Dec 18, 2023 By Bill Hughes 3 min read

Rick Hill knows he is in for a rebuild as the Beth-Center girls basketball coach, however, he has plenty of experience as a coach.

Hill has experience as the head coach at Mapletown and as an assistant at Waynesburg Central, plus he has also run his own AAU team, the Adidas-sponsored West Virginia Explosion, for over 20 years.

With all of his experience, Hill knows how to be patient and he will have to do it moving forward as the Lady Bulldogs finished with less than 10 players a year ago.

“I am coming into this blind,” said Hill. “Our expectations are to teach the kids the game of basketball.

“Fundamentally-wise, they have gotten better the last 2½ months, and I really am a fundamentals guy.”

That said, Hill is still setting the bar high.

“We want to compete for a section title,” Hill said. “We told them we will set our goals high, and they have all bought in.”

Beth-Center will compete in Section 4-AA with Bentworth, California, Carmichaels, Chartiers-Houston, Frazier and Washington.

While Hill says he has been told Chartiers-Houston is the favorite in the section, he has been focusing on the Lady Bulldogs.

“I have been so focused on getting these girls where we need to be so that they won’t worry about who we are going to play,” said Hill. “Chartiers-Houston is said to be the pick, and Cal will be good.

“But, I have truly been focused on us.”

The two main returning players will be 5’11 sophomore center Violet Trump and senior forward Laren Brown.

“Violet is working hard,” Hill said. “Lauren is probably the most athletic player we have.”

Sophomore Lexi Fischer would have been the point guard, but she is out for the season following surgery.

The other three starting positions will be filled by any combination of senior guard Emma Shashura, sophomore point guard Kyleigh McDaniel, freshman small forward Keira Lamp and sophomore small forward Isabella Lloyd.

“Emma can shoot the lights out of the ball,” Hill said. “Kyleigh is quick and a very good defender. She is a typical point guard that likes to distribute the ball, and I have to get on her to shoot.”

Sophomore forward Bailey Barnot and freshman guard Madison Chilser will also vie for playing time.

“Bailey is very raw and this is only her second year,” Hill said. “She needs more work, but she is working hard while Madison is quick and athletic.”

Hill is ready for the start of the season.

“I am excited for a new beginning and want to see where these kids go,” said Hill.