Riverside girls basketball head coach Kevin Wyatt earned his first-career win on Saturday — a 71-56 triumph over Wren.
It had been a long time coming for Wyatt, who took the Riverside job this past offseason following an 18-year stint as an assistant coach at Byrnes.
“I never thought I would get to this point,” said Wyatt. “When you’re at the same place for 18 years, you never really think about or imagine getting this opportunity.”
When Wyatt returned to the locker room Saturday to give his team a postgame speech after the win over Wren, he found a surprise waiting for him.
His players had gotten together, unbeknownst to Wyatt, and acquired him a Riverside jersey with the number one on it. They presented it to him after the game to commemorate his first win as a head coach.
“That meant the world to me,” said Wyatt. “I walked in, and it was pretty somber. I was like, ‘Do I need to go back and look at the scoreboard to make sure we won?’ But it was just a ploy to surprise me.
“I had no idea that first win was so meaningful to them, but it sure was to me. When they gave it to me, I kind of shed a tear. It was a special moment that I got to share with them and my staff.”
Despite being new to his role and new to Riverside, Wyatt has immediately found the respect and admiration of his players. At practices and games, they respond to his infectious energy and vibrant personality.
“He brings so much energy, passion, and care every day,” said Riverside senior Maddie Bache. “He lifts us up. I think he believes in us even more than we believe in ourselves certain days.”
“The way he coaches us, he coaches us in a very understanding way,” said junior guard Ansley LaGrange. “It makes you want to play even harder for him… he helps us with things outside of basketball, making sure our grades are good and that our mental is right.”
Riverside has experienced plenty of recent basketball success. Wyatt knows that.
In 2024, the Lady Warriors captured the program’s first-ever state championship. They won 20 games last season, finished 11-3 in a gauntlet of a region, and advanced to the third round of the playoffs.
Wyatt acknowledges he’s taking over a program in great shape. He says he’s thankful for the chance to build off that solid foundation.
“It’s not often when you become a head coach that you get to take over a 20-win team,” said Wyatt. “But it’s amazing, because these girls have been there before. They know how to win. They’ve won a lot, so that’s just the mentality they have.”
This year’s team returns several pieces from a talented 2024-25 squad, led by senior guard Kyndal Haroski, one of the best shooters in the state.
The Lady Warriors, however, will be missing the services of three of their four highest scorers last season. Forward Elly Trickett and guard Madison Garrido graduated, and forward Sophia Powell transferred to North Myrtle Beach.
All three were key contributors in Riverside’s 2024 state title and overall success. Now, players like Bache, LaGrange, sophomore Jasleen Lombana, and junior Marley Mangum will see increased roles after those departures.
“We lost three of our best players, so people are probably not thinking about us much,” said Mangum. “We have four freshmen on our team and a seventh grader, so we’re a young team. But everyone has stepped up. We surprised some people with some of our wins in the fall league.”
“I know this year might be a lot of new things, but as one of the seniors on the team, I want to make the most of it,” said Haroski. “I want to do everything I can to encourage and be there for some of the younger girls on the team, and shape them the best way I can. I think we’ve got potential to be a really good team.”
With a new head coach and several new starters, the Lady Warriors are embracing the lack of attention. Despite their recent success, they enter the year unranked in Class 5-A D2. Confidence from the outside is lower in this year’s Riverside team than in years prior.
But inside the locker room? It couldn’t be higher.
“From day one this offseason, these girls have given a bunch of effort,” said Wyatt. “They believe in what we can do. We’ve got a young group, and some of the older girls are helping mold them into being contributors.
“And that’s what we’re going to need. It’s going to be all hands on deck.”
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