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By TYLER RALEY | Special to the Reporter

While the Helena Huskies had their season cut short last year, there is nothing better than new beginnings to turn luck around and get a bad taste out of the system.

The Huskies saw some growing pains in their 2023-24 campaign, but now look to use their fresh mindset to their advantage, trying to bring themselves to a higher standard.

“We have definitely developed more of the culture that is going to be necessary for us to be more successful going into this year,” Helena coach Lake Graham said. “Our overall attitude, work ethic and overall buy-in has definitely gone in the correct direction. I think it’s going to come down to how much we improve over the course of the season.”

Helena’s bright spots were not to be overlooked, and those things have been carried over from last season, including the player leadership that propelled them in many games.

So when you talk about the Huskies this season, you will never go without mentioning junior Amari Grant.

The returning All-County selection made noise all over the court last year, averaging 8.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, while also being a true force on the defensive end to the tune of 40 blocks.

Graham speaks highly of his talented forward, who tripled her offensive production and according to him, has not even scratched the surface of what she can do.

“Amari Grant was very, very important for our success last year. I think games that we did win, she was obviously somebody who was going to be leading us in production,” Graham said. “She also is an absolute defensive anchor for us, our shot blocker, our primary rebounder. She is a do-it-all for us on the floor.”

The team knows that she cannot do it all by herself though, which is why those around her will prove to be very important.

That starts with the senior trio of Mallory Rhodes, Jaterrica Moody and Destiny Brashears, all three of which will be instrumental both inside and outside of the arc to helping this team move the ball and gain production in all facets of the game.

Graham also hopes that he can get full years out of his two young sophomores in Hannah Satterfield and Isabel Heintz, both of whom produced well in the early portions of last season but sustained injuries that kept them out for a portion of the schedule.

No matter who handles the rock for Helena, it is inevitable that every player will be put in a position that requires them to help the team achieve success, which Graham sees as a focal point of how this year runs.

“We are definitely a team that’s going to win by committee,” Graham said. “We’re going to try and extend our depth as deep as we can this year to make sure that we have multiple players that can be put into situations where winning is required. I think that is going to be our key.”

That is certainly going to need to be in full motion with an area that features familiar, but very competitive faces.

While keeping Pelham in the rotation, the Huskies will also meet Spain Park and Chelsea twice a year, two more teams that have rich histories in the past and present.

In order to come out on top in those games and many of the matchups this season, Graham has been training his girls to keep a steady focus, knowing they do not need to get out of rhythm.

“These are teams that have built themselves into what they are,” Graham said. “You’re always going to have a challenge there. You can’t just show up and play and expect to win, it’s going to require our best. To me, that’s what I look forward to the most is there are no excuses to be made. If we want to be successful, if we want to have any kind of future past our regular season this year, it’s going to require us to be able to play our absolute best basketball against some very good teams.”

Graham has preached the mindset of having mental toughness to his squad, trying to get his girls to envision the success that they can have.

In the state of Alabama, endurance and confidence is key to a team having success on the court. While Helena may not have had the luck it wanted on the scoreboard last year, that season is in the past, and it is making sure it moves on from it.

Now, as the ball is tipped and things get underway in this new chapter, Graham has the knowledge that his girls can make things happen in every single game. All they have to do is believe.

“It’s going to come down to do we develop the mindset that it takes to win,” Graham said. “We have to believe that it’s possible. We have to endure and never lose faith in ourselves, in our teammates and in what we’re doing. I think when we turn that corner, that’s when the winning will take care of itself, is when we truly believe in what we’re doing out there, and we buy in and we come to work every single day in pursuit of that goal, I think that’s when the winning will take place.”