Unbelievably, the new basketball season also marks the 15th anniversary of our back-to-back State Final Four runs. The '06-'07 team was led by two amazing seniors in Kallie Hovatter and Brittany Koontz, who were childhood teammates and friends. They had almost played their entire lives together. The year before they took a team of eight players, which included four freshmen and a sophomore, to the State Final Four for the first time in 17 years. Cassidy Mongold was the lone senior on the '06 team. The team's slogan for the '06 run was "Dream Big!" For '07, it was only natural that the slogan was "Dream Bigger!"

The season and team were marked by many things. Senior Kallie Hovatter became the only player in Shenandoah County history to score over 2,000 points in her career. Kallie scored in double figures 97 of her 100 varsity games. All three of her single-digit games came her freshman year and she had nine points in two of those. She finished her career scoring in double figures 84 straight games. Hovatter holds school records for points in a game (43), points in a season (608), and points in a career (2,085). She was twice named Co-Player of the Year by the VHSCA and Player of the Year by the AP. She went on to play Division 1 basketball at Elon University.

The supporting cast was vastly underrated (they went on to win two regular-season district titles after Hovatter’s graduation). Molly Beall would go on to score 1,207 points in her career and become one of the nine girls in school history to score 1,000 points. Jessica “Bull” Richardson scored 789 points, Heather Stout scored 772 (lost 5 games her senior year in which she was averaging 17.0 points per game), and Meghan Lutz finished with 668 points despite losing half her sophomore season to an ACL tear. The team also featured one of the best defensive units in Coach Burner’s career. The team only allowed 43.3 points per game with Hovatter, Lutz, Koontz, Barbie Harlow, and Connor Shirley providing lockdown defense on the perimeter while Beall, Richardson, Stout, and Brittany Smith patrolled the lane with a tough, physical presence.

Clarke County, Highland School (in Warrenton), and Wilson were the team’s biggest rivals during the season. Highland, a private school, had an incredible team and split with the Generals, each taking a game at home. Wilson was the Generals' only district blemish during the regular season and battled the Generals both State years for Shenandoah District supremacy. The team swept Clarke in the regular season in tight battles but fell to the Eagles in the Region B Championship game. The Eagles went on to win the Group A State Championship over Floyd Co. who had defeated the Generals in the State Semi-final.

Ultimately, the Generals' biggest opponent may have been injuries. The team battled to get back to the State Final Four in Richmond despite the injuries which limited players and ended other’s seasons early. The season marked the last in Virginia for three classifications. The next season Virginia would move to divisional play, creating five champions and eventually leading to the six classes now in place. The same four schools represented the State in both '05-'06 and '06-'07 at the single-A level. Gate City, Floyd Co., Clarke Co., and Stonewall comprised the final four both seasons. Four schools out of 98 in Group A. The Generals finished the season with a 23-5 record.

One of the most incredible aspects of the season was the crowds at every game. For many fans, the atmosphere of the old gym couldn’t be matched, but the girls’ games in '06-'07 proved to be an electric atmosphere. An incredible student section and packed crowds made for a crazy competitive environment. Every game of the '06-'07 season, whether at home or on the road, seemed to be in front of a packed house. It is something the players and coaches will never forget. The highlight video for the season is attached. We didn’t have as much video then, but thanks to Amanda Pence-Lutz and Dylan Dawson using assistant coach Phil Lutz’s camera we had some of the most incredible action photos. Corin Shirley helped put together the video with Coach Burner.

In the weeks to come, we hope to profile the '62 and '82 boys state teams, and the '77 and '78 girls state teams. Hope you enjoy them!

1000 Point Scorer Website