The Cumberland Gap Lady Panthers basketball team is currently preparing for the 2021-22 season. With a team consisting of 12 players the Lady Panthers are hoping to replace a few key athletes they lost to graduation. This team isn’t short on talent and Dennis Cline expects a lot, “We think we really have some great talent out there and we really like our group. We had one of the best, first day of practice we have had in a while. Everybody has bought in and everything is positive.”
Cline added, “The difference between last season and this one is the certainty of what we do. Last year we played our fifth game, were playing great and then were shut down due to Covid and after Christmas we were trying to build back and it was just like starting over. This year, without that interruption we should be in better shape.”
The thought is that the guards will compliment the three post players and with good play from the wings they will be capable of competing with anyone on their newly classified schedule. Teams such as Alcoa, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge will be challenges but a successful season according to Cline will be based on not wins or losses but the team being better than the game before. As always a big question mark is depth but Cline feels they should be better in that aspect.
When asked about what he would like to say to the fans, parents and Panther Nation Cline said this, “Come and support these young ladies. It’s all about them and the success they can have. After last year having third capacity, half capacity or parent capacity we can once again have a lot of people in this gym and supporting them this season.”
The 2021-22 Lady Panthers team members include Brynlee Foster, Emrey Glover, Abbie Fultz, Kylie Fultz, Haley Pendleton, Kerry Dixon, JB Wilburn, Hayden Beeler, Jaden Brock, Ashlynn Roberts, Gracie Nash and Callie Hoskins.
They are coached by Dennis Cline, Bethany Evans and Samantha Pierce.
The Zone is powered by:
