SAN ANGELO, TX-- After making the playoffs for the first time in two years under new head coach Landon Dyer, the Central Lady Cats basketball team is looking to make playoff trips a recurring thing.
To do that, there must be a bond between the players so they know what’s happening before it even happens on the court.
That’s where the Texas Cats Elite Basketball AAU team comes in.
As you’ll see in the metroplex for most sports, teams like the Texas Cats are a way for the members of a high school team to perfect their craft outside of their school. None of the high school coaches are involved, but these teams typically mirror the systems the high schools will run during the winter season and they’re coached by volunteers.
The Texas Cats formed “a couple of years ago,” according to their coach Joey Humphreys, because the parents and coaches of the Central Lady Cats recognized a need for the girls to develop their skills together.
“I think it’ll help more this year,” Humphreys said. “Last year we didn’t have Cadye Nelms, Tae Dosson. We didn’t even have Parris Parmer. This was the first year where we’ve had the entire group of Central girls playing together.”
Incoming seniors Parris Parmer, Morgan Walker, Victoria Lopez and Vanessa Cabrera were crucial to Central’s playoff push in the 2018-2019 season and are staples on the Texas Cats’ Orange Team that features mostly varsity players. Lopez, Parmer and Walker were crucial to the Lady Cat's playoff berth last year.
This past weekend, in Frisco, the Texas Cats entered into one of the biggest AAU basketball tournaments in the country, the Premier Basketball Super 64 Nationals. Their Orange Team wound up taking home the consolation championship from the tournament.
“Winning [the championship] was exciting,” Humphreys said. “But the main goal this season was to build that bond so there wouldn’t be any animosity during the school year.”
After losing their first game by five points, Humphreys said a championship wasn’t at the forefront of the team’s thoughts. Rather, the primary objective for the team was to get experience since the primary competition the girls will be their new, DFW-centric district.
“I think we were going to get experience and try to play at a high level since Central got moved into that Metroplex district,” Humphreys added. “You know, to get them ready for that competition.”
The Texas Cats then won four straight games and got moved to The Fieldhouse, the biggest venue of the tournament. After their third straight win, the girls realized a trophy was in reach.
“We got moved to The Fieldhouse and that’s where all the trophies are,” Humphreys said. “That was the first time, I think, all season they started looking at the trophies. I didn’t expect to feel that good winning when they pulled it off because that’s not what we go for.”
This tournament was the last AAU tournament for the four seniors.
“To win at the 64, one of the largest tournaments, it was huge for them,” Humphreys said. “It was a lot more emotional than I thought it would be.”
To compete at the high level the Central girls will face this season, development of their key players is of the utmost importance.
Parmer and Walker each saw growth in the mental aspects of their game during the summer with the Texas Cats.
“I think Morgan has surpassed her leadership role from last year,” Humphreys said of the senior-to-be point guard. Humphreys has trained Morgan for three years.
Humphreys would go on to say Walker and Parmer “were fully on the same page” during the summer season and they both were selfless for the team.
For Parmer, her growth was in developing a finesse ability for her game.
“She likes to drive and she likes to drive hard,” Humphreys said. “When she does, she puts her body at risk. She’s getting that finesse to the game where it’s not just straight body in. She can do a couple of things with it and not commit to the drive.”
Humphreys said both Parmer and Walker have received college interest, including from Angelo State University.
The Central Lady Cats went 19-17 in 2018, taking fourth place in District 8-6A. The Lady Cats were knocked out of the playoffs by state power Duncanville in the Bi-District round.
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