Lady Devils rout West Greene to avenge earlier loss

Lady Devils rout West Greene to avenge earlier loss Sophomore guard Brooklynn Sparks paced Unicoi County with 18 points on Thursday night, including 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range, as the Blue Devils avenged a loss in Mosheim with a 55-35 defeat of West Greene in the Devils Den. It was the fourth straight win in District 1-2A for Unicoi County (4-3, 12-11), a young team with a first-year coach that seems to be jelling at the ideal time. Sparks, who had a productive freshman season, is leading the way with 19 points per game. "Brooklynn continues to play at a high level," Unicoi County coach Jordan Simmons said. "She has scored it well all year, but her defense, rebounding and playmaking these past three or four weeks have been incredible. She has played really hard, and her effort is contagious." Sparks said there was an adjustment period when Simmons and former girls coach Brandon Broyles swapped benches following the 2024-25 season. Simmons, along with assistant coach Andrew Silvers, have cooked up a cohesive unit. "I feel like as a team we're finally getting into a groove," Sparks said. "With Simmons and Broyles switching roles and us moving into a different conference, we had a lot of areas we needed to improve and adjust. Going through all of that has helped us grow a lot. Coach Simmons and Coach Silvers have really helped me develop as a player, and they've always believed in the player I can become, which has pushed me to work harder and be more confident." Two other sophomores, forward Emma Grace Anders and wing Carly Baxter, are making a significant impact as well. Anders tallied 15 points and four rebounds against West Greene, and leads the Blue Devils with seven rebounds per game. Baxter piled up 15 rebounds, eight points, three assists and two blocks in the win on Thursday. "Emma Grace was very active and efficient on both ends of the floor," Simmons said. "Her ability to score on all three levels with her size makes her a tough matchup lots of nights. Her, Carly and Kaley Toney all give us a lot of versatility. … "Carly was unbelievable in there battling, and ended up with 15 rebounds. She had 17 during our game in Florida." Toney is second on the team with five rebounds per game. "Kaley battled in there all night (against West Greene)," Simmons said. "She's always in the right spot and working her tail off, even when she's giving up inches in there. We out rebounded them 35-15 for the game, and they have a lot of size." Toney is one of five Blue Devils seniors, along with Raegan Wilson, Abigail Vidrio, Danika Hendricks and Laney Rogers. Vidrio leads the team in assists per game, and had team highs in assists (five) and steals (four) against West Greene. Vidrio, the lead guard, missed a number of games early in the season with an injury, which further complicated the transition season. "With Abigail getting hurt at the beginning of the year, it definitely wasn't ideal for us, but it ended up making us better as a team," Sparks said. "A lot of us had to step into new roles and get out of our comfort zones. It took us a little while to find our footing, but once we did, it really helped us grow. "Our seniors have also played a huge role in how we're playing right now. They've set the standard for what it means to give 110 percent on and off the court, and they've been the glue that holds us together. Because of the way they lead, our team chemistry is really strong." Contributions came from all over in the rout of West Greene. "Abigail and Laney were so active at the top of our zone, and they both had tons of deflections," Simmons said. "Danika gave us some huge minutes and made some great plays. Destiny Effler, in her first game back, made a massive 40 foot shot at the halftime buzzer." The fourth straight league win put the Blue Devils above .500 on the season. "I feel like we are playing with a lot of urgency and confidence right now," Simmons said. "None of us were happy with how we started our conference slate, and it has been fun to watch these girls find the grit and determination to fight back from that. There is still a lot of basketball left to play, and we are focused on continuing to get better every day. "The weather had made it tough getting in the gym, and it looks like that trend might continue for a little longer. But when we are able to get together, it's so much fun to see them get after it, but also enjoy the process. They have been a blessing to coach these past nine or ten months, and I am excited to see where the rest of this year's journey goes." So is Sparks. "I'm hoping we can keep this momentum going and finish the rest of the season strong heading into tournament time," she said. "I feel like we still have a lot to prove, and honestly, I believe we're just getting started." The Blue Devils game at Johnson County initially scheduled for Jan. 27 has been rescheduled for Feb. 9.