News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Pickett County High School is selling merchandise to celebrate the state-champion girls basketball program.
Head Coach Brent Smith said t-shirts, crew necks, hooded sweatshirts, and more are available on the team’s Twitter account and will be added to the school website soon. He said the merchandise is already popular in Pickett County because, well, everybody loves a winner.
“I was actually in class today and saw a kid with some stuff already on with our picture on it and the kids’ names on it,” Smith said. “It’s just an amazing feeling. I mean, these kids have, like I said, well-deserved and worked hard, and you see something come together that somebody worked so hard for, it’s just an amazing feeling just of satisfaction for them.”
Smith said the proceeds from the merchandise sales will all come back to the team. He said the money will go a long way in funding summer camps and next year’s season. He said for a community as small as Pickett County, the support has been incredible.
“Obviously, you know, we’re buying championship rings,” Smith said. “We’re buying lots of different things for the kids to enjoy. Not just to enjoy now, but to enjoy when they get out of school and when they get older. They’ll have something to look back on. You know, pictures in the gym and just some more memorabilia.”
He said requests for merchandise began pouring in all the way back in the regular season. He said the public’s desire to show their support with team attire only grew as the team won the district, region, and state titles. He said shirts include a state championship seal, a team photo, and the names of every player.
“It’s something that hadn’t been done, you know, since ’89,” Smith said. “So, obviously, it’s been a long time coming and people are just really hungry.”
He said the Lady Bobcat pride flooding into the Pickett County community through the new merchandise has made the players feel deeply cared for and appreciated by their neighbors.
