Sports - May 2003

New coaches prepare for upcoming season at West

By JEREMY ASHTON, LTN Staff Writer

The makeover of West Lincoln’s basketball teams is nearly complete.

The school has announced the hiring of three new coaches for the 2003-04 season.

Chad Wright, formerly of Hibriten High School in Lenoir, will take over the varsity boys’ program. Ina Thompson and Jaime Boyles, a pair of coaching newcomers, will head up the girls’ varsity and junior varsity teams, respectively.

“Those three coaches are going to be committed to making this program successful,” Principal Debra Morris said.

Wright wasted little time introducing himself to his players, meeting with them Thursday in West’s wrestling room.

Wright will get his first look at what they can do on the court Friday afternoon, and he’s tentatively planned a practice for May 24, the Saturday after school ends.

“There’s no more important time for a basketball team than the summertime,” Wright said. “That’s when you put it together.”

A former player at Lees-McRae College, Wright spent just a year as the JV coach at Hibriten before moving up to varsity.

Early in Wright’s five-year tenure, Hibriten qualified for the state playoffs. The last couple of years were somewhat of a struggle, he said, but he “felt like we’ve left it in a positive situation.”

Wright came to West because he wanted to find a place where he could be comfortable. He told the players he favors an up-tempo style, playing “baseline to baseline.”

 “I like to attack people defensively,” he said. “Offensively, I think you’ve got to go after people and try to put the defense on their heels.”

Thompson was an up and coming player at Piedmont High School in Monroe when Morris was the girls’ varsity coach there. Morris never got the chance to coach Thompson but remembered her well.

Thompson is fresh out of Wingate University, where she played basketball. Morris is normally leery about hiring first-year coaches for varsity teams, but she and a couple of West’s players who talked to Thompson were impressed.

“She is the kind of person who is very competitive and will not settle for less than her best effort at anything,” Morris said.

Boyles should be familiar to Lincolnton basketball fans. She played for the Wolves during her high school days before going to Gardner-Webb University.

Boyles, like Thompson, is just out of college and will be settling into her first job. Morris is anxious to see what the two will be able to accomplish.

“Both have lots of energy and enthusiasm,” Morris said.

West is still looking for a boys’ JV coach. Morris said there’s a good possibility the new coach will be someone currently on the school’s staff.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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