Highland girls basketball team bonds through adversity heading into district tournament

HIGHLAND, Ark. (KAIT) - The Highland girls basketball team enters the district tournament with a 17-8 overall record and 10-0 conference mark, but their success comes after overcoming significant challenges off the court.

The Lady Rebels have dealt with the death of teammate Brooklynn Pendarvis in September 2024 and senior Sadie Meyer’s cancer battle from 2023 to 2024. Meyer, now a UT Martin signee, has returned to full health.

“Our class and team have gone through a lot of tribulations,” said senior Kiera Bagwell.

Team finds strength in shared struggles

Meyer reflected on her cancer diagnosis during her sophomore year.

“Looking back on my sophomore year when I was sick, I doubted myself a lot. It was definitely hard, but now I’m here, I’m so grateful, and I’m healthy,” Meyer said.

The loss of Pendarvis affected the entire team, the school, and the community. Pendarvis had been a significant part of the Lady Rebels program.

“Overall, we experienced a lot of doubt, frustration, and pain. Questioning why it was happening to us and why we were having to go through this,” Bagwell said.

Senior Charslee Goodman said the team constantly thinks about their absent teammates.

“It always comes up whether we’re at practice or in games, especially on senior night. We always think about her. Then, when Sadie was in the hospital, every time we were at practice, we were always thinking about her and how she was doing,” Goodman said. “It definitely helped push our boundaries as a team.”

Adversity builds team chemistry

The shared experiences have strengthened relationships among players.

“We spend so much more time together that we don’t take it for granted,” Meyer said.

Bagwell said the team’s support for each other during difficult times improved their connection.

“We were all there for each other because we understood each other and how we all felt. We were all we had. I think that really helped build our chemistry off of the court,” she said.

Coaches Lindsley and Cecil Meyer have observed how the team’s bond translates to their play.

“This group I may give a hard time to that I don’t think we’re as tough as I would like for them to be, but then when you look at what they’ve persevered through, they are tougher than I give them credit for,” the coaches said.

Team carries motivation into postseason

The players said their experiences drive their performance.

“Every time we step onto the court, we’re carrying all of it with us, and it pushes us to do better,” Bagwell said.

Freshman Macie Pendarvis, Brooklynn’s sister, believes her sister would be proud of the team’s success.

“She just became this person you can only dream of being. She would be on such of a high right now in life because how happy she’d be because of the group, the people, and the community,” Macie Pendarvis said.

The team has adopted a phrase from a documentary their coach showed them, which they display in their locker room and carry into games.

The Lady Rebels faced Westside in district tournament play Thursday night, hoping for a deep playoff run.

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