UNIONTOWN &045; After finishing the 2005-06 season with a 25-3 record and ranked No. 2, the R.C. Hatch Lady Bobcat head coach Walter Abraham had to step back to see what he had for this year.

The Lady Bobcats lost four starters from last year’s squad that went to the semi-finals in Birmingham. Gone is Vinecia Dudley, Hatch’s leading scorer. She made the state finals all-tournament team and is now playing at Wallace Community College-Selma; Ahjah Mitchell, who at Alabama State; Sheleta Banks, who is also playing at WCCS; and Latoria Paige. The lone returning starter is senior Janita Essex, who plays a post-position. Of the 11 players on the team, four of them are freshmen and two are starting. There are also two other seniors on the team, Lakisha Johnson, who has played sparingly and Latisha Jordan who hasn’t played since ninth grade. Coach Abraham will look to Essex and junior Ashley Walker for leadership on the young squad.

One of the concerns is that the Lady Bobcats are without a true point guard.

The Keith Lady Bears will probably be the area team that will pose the biggest problem for Hatch this year.

The area has always been one of the toughest.