Doug Lechtenberger has been the Girls Basketball coach at Dulles High School for 23 years. He's had many standout teams, but he has never had an inside power player until Kelsey Bone came along.
"She's one of a kind," says Lechtenberger. "For most coaches you're lucky to have one in your career, but to have something like this come along, it's pretty special."
The big 6'5" center says she and her teammates have only one goal in mind this season. They've been to regionals before, but this year they want more.
"I've told them if we don't go to state and win state they are going to have to give me a straight jacket." Bone kiddingly remarked. "Because I am going to need the insane aslum. It's that big of a deal for us."
Her last name is Bone, but her middle name just might just as well be "Muscle" because of the way Kelsey controls the game inside the paint.
"I compare her to Shaq," says Lechtenberger. "Because when she is inside she clears the lane out"
"When she's in there it's hard to guard her," adds teammate Trayvia Hart. "You have to send two or three people at her at once. She's big!"
Bone averages over 18 points and 9 rebounds a game despite playing less than three quarters of most contests.
And get this, she had to be convinced to give up cheerleading to even play this game.
"I was the kid who hit the wall, and missed the whole goal. I really never wanted to play and my Mom was like Kelsey you're 10, you're 6'1" you got to get up and do something. The cheeleading thing has got to go."
And her coach and teammates are sure happy it did.
