FAIRMONT, W.Va – The East Fairmont girls basketball team put together a solid season a year ago, finishing 14-8 with a young team that lost just four seniors and returns a large portion of its scoring from the winter. Head coach James Beckman has seen his team transform on and off the court since they got a taste of success before bowing out of the playoffs last season.
“We’ve got some hungry kids,” he said, “We’ve got great numbers in the weight room through the offseason, during AAU, offseason live period so hopefully to build upon last year’s success.”
The Bees bring back plenty of experience from last season’s breakthrough, including guard Kenly Rogers who earned second team all-state honors as a sophomore. She leads a core group of players that are preparing to try to push East Fairmont girls basketball to the next level.
“We’ve been in the gym since season ended. We haven’t stopped working out,” she said, “A lot of skill development and we’ve been lifting weights and playing a lot has helped us a bunch so just playing together and getting used to one another is going to help us make that jump.”
East Fairmont saw its season end at the hands of Philip Barbour a year ago but there is one thing motivating the returners this summer: getting over the hump and making that trip to Charleston at the end of the season.