By John Henson
Sports Writer

After 15 seasons as an assistant with the boys basketball program at Harlan County High School, culminating in a run to last year’s Sweet Sixteen finals, Gary Greer was ready for a new challenge.
He appears to have found it as the new leader of the school’s girls basketball team, where he takes on the biggest rebuilding project in program history.
The Lady Bears enjoyed a wildly successful start when the school opened in 2008 with seven trips to the 13th Region Tournament finals in the first 11 seasons of their existence, but HCHS hasn’t been to the regional finals or won a district title since 2019 and dropped to 16-14 in 2024.
Greer will have to replace all five starters, including star guard Ella Karst, who is now playing at UVA-Wise. Forward Paige Phillips and guard Faith Hoskins also graduated, while Cheyenne Rhymer transferred to Harlan. Junior forward Whitley Teague was recently sidelined for the season with a wrist injury.
Greer is left with a roster dominated by middle school players and a handful of upperclassmen with very little varsity experience.
“We’re really young, but I don’t want to use that as an excuse. We have some goals we talk about every day we’d like to achieve,” Greer said. “If we can rebound the ball, I feel we have enough shooting and ball handling to be pretty good. We’re just so small at this point, but we have multiple shooters and ball handlers. I don’t think you can just worry about one person shooting and handling the ball with us. We have several who can come in and make shots, in addition to our starters. Our guards have to get the long rebounds and the 50-50 balls.”
One spot where Greer knows he’s set is at point guard where Reagan Clem made an impressive debut last season as a seventh grader before being sidelined late last season with a knee injury. Clem gave the Lady Bears a 3-point threat in her first high school campaign but will take on a bigger role this year as she takes over for Karst at the controls of the HCHS offense.
“She’s been doing some drills for a while, but we hope to have her back for everything by Dec. 1. She’s a gym rat and is always working hard. She’s a flopr leader. We expect her to handle the ball, get us in our offense and hit shots,” Greer said. “She will have the ball in her hands a lot more this year.”
Clem’s Rosspoint teammate, freshman Jaylee Cochran, will again join her in the backcourt where she provides a 3-point threat.
“She’s batted a hamstring strain the last few weeks, but she’s also at the gym all the time. She can shoot, but I’ve been really surprised at how well she handles it. She also guards really well,” Greer said. “I thought she was just a shooter, but she can help us at the 1.”
Kylee Runions, also a freshman, was a standout on last year’s junior varsity squad and will be counted on to provide an offensive boost with her gritty style.
“She has a knack for scoring and can put the ball in the basket several different ways. She can get to the rim and can knock down shots,” Greer said. “She needs to keep getting better on the defensive end.”
Two juniors, Whitney Noe and Lacey Robinson, will likely start in the frontcourt. Noe has been a pleasant surprise for Greer with her shooting abilities.
“Whitney plays every possession like it’s her last. She’s very, very aggressive, both rebounding and guarding,” Greer said. “She has picked up the defensive assignments as quickly as anyone. She can also shoot real well with a very quick release.”
Robinson backed up Teague last year at center and will play a much bigger role this season.
“Lacey is the team leader,” Greer said. “I have been surprised by Lacey also with the way she shoots the ball. She isn’t that big for a center, so we may have to do some things to help inside at times.”
Jaycee Simpson, an eighth grader who starred on Rosspoint’s county championship team in the fall, is one of the team’s most improved players and can help at point guard.
“She passes and shoots really well and really gets after you defensively. She takes pride in guarding,” Greer said. “There are several things we can do with her and let Clem work off the ball at times.”
Taylynn Napier, a seventh grader, could be a future star and is expected to play a big role on the varsity this year after she works back from an injury suffered in the middle school county tournament.
“She has a bright future,” Greer said. “She is physically ready and has a knack for scoring. She has a lot of confidence. We have to get her back healthy.”
Lauren Lewis, a freshman who has starred the past two years on regional championship cross country teams, provides ultra athleticism with the ability to play multiple positions and serve as a defensive ace.
“She can run like a deer. She is long and athletic and will be another one who can play several spots,” Greer said. “She can guard the other team’s best player. She could even play some at the 5.”
Several members of a strong eighth grade class will provide depth in the post, including Shasta Brackett, Raegan Landa and Vanessa Griffith.
“I’ve been surprised with how well Brackett is shooting,” Greer said. “All three of them could help us inside.
Three other eighth graders will also provide help with Kenadee Sturgill and Kelsie Middleton giving HCHS 3-point threats, and Brooke Haywood offering athleticism.
Junior guard Trinity Jones and freshman forward Khloe Carr will also see action.
With a lack of size but what appears to be a deep roster, Greer plans to run and press as much as possible.
“We have no choice. We have to press,” he said. “We will get up and down the court and play several people. There’s not a reason to be tired.”
HCHS missed the regional tournament for only the fourth time in school history last year with a two-point loss to Harlan in the first round after four straight runner-up finishes to Bell County. The Lady Bears enter the 2025 season ranked third in the district with Bell bringing back three starters and Harlan returning four to a senior-dominate squad.
“Bell has won the last five, so someone has to beat them, then Harlan has two of the top players (Aymanni Wynn and Kylie Noe), and Middlesboro is getting better,” Greer said. “The district will be tough and very competitive.
“Confidence goes a long way, and that can carry you sometimes for a while. We won’t run a million sets. I want to teach them how to play basketball so I don’t have to coach every single possession. We’ve been getting after it in practice with a good attitude. They just have to play hard every possession and not take plays off. So far, we’ve done a really good job of that. I think we can be competitive.”