Poyen has plenty of depth, experience

Poyen head coach Mickey Shaffer said he is very excited about the group of girls he has this season. “I have 12 girls fighting for playing time, so hopefully, depth will be a key,” Shaffer said. “We have seven girls returning who have starting experience, and there are also five other juniors and sophomores competing for time.” The Poyen girls basketball team finished 26-5 last year, and key returners this year include Bree McDermott, who averaged 9 points per game last year, along with almost 3 steals and 3 rebounds; junior Kyla Puckett, who averaged 6.9 points and just over 5 rebounds per game; and Kindi Puckett, who chipped in with 6.1 points per game. The coach said he has three other girls who started several times during the year as well. Shaffer said Kyla Puckett and junior Madyson Yarbrough shared the post responsibilities last year. “Kyla is faster and more athletic, and Madyson is very fundamental and strong,” he said. McDermott, Kindi Puckett and Faith Diehl will all be fighting for playtime at the outside, the coach said. “We will be very comparable to last year,” Shaffer said. “We will have more depth, and our post game has improved considerably. “If the new and younger players really come on, we might have a chance to be better.” Shaffer said his team’s biggest strength is experience. “Our guard play and shooting should be good, and the post players have improved a lot,” Shaffer said. “The team speed isn’t as good as it has been the past few years. Some of the younger players have some quickness and will have to come through.” Poyen competes in the 2A-5 South, and the coach said there should be a race for the conference lead with Bigelow, England and Carlisle.