By: Adam Freeman
The Lady Mt. Lions Basketball team will be under new management for the first time in several seasons. Alisha McCune is set to take the reins for the 2024 season, along with her assistant Jonathan Hicks. We would like to take this opportunity for you to get know the new staff leading the program. Head Coach Alisha McCune is a graduate of TCHS and played for three state championships for the black and gold in the 1990’s. Coach McCune continued her playing career at Wheeling Jesuit College, alongside fellow Mt. Lion, Sarah Hamrick. She went on to graduate from West Virginia University in 2006 with a degree in Physical Therapy, and she currently works outpatient PT for Cortland Acres. Alisha is married to her husband Scott Lycliter and has two daughters and one son. Prior to taking this position, she coached Little League Basketball for multiple seasons and served as the head coach for two seasons for the Tucker Valley Middle School girls’ program. Coach McCune hopes to continue the previous success of the program as the TCHS girls’ basketball has a long history of accomplishment and has produced multiple college student athletes. She plans to play a high energy, fast paced game with a high intensity offense. Alisha has high expectations for this season. “This is a great group of girls who are eager to learn and play. They are a very athletic team,” says McCune. When we asked Coach McCune what brought her back to the program she said, “I have always loved basketball and loved playing for TCHS. I am excited to be a part of the program again”. Alongside her will be assistant coach Jonathan Hicks. Hicks is a graduate of TCHS Class of 1999 where he participated in football, basketball, and baseball for the Mt. Lions. Hicks was a 2002 graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College in Education and has a Masters in Educational Leadership. Jonathan is currently employed with Tucker County Schools as the Director of Support Services. He is married to Sarah Harper Hicks, and has four daughters- Peyton Sophomore at TCHS, Katie and Addie Freshman at Glenville State College (playing softball and cross county/track), and Kristen, Junior at WV Wesleyan College. Coach Hicks has been involved in coaching for 15 plus years in multiple sports and levels in Tucker County. Hicks currently holds the head coach position for TCHS softball. We asked Jonathan what gave him the desire to help coach the Lady Mt. Lions and this is what he had to say, “I’ve always enjoyed coaching and want to invest my time in the youth of our community through sports and promote the life lessons that come with playing sports. Sports present a lot of challenges and being able to help kids navigate those challenges while also helping to relate those same skills to life situations that will help these student athletes become happy and productive adults, is something that our youth needs, and I feel a calling to help provide that through coaching”. Along said Coach McCune and Coach Hicks, Rob Pase will be assisting for the season. The Tucker County Lady Mt. Lions will open their season on November 21 in a scrimmage at Frankfort.