Thursday afternoon, before the Basketball 🏀 doubleheader against Galax Middle School 🏫, I had the rare opportunity to break bread 🍞 with Kris Richardson. The highlight of the 75 minutes came when we were discussing the efforts of Mrs Kayla Nester.

First things first, Kayla has a really nice Mother-in-law, terrific parents in Scotty and Patti Goins and loving & supportive Husband. Three neat little ones that are the love of her life ! Neat little Sister too.

My unofficial job here is to seek out the people who are going above and beyond for others. Identify them, applaud them and assist them in way that I have the means to do.

I am a HUGE fan of Kayla Nester as she is a younger version of Brandi Cochran Mitchell. Basketball in College, raced back to The Hill to set up shop, raise a family 👪 and help others. Priceless !

My concern for Kayla is that she might be going at a pace too fast to maintain. That’s when Kris shared his take on what it is like to have her as an Athletic Director.

” Attention to detail, constant communication and understanding what her role is as AD. Couldn’t ask for a better situation as a Head Coach.”

Teacher, Mother of 3, Wife, Big Sister, Daughter, Assistant Coach for Varsity Volleyball 🏐 and Basketball 🏀, Middle School 🏫 Athletic Director are just some of the tasks that this young Lady 👩 is currently working on !

#RoleModel

Keep up the Amazing work Ma’am and know that wee see you and appreciate your love for Carroll County !

Notes 📝

Yes – that was an intentional dig at our friend, Rick Nester by omitting his name.

NO – I did NOT call Brandi Old, just older than Kayla!

Both Howard Mayo and Anthony Barnes are set to lead their programs on the hardwood floor at Carroll County High School. November 15th is set aside for Alumni action and to meet the current players. Today we take a closer look at the Coaches who will assist our two leaders this winter.

Starting on the Girls side, Mayo is set for year 2, take 2. The veteran Coach has found success in a number of stops over the decades and has returned to the place where it all started.

Consistency is a key 🔑 to success and Mayo welcomes back his Top four Coaches from last season. Kayla Nester returns as the lead Assistant for the Varsity and the teaching Trio of Halie Cushman, Brittany Luneherry and Chenoa Payne will team up to lead the Junior Varsity Girls.

Cushman will hold the title of Head Coach on the JV team but the three ladies are in this together. Again, having the players hearing the same voice is HUGE, especially when a program is in a rebuilding stage.

Mayo landed some Big names in regards to the Middle School Girls program ! The trio of Kris Richardson, Steve Martin and Lauren Alley have already began their eight week season this week.

Richardson made the transition from the Co-Pilot seat to Barnes to the other side of the isle this year. The new Head Coach will have a ton of Cavalier based knowledge sitting next to him as both Martin and Alley know the game well and played it at a very high level.

The amount of Basketball 🏀 knowledge involved with a Middle School ball team goes a long way in showing just how serious Carroll County is about Basketball !

While the rosters for the Varsity teams are still a work in progress, the Middle School ones are set as both teams have played two games this week.

On the Boys side, Barnes returns after a season in which his Cavaliers punched a ticket 🎟 to the State Tournament. While it will be his initial ride without his long time friend and Assistant Coach, Barnes operates under a next man up mindset.

Here’s the lineup as described by Coach Barnes :

Coaches this year is Stockner lead assistant, along with Jabin Talley and Cody Reece , both are going to be big help with being able to still play and demonstrating what we need too do, very thankful to have them ask to Coach and step up for the program, huge. Coach Phillips and Largen taking care of the jv, Coach Phillips played for T Jackson and has a great IQ for the game and knows the style of play I wanna do. Coach Largen, diehard Cavalier Coach, AAU, school basketball, baseball, football, plus juggling his young kids as well, very impressive.

   Coach Brown comes from George Wythe , spent alot of time with group that won group A State last year, he is driven for success in the program as a whole, he will join me on my staff after middle school season. Alot of things in place for the future of Cavalier basketball for years to come, but this year some unfinished business with Isiah Easter and new cast of guys around him willing to battle and further cement the direction of the Boys Basketball program! I’m excited! Go Cavs !

Now that we have the names of the 16 coaches that are set to guide our six ball clubs into battle, its time to revisit the idea 💡 of holding a Boys Coaches versus Girls Coaches Charity Basketball game !

The combination of talent that would be on display would be historical ! Sure. We would need Nathan Jones nearby and CVS would run out of Aspirin but think of the 16 players and the match-ups.

Meet the Cavaliers on November 15th and know that they will be lead by some serious Basketball folks of high standards.