by Rusty Ellis
MURFREESBORO – If you spend a lot of time in Byrdstown, chances are you’ve heard the last name Nicholas.
A lot of that stems from Pickett County sophomore guard Zoey Nicholas, who’s put together a stellar season for the Lady Bobcats in their march towards a Class A State Championship. She’s carried a heavy scoring load, as evidenced by her program-record 43 points against Copper Basin in the Class A Sectional round, and then she added onto it with a game-high 20 points against Wayne County in the State Semifinals.
Nicholas allowed her emotions to burst out after the Lady Bobcat win over Wayne County, something she’s not been known for. A player normally known for being mild-mannered, she made sure to soak in every second of the victory.
“It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever felt,” Nicholas said after the win. “I’ve learned this year that I’ve just got to let loose. I can’t hold back, the emotions are just too much…I feel like if we have emotion on the floor, it just gets our team going.”
That’s not where the story begins however, as one look into the Nicholas family tree shows a winning history that doesn’t come around often. Zoey’s mother, Racheal, was talented basketball player that was apart of several winning teams from 1996-1999, and her aunt, Amelia Threet, was apart of the 1989 State Championship team under then-head coach Barry Smith.
“The first year Barry started coaching, I was a sophomore in ’89,” Threet said. “He did so good, nobody expected us to make it to the state title game…we won the first game against Jo Byrns, and we weren’t supposed to do that. Then we won the next two games, and it was the most amazing feeling.”
Take it back another decade, and you’ll find Zoey’s grandmother, Lesa Beaty, who was a part of the 1977 State Championship team. Girls basketball has come a long way since then, but the feeling of winning a championship is still as sweet for Beaty as it was 47 years ago.
“When we played, we played half-court,” Beaty said. “For me, coming to Murfreesboro was a big event, because I had never been anywhere. It’s just really special to see Zoey get to play here, and to see all the girls get to play here.”
Zoey’s cousin, Gracie Ramsey, was part of four State Tournament teams from 2015-2018, and she says she takes great pride in watching Zoey play an integral role in Pickett’s championship run.
“It’s amazing to watch, really,” Ramsey said. “I came all four years and got beat every time. To see Zoey make it to the championship game, it’s just truly amazing and she’s worked for every bit of it.”
While Nicholas’ mother was unable to win a championship of her own, the last three games have allowed Racheal Nicholas to support her daughter the same way Byrdstown supported her.
“It’s so special,” Nicholas said. “Zoey is a great player and we are so proud of her…it’s a small community and everyone is tight-knit. Friends are like your family, Zoey basically has her whole church come to her games.”
Before Pickett County battled Moore in the title game, Nicholas answered the question of what seeing her daughter win a Gold Ball would mean to her.
“It would mean a lot, it’s a dream for Zoey,” Nicholas said. “She has a board written in our house that has goals on it, and she wrote these in the seventh grade…she wanted to win a state championship in high school, so this would check that box.”
After a 56-45 win over Moore County, Nicholas sat in front of the press as a state champion, and continuing her family’s winning legacy is certainly something she doesn’t take for granted.
“It’s an honor,” Nicholas said. “To be the next team to do that in Pickett County, it’s an honor…it’s just the community, the support we get, and the girls. Playing for Coach Smith, the people make the game fun.”