GRAY DEYOSports Writer

The basketball season is now less than a week away for the Tullahoma Lady Wildcats. Ahead of the season, here are some notes on the year of hoops ahead for the Lady Wildcats, along with some insight from the head coach of the ‘Cats, Chad Hibdon on the team.

The Lady Wildcats are coming off a great 2024-2025 season. Last year, they had an overall record of 18-13, and they also won the district championship. Like the boys’ team, they are bringing back a large pool of their varsity team from last season, but will be without the skills of a couple of 2025 grads, that both played a role in Tullahoma’s success. One of those players is interior player Isabella Lidstrom.

“With Izzy losing her, it was just about how hard she played, how physically she played, obviously her ability to rebound the ball offensively and defensively. It will be a collective effort for that, I think we got some kids coming in that are going to have an opportunity and will fill that void there, especially with effort,” said Hibdon on addressing how to try to make up for not having Lidstrom this season.

“It kind of starts with three players that have some size: Genevieve Hickerson the freshman, Madison McCarl sophomore, and transfer Ke’mani Kelso. They are all different and unique in their own way, but they all provide an opportunity to be good rebounders.”

With new names being given larger roles this year, The Lady Wildcats will also need elevated play from their star from last season, McLayne Bobo. The fourth-year player for the Lady Wildcats was named MVP of their district last season. She also in the process surpassed the career 1,000 point mark. Despite these accomplishments, there is still a higher level of play to the one Bobo was at last year, and Hibdon has seen this in the offseason.

“We have seen her leadership ability continue to develop and grow, and then her ability to make others better. We have seen that grow, and we want to see that continue to grow,” said Hibdon on Bobo. Coach Hibdon continued to talk about the importance of Bobo’s play to their team and how he has seen her develop in other areas in the offseason. The now senior, last year in her junior season, began to get a lot more attention as the season went on. She began to draw double teams often in games. Hibdon talked about how he has seen her improve in these situations throughout the summer and the offseason as a whole.

With this, Tullahoma also has a slew of other talented players on their roster. Three sophomores, Hibdon sees potentially making an impact this season are Lizzy Sharpton, Kenzie Farrell, and Zoie Roberts. Sharpton played a big role for Tullahoma last season, in being a starter, while Farrell and Roberts, as freshmen, played spot minutes and showed great potential.

This team has all the pieces to put together another great season of hoops. They will first take the floor the same day the boys’ team does, on Nov. 18, against Oakland High School.