Numbers May Be Issue As PM Girls Tip Off Tonight
After getting knocked off its perch atop the Pioneer District a season ago, the Parry McCluer High School girls basketball team will try to reclaim the top spot in 2025-26.
The Fighting Blues hardly had a disappointing season last winter, finishing 17-6 overall and advancing to the district title game. But top seed Narrows ended PM’s four-year run as Pioneer champions, and the Blues would go on to fall to Galax in the Region 1C quarterfinals.
Half of PM’s eight-player roster played on the 2024-25 squad. But if the Blues are to return to the top of the heap in the Pioneer, they’ll have to figure out a way to replace four seniors – including 202324 district player of the year Victoria Hamilton and fellow all-district honorees Natalie Mohler and Peira Conner.
PM head coach Adam Gilbert, who boasts three Class 1 state titles and an overall record of 265-111 across his first 15 years at the helm, believes that the Blues’ resiliency from last season should carry over to the new campaign.
“Obviously, we didn’t accomplish our goal of winning the regular season or the district tournament,” Gilbert said. “But last year’s team overcame many obstacles to give themselves a chance to be successful in postseason play.”
The Blues return just one senior, 5-foot-8-inch guard Kayleigh Ramsey, who garnered an honorable mention All-Pioneer District nod last year. Ramsey can score the basketball in a variety of ways, and PM will also depend on her leadership with a younger group on the sidelines.
Fellow senior Katie Tomlin (5-5) is back on the hardcourt after not playing hoops for the past few seasons. A good shooter, Tomlin will be counted on to provide a scoring punch off the bench.
Junior Emory Slagle (5-8) was a second-team all-district performer for the Blues last season. A versatile player with the ability to contribute at multiple positions, Slagle is a quality shooter and a good defender whose role should only expand this winter.
The other two returning players are both sophomores. Josie Martinez (5-7) played a key role off the bench last season, and the Blues will look to utilize her interior skills and her ability to pass the ball. Meanwhile, Gilbert said that classmate Patience Hill (5-5) “is perhaps the most improved player” from last year’s squad, and her offseason work should lead to more minutes on the floor.
Three freshmen round out PM’s 2025-26 squad, and they could all see time immediately. Kat Zissi (5-1) and Caroline Watts (5-6) will contribute in the backcourt, with both potentially getting a look at the point guard spot. Zissi’s speed and quickness should make her an asset on the defensive end, while Watts is a good shooter and a solid defender. And Miranda Stanley (5-7) will be in the mix in the frontcourt, where her athleticism should benefit the Blues.
The freshmen “will have an opportunity to make an impact on our game plans right away,” Gilbert said. “We are asking them to pick things up quickly.”
PM may find itself in the unfamiliar role of underdog within the Pioneer. Narrows returns a large portion of its roster from last year’s team, which beat the Blues 59-28 in the district title game and advanced to the regional semifinals, and Gilbert thinks the Green Wave may be a state championship contender this time around.
The rest of the Pioneer won’t be a slouch, either. Eastern Montgomery boasts several players from the school’s volleyball team, which just won the district championship, and Craig County will call up a good portion of last year’s powerhouse junior varsity squad. Factor in improving programs from Bath County and Highland County, and the Blues will have their work cut out for them with every district contest.
“The Pioneer District will be much improved from a year ago,” Gilbert said.
The Blues will test themselves early and often with their nondistrict schedule, including matchups with 2025 Class 1 state quarterfinalist Fort Chiswell and Class 3 program Rocktown in the 11th annual Jaden Baker Tournament in Buena Vista next Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12-13. PM will also square off in home-and-home sets with Rockbridge County, Auburn and Riverheads, and the Blues are slated to face Rural Retreat in the Rock the Ribbon Roundball Shootout on Saturday, Jan. 24 at Rockbridge County.
With a tough nondistrict slate and a competitive Pioneer District schedule looming, it would be easy for PM to get bogged down with the pressure. Instead, the Blues are focused on the process – and on themselves.
“The expectations are the same as they have been … over the last 15 seasons,” Gilbert said. “They are to show up and put in an honest effort to become better players at both ends of the floor, each time we have the opportunity to do so.”
“Hopefully, we are able to do that, and when late February or early March rolls around, we can reflect on our efforts and be proud of the work we have done throughout the season,” he added.
The Blues will tip off the season with a 6 p.m. home contest against Auburn tonight. PM then plays its series against Riverheads, with the road game scheduled for Friday and the return contest in Buena Vista on tap for next Wednesday, Dec. 10. On both nights against the Gladiators, tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
