By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Hillcrest Lady Hornets made huge strides last season by going 13-13-1 overall and 3-7 in the Ozark Conference after a 5-22 and 0-10 finish the season before.
“I think the biggest takeaway from last season is the ability to believe in ourselves,” said head coach Justin Gerald. “We won 13 games – Hillcrest hadn’t won that many games since 2016 (16-12 and Class 4 District 11 champion). I believe the breakthrough of believing and the experience we gained with that will help us get off to great start and continue in the right direction.”
And with the success of the 2023-2024 season, Gerald says that expectations are high for 2024-2025.
“Now that we’ve broken through into double-digit wins in a season and gotten a taste of believing in ourselves and what we’re doing, we want more,” Gerald said. “The expectations are to show up daily and push each other to be great. With one of the most talented rosters I’ve ever had, practices are going to be intense and competitive. We’ve been working a long time for this kind of season and we’re simply excited to get it going.”
The Lady Hornets, who move from the OC to the Ozark Mountain Conference this season, will lean on seniors Nevaeh Shockley and Jamyra Parlette and sophomore Lillie Moore to lead them in 2024-2025.
Nevaeh Shockley, senior guard – Averaged 9.8 points per game, shooting 47 percent from the field, 3. 2 assists and 3.1 steals; earned Class 5 All-District 6 and All-Ozark Conference honorable mention honors; committed to Mission University. “Vay as we call her, is our floor General,” Gerald said. “She will bring the ball up the floor 70 percent of the time. She allows our players to get to their spots for sets and is often the point man/decision-maker when it comes to scoring. Her ability to finish at the rim, pull up and shoot, drop the ball off to our post or kick the ball out to our shooters makes her one of the best point guards in the area. Going into her senior year, I am excited to see how she will lead this team every night.”
Jamyra Parlette, senior post – “While the game is turning into an outside shooter’s game, Jamyra is a dominant post player. At 5-foot-9 and dominantly strong, she can get position on you and finish. She’s a walking double-double most nights. Over the last two seasons, she’s averaged 8.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. As our program continues to grow, she has been a focal point every year. Expanding her game and watching her get more and more comfortable handling the ball is something that will not go well for the other team. As she prepares for her senior year, we as a team expect her to have her most impactful season yet.”
Lillie Moore, sophomore forward – An all-conference honorable mention selection. “Lillie Moore is a name you should get used to when you talk about the Lady Hornets and the Springfield area. As a 5-8 freshman, she averaged 10.9 points, pulled down 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.1 steals. This season as a 5-9/5-10 sophomore and her continued development over the summer, I’m not even sure what’s about to happen for this young lady. I’ve gotten to coach some pretty good basketball players over the years. But by her senior year, Lillie Moore may be in a category with impact program players like Kaycee Gerald and Kelsie Cleeton as one of the best all-around players to come through Hilcrest High School. All I can say is, ‘stay tuned.’”
One newcomer Gerald is excited about is freshman guard Sa’niya Johnson.
Sa’niya Johnson, freshman, guard – “To know you have a girl like Sa’niya Johnson for four years, is an amazing feeling,” Gerald said. “She is going to dominate the track world and I can’t wait to watch her. However, Niya is also a hooper. Geno Auriemma said, ‘Great players don’t get tired.’ Sa’niya does not get tired and she’s an amazing point guard. On a team that returns everyone, full of playmakers, you add Sa’niya Johnson. I can’t express to you the significance of her and what she can add to this team we already have. Just remember her name.”
The Lady Hornets will open the regular season at Mount Vernon on Nov. 25 before competing in the 7th Annual Morrisville Tournament on Dec. 2-7.
“Chemistry will be a huge strength for us,” Gerald said. “Bringing back all but one player from year’s roster will help us this season.
“Probably the most exciting characteristic about our team is our depth and natural individual abilities. We often hear the saying, next man up and that’s exactly what we have going on here. We are deep. I feel good about 11 girls stepping foot into a varsity game and there being a toughness about every one of them. In years past, a single injury would cripple our season, but that is simply not the case with the roster we have.”
