The King’s Fork High School girls’ basketball team is ready to live up to its lofty expectations this year.

After losing in the 4A state semifinal game last year, the Lady Bulldogs is widely expected to get there again. Outsiders believe the Lady Bulldogs have the best chance to capture a state championship.

“Our goal is the same every year,” Lady Bulldogs coach Maurice Fofana said. “We want to win the big one. That’s the ultimate goal. We want to win the conference, region and state.”

Fofana and his team are expected to get everyone’s best shot every game. The Lady Bulldogs know a season of this magnitude could add immense pressure on the team to perform at a high level every night. Fofana has been in similar situations throughout his playing career and will do his best to keep the team even-keeled.

“I’ve played the game, and I’ve been there before,” Fofana said. “I’ve been to the states undefeated; I’ve won the states and lost. I’ve been where most of these kids are, which is important for me to keep them level-headed and humble. We have an X on our chest every night. We have to work hard still and be humble.”

The Lady Bulldogs will be returning all-state player and University of North Carolina—Greensboro commit Amesha Miller. She averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds for the team last year. Junior point guard and first team all-conference player Camary Harris will be returning to the helm. Senior Cyndey Nichols will be returning as a reliable scoring option. King’s Fork will be returning most of a core that started the season off 20-0 last year.

From a senior standpoint, Fofana knows his seniors are battle tested as far as basketball experience is concerned. He wants to see how they lead when things aren’t going exactly the way the team wants.

“My seniors have been in the fire; they’ve been to the state and won close games,” Fofana said. “What makes a good team a great team is how the seniors lead when things aren’t going our way — pushing players to pick it up at practice or leading by example off of the court.”

King’s Fork will start its season on Nov. 29 at home against Wilson High School. The game will start at 7:15 p.m.