ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES: South Laurel senior Rachel Presley perseveres through whatever comes her way

Nov. 27—LONDON — Nothing has been easy for Rachel Presley since transferring to South Laurel in 2019, but she has continually shown up and shined at every opportunity.

Presley left Somerset to join the Lady Cardinals during her sophomore season. She was met with some opposition and the experience was less than ideal, topped off by the fact that she had to sit out the first 25 games of the season that year.

But she made the most of her opportunities. That season she recorded a double-double in the regional finals to help the Lady Cardinals to their first 13th Region title under Coach Chris Souder. Then, in their opening-round matchup against the state's top team in Sacred Heart, Presley came through big time with nine points and 10 rebounds, helping her team to the first-round upset.

Unfortunately, it was about the same time as COVID-19 was ramping up, and the Kentucky High School Athletic Association decided to cancel the remainder of the tournament in what could have been a magical run for the Lady Cardinals.

Still, Presley had her breakthrough moment. She had officially arrived and served notice that she was going to be a force for the next two years in the 13th Region.

Fast forward to 2021, and Presley was getting ready for her junior year, which was packed with high expectations for the star center. Once again, because of COVID-19, the season had been postponed and the season opener was pushed back to January.

As Presley was preparing for the start of her junior season, the biggest tragedy of her life took place on Dec. 2, 2020. Her father, who was her No. 1 fan, suddenly passed away. Presley was there when it happened. Right when she was at the peak of her career at South Laurel, the worst moment of her life came out of nowhere.

The weeks following her father's death were not easy for Presley, but she pressed on, leaning on her family, her coaches, and her teammates. She said the love and support from the people around her have helped her get through it all.

"I have faced a lot of adversity ever since I moved to South. I definitely wouldn't have been able to get through all of it without the support from my teammates, coaching staff, and the families of the girls. They have rallied around me no matter the circumstances and made not just me, but my family feel loved and supported even when we thought we couldn't get through these times," said Presley. "My mom and my two sisters (Emma and Kate) have been forced out of our comfort zones and are learning to find the positives around us and that family is the most important thing."

Through the tragedy, Presley once again created an opportunity to shine. She dedicated her junior season to her father and said she would play it for him. It wasn't easy.

Presley gutted out performance after performance during the regular season. Her team took some lumps early in the year and had to overcome some adversity as a group, while Presley was trying to work through her challenges.

But it all came together for her and her teammates when they reached the postseason. As they cruised through the 50th District Tournament and the first two games of the 13th Region Tournament, Presley and her team had the opportunity to win a second consecutive regional title.

And once again, Presley shined.

The 6-foot-2 center powered her team to the win with a tremendous performance of 18 points and 13 rebounds, on her way to earning the Most Valuable Player award for the regional tournament. It was another example of Presley making the most of an opportunity.

Now, as Presley enters her last season with South Laurel, she will take on a different role with the team. While she has looked to others for support and leaned on her teammates through the tough times over the past two years, she will have a slew of underclassmen coming to her as their leader.

Souder said there is no player better suited to be a leader for this team than Presley because of her ability to overcome and her incredibly strong character.

"Rachel has gone through more than most young athletes, and adults for that matter, so she deserves all the success we can help her with," said Souder. "She seems to handle all the adversity like a true winner. She is such a high-character young lady and we hope she has a great senior season."

Presley said that she learned from a young age that leadership is about building relationships with your teammates. That will be her focus.

"I have played varsity since I was in seventh grade and I feel like leadership begins with relationships. I want every girl on our team to be their best and I try to encourage them as much as they encourage me," said Presley. "Coach Souder has taught us to be a player-led team, so it's easier to be a leader with a great group of girls who all have the same goal and are willing to do whatever it takes."

As she enters her senior year of high school, Presley is recognized as one of the top players in the 13th Region. She recently committed to continue her basketball career at Campbellsville University. But, when it comes to her last year of high school basketball, it's all about her team and how she can help them win.

"I want to take this season in and enjoy my senior year and make Coach Souder proud and hopefully inspire the younger girls to work hard and be kind," said Presley. "Our team goals are to have a 20-plus win season, win the district, win the region, and win a state championship."

With lofty goals for her senior season, there is no doubt that Presley will continue to make the most of every opportunity, and she will shine.