GRAY DEYOSports Writer

Just nine months ago the Tullahoma High School ladies’ basketball program beat Marshall County 48-36. The win gave Tullahoma a district title, a feat that seemed rather unlikely given how the Lady Wildcats season started off.

After winning their season opener against Oakland, Tullahoma went on to drop nine of their next 11 games, leaving optimism for the remainder of the season rather low, although head coach of the Tullahoma lady Wildcats, Chad Hibdon, was unphased during the stretch of losses.

“We want to challenge ourselves really tough early, and we aren’t concerned with that early season record,” said coach Hibdon regarding his team’s slow start in the 2023-2024 season.

“I know sometimes you worry about confidence and things like that, but we know who we are playing, we are playing a tough schedule, tough opponents, most of the time schools that are bigger than us, or really good smaller schools. We do this just so we are ready for district, I think that’s what it’s all about.” 

The Tullahoma girls went on to win 13 of their next 15 games following their 3-9 start at the beginning of the season. Following their district title win against Marshall County, they went on to fall to the 11^th ranked TN girls’ basketball program in 2023-2024, Upperman—losing 48-37.

The 2024-2025 road map for the Lady Wildcats is sprinkled in with some tough non-district matchups again this year, including the likes of BGA and Boyd Buchanan. The recipe that gave Tullahoma success last year, is clear and evident in their season schedule for 2024-2025.

“It’s a mindset that we don’t want to soften our schedule early to just get wins, and kind of have a hefty record, and then fizzle at the end. We always want to be playing our best basketball at the end of the year,” coach Hibdon said regarding having a tough schedule early in the season.

“It’s by design and I think our girls embrace that, our older girls will have to communicate that really well with our younger girls this year because we have some younger kids that are going to have to play. You know it’s gonna be new for them because they are going to be playing really good teams, that are bigger schools. They are going to be older, bigger, faster, and stronger. You know all those things, but it’s just gonna build us better. We will hopefully manage that well, mentor that well, and get ready for a really good district season for us this year again.”

The Wildcats will have to fill some holes in their team this year as they lost three seniors who played integral roles in their season from last year—-Nyjah Gibbs, Lily Melton, Emilee Shuran—two were starters and one played a vital role off the bench.

The work the girls have put in over the summer and the beginning months of this school year should help some with the burden of losing these three players. They have gone through various scrimmages, practices and day-to-day workouts to help prepare them for another season on the hardwood.

“We’re gonna play a lot of intense up-tempo press and trap defense, and then play out of that into transition offense,” said coach Hibdon on what type of basketball his team will play. New team, same theme.

It will be a different group of girls trotting out for Tullahoma on Tuesday night, when they lace up their shoes for the start of another season for their home opener, but the brand of basketball they displayed from the 2023-2024 season will be there.

“It’s just a feisty competitive group, they have a desire to win and also have a desire to prepare to win,” coach Hibdon said regarding his team this year.

The ladies will play three games this week against Oakland, Battle Creek, and Macon County, as they begin their road to chase another district title.