PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL: Chilhowie's six seniors share special bond

As the Chilhowie High School girls basketball team went through drills during practice Wednesday afternoon, things were far from mundane.

The players ran at full speed, executed the various tasks with intensity and listened to head coach Mark Halsey’s instructions. There were also some lighter moments as laughter
ensued at times and some good-natured ribbings among teammates took place.

With a veteran roster, the mood was both business-like and fun.

A lot of that is due to the fact six of the 10 players on the Warriors’ roster are seniors. Friends since kindergarten and teammates since middle school, they’ve built a tight bond and achieved success.

Chilhowie (19-8) will play J.J. Kelly (20-6) on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the VHSL Group A, Division 2 tournament at Virginia High’s Bearcat Den.

It will be a highlight for Chilhowie’s senior class and another moment they’ll share together.

“We’re very close,” said post player Heather Hash. “There’s no secrets on this team.”

The senior six
Chilhowie’s six seniors are close friends, but they all have different personalities and each provide something different to the Warriors’ attack.

The headliner is Krystal Patton, a 5-foot-7 dynamo, who is the Warriors’ leading scorer and has stepped up her game in the postseason.

“I just like playing with her,” said senior guard Eden Coe. “You can always depend on her. Even during the offseason, just playing one-on-one and things like that, she can help you become a better player.”

Coe provides the Warriors with a 3-point specialist and never stops hustling, while Hash and Elizabeth Harris patrol the paint.

Nicole Mooney is a defensive stopper at the guard position and a steady role player. Her two free throws and key rebound in the waning moments helped seal Chilhowie’s 47-42
victory over Radford in the regional semifinals.

Then there’s guard Lynsey Taylor, whose state tournament experience will be bittersweet. She injured her knee in a late-January win over Northwood and was lost for the season.

However, she’s still on the bench for games, constantly offering support for her classmates.

“I’m really proud of the girls,” Taylor said. “It’s hard not being able to play with them and everything. They’ve worked really hard to get there and everything.
“I do coach on the sidelines and sometimes it’s difficult. I’m really proud to be a part of the team still, whether I’m playing or not.”

Kinship like that began in grade school and has carried on to the group’s final act.

“I can remember us playing back in little league,” Mooney said. “Back when you had the colored T-shirts and played in the middle school gym. We’ve all grown up pretty close.”

Back to state
Patton and Hash are the lone varsity holdovers from the 2008 Chilhowie squad that reached the state semifinals. A lot has changed in those two years.

“I think you have more roles [as a senior],” Patton said. “When I was a sophomore I was just like, ‘OK, everybody else tells me what to do.’ This year, there’s six of us seniors and we all know what we need to do to step up.”

Things didn’t exactly start smoothly this winter. Patton was slowed by a broken nose as the Warriors slumped to an underwhelming 2-4 start.

“When we first started, everybody underestimated us and said we wouldn’t make it out of the district,” Harris said. “We wanted to prove to everybody that we were as good as the teams gone by here.”

The 2008 Chilhowie team featured 10 seniors that put together a memorable season.

The current crop of 12th graders used to play in the shadow of that squad, but have now made it to the state tournament themselves and pieced together a lasting legacy.

While there have been a few bumps in the road, the team is one of the last teams from Southwest Virginia still standing.

“I think it was a big question and a lot of people didn’t anticipate them being where they are and doing what they’ve done,” Halsey said. “They’ve worked hard in the offseason. … It’s a credit to all of them. I don’t think they’ve done it exactly like they wanted to do, but they’ve done it.”

Six of a Kind
The six seniors on Chilhowie’s roster

#5 Eden Coe, G
One of team’s top 3-point shooters, who never stops hustling.

#12 Nicole Mooney, G
Defensive stopper gives all-put effort

#14 Lynsey Taylor, G
Lost late in season due to knee injury, but still offers support to teammates

#20 Krystal Patton, G
One of the area’s top players can score in a variety of ways.

#22 Elizabeth Harris, Post
Provides Warriors an inside presence and has nice mid-range jumper

#42 Heather Hash, Post
Three-year starter provides height and experience