Trammell ends varsity career with 2nd divisional honor
Robbinsville – What else can be written about Desta Trammell?
She has grown up loving the sport of basketball. The competitiveness. The tenacity. The skill. The discipline. The ups. The downs.
Trammell was dribbling a ball long before her body outgrew the sphere. The very definition of “dedication,” the starting point guard for the Robbinsville Lady Knights since the 2019-20 season had to do something Tuesday she knew was coming, but could have never been prepared for.
She cleaned out her locker. Four years of memories with teammates, life-long friends, coaches and family, all stripped away in a single afternoon.
After all, life goes on. In 2 ½ months, Trammell will be handed her high school diploma. She has aspirations (and plenty of interest) in taking her basketball acumen to the collegiate level. When she begins her first day of college class, the Lady Knights’ 2023 volleyball season will already be underway – thus, her locker will likely be occupied by another up-and-coming Robbinsville athlete.
“It’s not been the same; not going to practice anymore or preparing for games,” Trammell admitted. “It’s also really hit me that I won’t be on the team with these girls again. I’m really thankful for the time I have had and the memories I’ve created. I know I’ll always have friendships with these girls that I’ve been teammates with and I will always be able to count on them.”
But as she packed her things just hours before returning to – what else – shoot around in the evening, she took a moment to soak up the moment. The rush of emotion was almost too much to handle, but after a career that included 1,950 points (second all-time for Robbinsville); a streak of 63 consecutive free throws made (which set a North Carolina state record); both conference and divisional-tournament titles; and an improbable run to the 1A Western Regional Final in her varsity exit, she knew she could hang her jersey on a final accolade: another Smoky Mountain Conference Player of the Year Award.
Yes, another. Trammell won the divisional coaches-chosen honor as a sophomore during the shortened 2020-21 campaign, which saw Robbinsville win the conference and reach the Elite Eight of the state playoffs.
“I didn’t really focus on trying to get Player of the Year; I just tried to do a good job leading the team this year and focused on creating points – not just for myself, but for others – is what got me the award,” said Trammell. “I spent a lot of time encouraging the team, but forcing them to step up, too; I could not have done it without them.”
But why – with such a decorated resume – call a deep playoff run “improbable?”
Overcoming odds
Robbinsville was 77-25 from the time Trammell and her best friend/entrepreneurial business partner Kensley Phillips began playing at the varsity level – and that was after the duo was part of a middle-school dynasty that went 46-1.
The Lady Knights only lost 10-of-45 conference games contested during her varsity career, as well and never failed to advance to at least the second round of the postseason.
But this season, the deck was stacked against Robbinsville.
Finishing second to Cherokee in both the regular-season standings and the conference tournament, the Knights were afforded a No. 13 seed in the 1A Western bracket. After walloping Starmount 83-60 in what many thought was Robbinsville’s final time on its home court, the Knights hit the road for round two – an appointment with the No. 4-seeded Albemarle Bulldogs.
And they won, 71-66.
Then they returned to the road the next day for an overnight trip to the No. 5 seed, Eastern Randolph.
And they won again, 60-45.
By virtue of several bracket upsets, No. 13 Robbinsville against No. 16 Draughn proved to be a fourth-round playoff game. The Knights triumphantly returned home and dazzled the Graham County faithful by erasing a 27-21 halftime deficit to drub Draughn, 65-41.
“Never” is a long time, but Robbinsville had never made it to the 1A Western finals. And though the Knights’
Cinderella run ended at the hands of the defending state champions from Bishop McGuinness – who retained their title by defeating Chatham Charter easily Saturday, 73-43 – the 21-9 Knights had already set a new precedent.
“It was awesome,” Trammell said. “Every team wants to peak when we did; that’s the goal, because the whole season builds up to that playoff run. There’s been a lot of great teams come through Robbinsville, but just knowing that we made it the farthest is amazing.
“People are already excited for next season; I’m excited to watch them. I know they’ll do great.”
New chapter
Destanee Shay Trammell’s story is far from over – she has her eyes on the goal of playing in the WNBA.
Before she gets there, though, she will continue to mold and craft a legacy in the college ranks. It is unclear at this time which school Trammell will take her talents to, but several in close proximity to Graham County are rumored.
“I’ve played travel ball since I was two and the entire goal is to go play college basketball;
that’s what every travel ball or AAU player’s dream is,” said Trammell. “It was a little frustrating at first not having as much interest – the COVID year, extra seasons and transfer portals kind of hurt the Class of 2023 – but now that I’m getting interests and calls, it’s exciting.”
All-Conference
Obviously, Trammell was also named to the All-Smoky Mountain Conference Team.
But joining her was Phillips and sophomore Liz Carpenter. Junior Aubrie Wachacha received an Honorable Mention, as did freshmen workhorses Suri Watty and Abby Wehr.
Six Lady Knights being named All-Conference is another first for Robbinsville girls basketball.
“The meeting went great for us; a lot of this was well-deserved for the girls,” Robbinsville head coach Lucas Ford.
“All six of these athletes played some meaningful minutes for us and deserved these accolades for themselves.”
Respectively platooned as small and power forwards, Carpenter and Wachacha went from timid post players at the start of the season to nightmare-inducing forces in the paint by year’s end.
“You take kids like Liz and Aubrie and what they meant to our team? It was invaluable,” Ford said. “You can’t separate either one of them; I put them both up for All-Conference and let the coaches vote from there.
“For Aubrie, hopefully it motivates her to work a little bit and leave no doubt that she’s an All-Conference player next year. For Liz, to see that love for basketball spark in her again – and see them both love basketball again – was very rewarding.”
Watty transferred from Swain County in the offseason and improved ten-fold defensively, while still proving to be a dangerous threat on the wing. Wehr quickly rose through the ranks – while having to simultaneously cope with her father undergoing stem-cell therapy for multiple sclerosis in Mexico – to become Robbinsville’s “sixth man” in her first year on varsity.
“She was without her mom and dad at home for the entire season, and still competed and played every day. She never missed a practice,” Ford noted. “Suri didn’t even know what defense was at the start of the year, but she became one of our best defenders.”
Phillips leave the Lady Knights’ program with 701 career points of her own, but her versatility is where her legacy will linger.
Ford has often postulated that if the Smoky Mountain Conference awarded a Defensive Player of the Year for basketball, there would be no doubt who was most deserving.
“Kensley’s going to be successful at whatever she does in life,” Ford bragged.
“We’re looking forward to seeing where she decides to go,” Ford said of Trammell. “That will be an exciting time.”
Phillips and Trammell will both get one final high-school memento together: the Robbinsville stalwarts have been invited to play in Saturday’s 1A West/Midwest All-Star Game.
The senior-exclusive showcase is being held this year at Bessemer City High School, with the women’s game tipping off at 5 p.m.