BWSL’S Red Tides 9th Grade Rising Stars

<div class="mceTemp"></div> <span style="font-weight: 400">If you know the talent, you are aware that in any sport there’s a vibe, a presence a star exudes that leads to you observing how bright they shine. It is this insight for talent that led Director Lonnie E. Kenley to become the beating drum of the Red Tides AAU Program in 2005. Lonnie E. Kenley shared insight on his rising star 13U team stating, “they’ve been playing together since the 5th grade, they have such dedication to the game that they never give up and I had to find them the best coach and so I approached Ken.” Coach Ken agreed to take over the program and include his wife and together they enforce “an aggressive style of play, with all-out ball pressure being the constant focus” stated, Coach Ken Boyd. Mrs. Reaco Boyd, Coach Boyd’s wife, is the coordinator of the program. She’s attentive to the program's needs off the court and off the court expressing, “and I know energy, effort, and my life experiences help out our young ladies.” With “energy” and “effort” being their focus, this BWSL Red Tides team trains daily, whether it be independently and collectively, honoring social distancing regulations. And despite the existing hurdles this squad eagerly awaits their season opener set for July 6-8 at the Boo Williams Sportsplex with a schedule set to complete an anticipated 5 tournaments. </span> [caption id="attachment_181672" align="alignright" width="300"] <strong>2020 Mayberry Classic 2nd place finals championship- Red Tides AAU 13U (photo courtesy of Lonnie E. Kenley) </strong>[/caption] <span style="font-size: 14pt"><strong><strong style="color: inherit;font-family: inherit;text-align: center">Here are the rising 9th-grade stars to keep your eyes on.</strong></strong></span> <h3></h3> <h3><span style="font-size: 12pt"><b>Kobie Haggins, 5’8, Guard, Class of 2024 </b></span></h3> <h3><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-weight: 400">This Portsmouth, Virginia native expressed, </span><span style="font-weight: 400">“never shadow your dreams you never know what opportunities are sneaking up behind you “. Haggins understands how competitive this sport is and her excel surrounds possessing a</span><span style="font-weight: 400"> defensive mentality. Haggins spends 3 days a week training, running 3 miles to build her stamina, weight training, and </span><span style="font-weight: 400">working to improve her ball-handling skills. Haggins can play any position on the perimeter, taking her opponent off the dribble, and getting to the free-throw line whenever she desires. With all her abilities, Haggins focuses on the task given and a desire to grow and be remembered as one of the greatest that have ever played at Wilson High School. </span></span></h3>   <h3><span style="font-size: 12pt"><b>Chloe Beddingfield- 5’9, Guard/Small Forward, Class of 2024</b></span></h3> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;font-size: 12pt">This Virginia Beach resident knows what it’ll take to make it in her upcoming AAU season, as she also prepares for what’s to come as a Princess Anne High School Cavalier. Training 5 times a week independently with one of the areas best in “Shareese Grant” (an Old Dominion University Standout inducted into ODU’s Sports Hall of Fame) to prepare for her high school debut. Beddingfield’s dominant size allows her to score at will over her opponents whenever she puts the ball on the floor, finishing around the basket, and gets to the line with ease. It would be wise to keep your eyes on her. </span></h3>   <h3><span style="font-size: 12pt"><b>Taylor Christful- 5’6, Guard, Class of 2024 </b></span></h3> [caption id="attachment_181685" align="alignright" width="150"] Taylor Christful Class of 2024 (photo courtesy of Taylor Christful)[/caption] <h3><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-weight: 400">Christful’s growth with on-ball defense is attributed to her coach’s guidance that helped her “fall in love with” defending. Christful stated, “it’s fun to make the other team turn the ball over and get frustrated. I put myself in a position to cut off defenders, deny the ball in the paint” to contribute to her team's smothering “all-out defensive” mindset Coach Boyd teaches. To ensure she maintains a motor Christful runs 3 miles 4 times a week and trains 5 times a week independently and with “iball 24/7”. Christful expressed with confidence in self, ”I have worked on my separation to get off a better shot, and get low and use my quickness to get to the basket! I have bettered myself and increased speed, skill, and knowledge of basketball since the quarantine!”</span></span></h3>   <h3><span style="font-size: 12pt"><b>Kylah Moore- 5’7, Guard, Class of 2024 </b></span></h3> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;font-size: 12pt">Moore is a defensive tone-setter that will be attending Oscar High School preparing herself to start as a freshman and help the program improve its season finishing record of 8-15 overall according to Maxprep 2019-2020. Moore’s mission to enter her freshman year making an impact surrounds her rigorous independent and “iball 24/7” workouts that consist of hundreds of shots taken, weight training, speed, and agility 3 times a week where she completes 2 workouts per day, within those 3 days. Moore embodies the attitude “don’t tell me the sky’s the limit if there are footprints on the moon” when she plays. Using her quickness and ability to anticipate and pick apart her opponents, Moore aims for a greater reward of playing for North Carolina A&T in their 2024-2025 season.</span></h3>   <h3><span style="font-size: 12pt"><b>Demaria Moree- 5’8, Guard/Small Forward, Class of 2024 </b></span></h3> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;font-size: 12pt">Moree, a beach native will be attending Princess Anne High School in the fall. Moree possesses a ton of energy on the court and her love for defense will help her fit right into Coach Dozier’s infamous defensive schemes. Moree informed PrepNetwork, “I started playing basketball originally to lose weight and have fun”, and in turn, she has become an offensive threat. With a “variety of moves, good mid-range jumper, quick reaction, and great court vision” Moree forces teams to play honest defense. Priding herself on her trainer's advice regarding how to remain constant in one's work ethic. Moree expressed, “yeah I train 5 times a week and twice a day because I was told training is like making a deposit, come game day you can only withdraw what you put in, and I pride myself on that.”</span></h3>   <h3><span style="font-size: 12pt"><b>Tinasia Spencer- 5’7, Guard/Small Forward, Class of 2024 </b></span></h3> [caption id="attachment_181686" align="alignright" width="150"] Tinasia Spencer Class of 2024 (photo courtesy of Tinasia Spencer)[/caption] <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;font-size: 12pt">Spencer possesses a solid frame that allows her to command the boards, and she’s fearless on defense and offense. As a defender, she is viewed as a nuisance. Spencer smiled as she expressed, “this is one of the best parts of playing the game; defense. I can get in a player’s head and get blocks and steals” to lead her team in creating countless fast breaks. Spencer’s love for the game has also pushed her to excel in becoming, even more, quicker than her natural sprinter skills, and with her training daily “being unforgettable” is certainly possible. </span></h3>   <span style="font-size: 12pt"><b>Olivia O’Neill- 5’7, Guard, Class of 2024</b></span> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;font-size: 12pt">O’Neill is “a very competitive player” that has “grown a lot and will always push herself to be better each day”. O’Neill’s “mindset is to always grind and have fun no matter what!” This UConn hopeful can be seen possessing a calm demeanor, quiet much like Kawhi Leonard. O’Neill is a go-getter, capable of setting records at her intended high school Ocean Lakes. O’Neill works out daily, in her parent’s garage, alternating cardio regimens that surround running for 1-2 hours or cycling when away from a basketball training session. If questioned about her skill set, O’Neill will shy away from responding initially, but her teammates will celebrate her skills sharing “she can really shoot especially off the dribble” viewing her in their responses as something phenomenal. Not only is O’Neill a shooter, but she is very capable of driving to the hoop. Her fundamentals can help create options out of any offensive set. </span></h3> <h3><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="font-weight: 400"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400"> </span></span></h3>  