The Bearcats are coming off a 23-win season last year, finishing first in the Mountain Six Conference; an impressive season to say the least.' Last year's group was led by a sophomore and freshman, and a few juniors as well.' It was a group that played very well together but what is scary to think is that most of those same players that came off a 23-6 record are back, with a year under their belt and experience playing together.

That is why head coach Marvin Featherstone and fans of Hendersonville should be excited once again.' It is also why fans of high school basketball around North Carolina should be taking more notice of the Bearcats this season.

It is a dangerous team that thrives on the offensive end, averaging nearly 76 points per game to start the season (5-0 record).' Once again, they are led by two of their younger prospects, as sophomore Keenan Wilkins continues to show how much of a dynamic scorer he can be (20.8) and Dwight Canady is not far behind, averaging 18.2 points and 6.8 rebounds.'

Then, when you add in the seniors that have been able to contribute like Carson Redden (12ppg, 5.8rpg), Alex Lemmens (6.4ppg, 7.2rpg), and others, it looks to again be a very dangerous team with firepower.

This is also a group that gets on the boards (34.8rpg), is terrific on the defensive end (15.4 steals per game), and really does a nice job in scoring the ball effectively inside the arc; all intangibles that could help this team go far.

Even in a short season, could this be the year for the Bearcats to climb all the way to the top'' Time will only tell but this is a program that knows how to win, winning 20 or more games the last three seasons under Featherstone. So with the winning pedigree there and another year of experience with this group underneath their belt, Hendersonville has big dreams in what has been a unique year.