KFS varsity girls start strong

Published 12:37 pm Wednesday, December 7, 2016

The upperclassmen-laden Kenston Forest School varsity girls basketball team has started the 2016-17 season with a 4-2 record, including a 1-0 mark in the Virginia Colonial Conference (VCC).

Their only losses of the season have come against Halifax Academy, each by two points.

Lady Kavaliers Head Coach Jannon Coley pointed to her team’s 32-25 victory over Isle of Wight Academy as a highlight thus far this season, and she is optimistic moving forward.

“I expect us to do pretty well this year,” Coley said. “I really think that we actually have a great chance of being in the top-3 for the conference and contenders for that and also going to the states. We did not go to the state (tournament) last year, but I definitely feel that we will be able to do that.”

She said her team will have to be in the top-12 for Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division III to make the state playoffs.

Kenston Forest placed third in the VCC last season and advanced as far as the semifinals in the conference tournament before losing to Brunswick Academy.

The Lady Kavs lost their 2015-16 leading scorer, guard Brooke Mason, to graduation, but they feature five seniors, four juniors and one sophomore this season.

Leading the way for Kenston Forest are four primary standouts, the first being senior point guard Savannah Gunn, who is the team’s high scorer.

The other leading scoring threats on the team include senior forward/guard and team captain Mackenzie Coley; junior center/forward Josie Epperson, who is a good rebounder; and junior forward Indigo Dougherty, who is speedy and excels on the boards.

Sophomore Emily Hawthorne is an up- and-coming point guard on the team.

Kenston Forest hosts Virginia Homeschool out of Richmond on Friday at 7 p.m.