By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Skyline basketball enjoyed a successful season in 2025.
The Tigers capped a 29-3 with a second-straight Class 2 title and third-straight final four appearance.
For longtime head coach Kevin Cheek, the journey marked a grueling season full of high expectations and constant pressure to perform at the highest of levels.
“I think we expected to be successful,” Cheek said. “Sometimes that makes for a hard year. Winning the state championship back to back was the goal and they accomplished that goal.”
Entering his 27th season at the Skyline helm, Cheek and his program will pursue a 19th final four appearance; however, his roster will look drastically different.
“We graduated six seniors last season and watched 4,200 points walk down the aisle at graduation,” Cheek said. “We graduated two, three-time all-state players and four all-conference and all-district players.”
Returning to lead the Tigers this season will be junior Shelby Redd and senior Jeanna Hunt. Redd led Skyline in scoring with 18 points during the 2025 state championship game.
“Shelby Redd and Jeanna Hunt are the biggest returning factors with several other sophomores that will be factors during the year,” Cheek said. “We would hope that older players like Shelby and Jeanna will fill that role as leaders.”
With a host of spots vacated by graduation, sophomores Sage Redd, Payton Meade, Braanna Johnson, Cara King and Makaylyn Sanders are all expected to step into prominent roles for the Tigers this season.
While the roster will feature many new names heading into the season, two things that won’t change are Cheek’s expectations and approach.
“I expect us to play and practice with maximum effort,” Cheek said. “I like where we are at offensively, and we will need to improve defensively each day at practice. We will have to pressure the basketball and hope to create turnovers. Guarding post players could be a problem for us. Help side defense and rebounding the basketball will be keys for us to be successful.”
Skyline opens its season Dec. 1 in the Fair Grove Invitational Tournament.
