Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
The Stanhope Elmore girls’ basketball team had one of its best teams in recent memory. The Mustangs reached as high as #5 in Class 6A during the season. The Mustangs swept all three games against Wetumpka, won the Class 6A Area 4 championship, beat Blount in the 1st round of the Class 6A playoffs, and advanced to the Class 6A Sweet 16, finishing with a final record of 29-4.
Based on the outstanding season, the Elmore Autauga News has named Stanhope Elmore Basketball Coach Kelvin Stokes as the Elmore County Basketball Coach of the Year.
“It is a great feeling to be selected as the Elmore County Basketball Coach of the Year,” said Stokes. “It is exciting to be recognized for the work I have put into the program. I have wonderful assistant coaches and players. I can’t forget the administration, players, and fans.”
Stokes realized that the Mustangs had a chance for a special season in the summer when they competed against elite competition in play dates at Hoover High School, Troy University, and the University of Alabama. But Stokes cited the reason he thought the Mustangs excelled this season.
“The key to the team’s success was setting goals and working to achieve them. Our team slogan was F.A.M.I.L.Y, which means, Forget About Me I Love You. This is a very unselfish team. They truly have an unmatched culture. They have the blueprint of what a true program looks like. Our ultimate goal was to win the state championship, and although we were a few games short of achieving our goal, it kept us focused,” said Stokes.
Stokes believes the Mustangs have a chance next year to not only repeat this season’s success but to exceed it. Returning for the Mustangs next year will be Heaven Bailey, the Elmore County Basketball Player of the Year. After an impressive freshman season, Kuraji Crosby will be a big presence for the Mustangs in the paint. And big things are expected from rising freshman Ava Wilson, another ball handler to pair with Bailey.
“Next season, the sky is the limit,” said Stokes. “We have unfinished business. We have the potential to do the job we did not finish this year, which is to win the state championship.”
