Woodrow Wilson Girls
Woodrow Wilson Girls
Flying Eagles look to bounce back from struggles
By Dave Morrison for the register-herald
The 2023-24 basketball season was a rough one for veteran girls basketball coach Brian Nabors .
“ Last year was painful in so many ways ,” Nabors said . “ We just had a lot of things going on . We had a lot of young players who didn ’ t have any high school experience , let alone varsity basketball experience who had to develop on the varsity level because we didn ’ t have enough players to have a junior varsity team .
“ When you have to go out and play all the great teams across the state — Spring Valley , Huntington , George Washington , Greenbrier East — it ’ s going to be tough learning curve . And it was . As a competitor myself , it was hard to throw them in there and watch them struggle .”
But it appears that the band is back together in some respects .
Josie Cross . a player Nabors said might be the top player in the state , returns to the fold after leading the team in scoring a year ago . Donya Burton is back for her junior season after a solid second half . Point guard Abby Dillon and athletic Mya Wooten are back on the floor . And those freshmen ? Well , they survived the storm and come back now with experience .
“ On the flip side of all that ,” said Nabors , a former all-stater and twotime state champion in the early 1990s , “ I ’ m hoping that going through all that adversity , they come back with experience and that pays off for us this season .”
Cross is the key to Woodrow Wilson ’ s success , as a proven starter and the leading scorer after averaging 16.7 points .
Jenny Harnish / The Register-Herald
Woodrow Wilson ’ s Josie Cross tries to get around Capital ’ s Malaysia Foye during the game in Beckley .
“ I don ’ t want to put any more pressure on her because she puts a lot of pressure on herself ,” Nabors said . “ But I look at her as being one of the best players in the state , and she looks at it the same way .
“ She ’ s been a great athlete for the past four years and now she is a senior and a leader . Last year she had to carry us . She handled a lot of the scoring for us , rebounding , and a lot of times she had to guard the other team ’ s best player .
“ That ’ s the player she is and wants to be .”
Burton missed some games early but returned to give Cross some offensive help .
“ There are some high expectations and I think she is ready to take that step to be a great player here ,” Nabors said . “ She started as a freshman ( and had a key basket against George Washington in a Flying Eagles victory ). And she is going to play every position for us . You might see her at point , wing , stretch post or even post . But she has the talent to do that .” Burton averaged 6.7 points as a freshman and near double figures as a sophomore .
Lithena Hazelwood returns as a senior .
“ She is going to be a spark for us , and she is going to knock down open shots ,” Nabors said . “ We need her to be a lockdown defender , pressure the ball and disrupt the ( opposing ) offense .”
Junior Alauna Ellis is also back .
“ She is our enforcer , she brings that type of physicality ,” Nabors said . “ And she is fundamentally sound in the post .”
Dillon and Wooten returning to the fold after a year off was big for the Lady Flying Eagles .
Dillon ran the point her sophomore year and was a big contributor to the 2023 state tournament team , leading the team in scoring ( 13.3 ppg ).
“ She gives us another threat offensively and she gives us another leader ,” Nabors said . “ She is the best setter in West Virginia high school volleyball and that is what she brings to the table . That ’ s what she will do for us , bring that kind of leadership by example . She ’ s always been a leader . She competes and she doesn ’ t back down from challenges .”
It ’ s a family trait . Dillon recently led the volleyball team to the state tournament and her brother was the leading scorer on the state champion volleyball team and starts on the basketball team that made the state tournament last March .
Nabors said Wooten , coming off an ACL injury , will ease back into her role when she appeared in 21 games and averaged about three points and three rebounds .
Junior Mia Seiter is also coming off a year layoff . Sophomores Karsyn Gunter , Rachel Pritt and Shyloh Mack were thrown into the fire .
Nabors is also high on freshman Zoey Williams .
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