and All-State players.

The Haneys won the steak dinner, four 57th District championships, four 15th Region championships and four consecutive appearances in the Sweet 16.

The four consecutive state tournament appearances set a record in the 15th Region that has stood for 45 years.

The Pikeville girls basketball team played in the championship game Sunday. Had they won, it would have been their fifth straight regional championship, which would have broken the 45-year-old record. The Lady Panthers fell short of that record as they were defeated by Lawrence County 50-49.