Southmoore High School junior basketball player Kaydence Pettit will be expected to contribute in big ways for head coach Kayla Fourkiller’s Lady Sabercats.

“Kaydence Pettit is a Junior guard who has been starting for the Lady Sabercats since her freshman year,” Fourkiller said. “Kaydence is a very talented guard with the ability to shoot the 3 well. Kaydence can get to the basket off the dribble either finishing the basket or dishing to a teammate. She also is a floor general and a team leader.”

“We’re a very young team,” Pettit said, “but our younger girls are definitely showing they have what it takes to help us be successful this season.”

Long before she was knocking down long-range shots or driving to the hoop for the Lady Sabercats, Pettit was a second-grader picking up a basketball for the first time at the local YMCA.

“After that, I really started liking it, so my dad started an AAU team called the Thunderettes, and after that, everything just took off with my basketball career,” Pettit said.

Pettit’s father wasn’t necessarily harder on her, but he did hold her to a “higher standard.” He also taught her “to keep pushing no matter how hard basketball gets,” and that advice has served her well.

“The biggest setback I faced would be breaking my wrist the summer going into my freshman year,” Pettit said. “I was very discouraged at the time. I didn’t really get to participate in the summer leagues and camps we had.

It took a lot for Pettit to persevere, but “still being involved with [her] teammates definitely helped a lot.”

“They always kept me around positive vibes, which pushed me to keep a positive mind while being injured,” Pettit said.

While the expectations are high for Pettit this year, being grounded by her past experiences, teammates and family should surely help her to overcome any obstacles that meet her.