SUMMER BASKETBALL: New Section coach pleased with Lions’ progress during summer play
Story By Jason Bowen
New Section girls basketball head coach Chuck Dutton expected some inconsistencies in the early part of the Lions’ summer practice and competition period.
After he got the job in late May, Section went to work quickly ahead of June’s play dates, and the progress the Lions made from start to finish has Dutton excited about the direction they’re headed ahead of the 2025-26 season.
“I thought all three of our teams got better from the first practice till the end,” said Dutton, a former Collinsville and Crossville assistant coach.
The Section varsity, junior varsity and junior high teams played 10 games each during play dates at Gadsden State Community College and the Supreme Courts Facility in Guntersville.
Section’s varsity team posted a 7-3 record. The Lions collected two wins each over Class 5A Douglas and 2A Cleveland while also defeating 3A Asbury, 1A Appalachian and Southeastern, which reached the Class 2A Northeast Regional last season. Section’s losses were to Class 5A Guntersville, 3A Locust Fork and 1A Appalachian.
“Most of the games were really competitive,” Dutton said. “We struggled against Guntersville, they were big and gave us matchup problems. We probably had our best game in one of the games against Douglas, won by 30-plus. There were some games we didn’t shoot well, but we were able to play well enough defensively and rebound well enough to win. That was good to see.”
Section had nine varsity players this summer, including rising seniors Julianne Varner, London Robertson, Kayley Machen, Kaley Kennamer, Zella Johnson, Ava Harper and Plainview transfer and Coach Dutton’s daughter Kylee Dutton along with rising juniors Kaelyn Browning and Lluvia Soria, who is back after missing last season because on an injury. The Lions also played this summer without rising junior and two-year starter Millie Gentry, who is expected back from an injury shortly after the season begins.
Coach Dutton said the players showed progress throughout the month of June.
“They showed a better understanding of how we’re going to play and what I’m looking for as we went along,” he said. “Offensively, we got better about not forcing things, not forcing shots, and defensively there was a big improvement learning how we do things. We got better. We’re moving in the right direction and we’ve got to keep working hard and keep improving when we get to pick things back up.”
