Sisterly Battle: Ballinger sibling hoopers forming chemistry, rivalry for Ladycats

BALLINGER - It didn’t take long for Jessa Battle to become a key player for Ballinger girls basketball.

A freshman, Battle led the team in scoring in one of the Ladycats’ first non-district games. More importantly, she outscored her sister Jenna, a senior and four-year varsity player for Ballinger.

Of course, Jessa’s first instinct was to brag.

“At the house, she said, ‘Hey, I scored more points than you,'" Jenna said.

Along with some rivalry and competition, the Battle sisters have brought chemistry to the team.

Both are starters for the Ladycats, who are 10-7 overall.

On-court bond

Making the jump from eighth-grade basketball to varsity high-school basketball isn't easy. Jenna knows that as well as anyone: she did it the 2018-19 season.

Jenna already has played three years under Ballinger coach Jerry McSherry, so she was familiar with the system that he runs.

“I knew all the plays, I knew how coach McSherry likes to do things, so I just helped her adjust into those ways,” Jenna said, referring to her sister.

As a more experienced player, Jenna also gave her tips about how to improve her fundamentals.

While the sisters grew up in the same household, this is their first time playing on the same team. Younger levels of basketball — youth and middle school — usually are divided by age group, and with Jenna and Jessa being three grades apart, they never had the chance to share the court in an organized setting.

They have a court area with a hoop at home, and they grew up playing against each other on it. But that usually didn’t end well.

“She would always foul me, so we would get mad at each other and stop playing,” Jenna said.

Since taking the court together for the first time for Ballinger, their chemistry has been noticeable. Both sisters agreed they have a bond when they play for the same team because they know each others’ on-court tendencies.

“We kind of think the same,” Jessa said.

The Battle sisters’ main goal is the same: help Ballinger win games.

But Jenna and Jessa always are trying to one-up each other. Whether it’s points, rebounds, turnovers or any other stats, they compare everything in what has become a friendly rivalry.

“It fuels us,” Jenna admitted.

Passing the torch

Stemming from their sisterly chemistry and competitive nature, both Battles have been integral to Ballinger’s performance this year.

Jenna is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 11 points per game. She is also averaging 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.2 assists per contest.

Jessa is averaging 5.3 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 assist per game.

While Jenna helped Jessa adjust to the pace of varsity basketball, Jessa has also helped her older sister grow as a leader.

“A lot of times, older sisters won’t respect what the younger is saying, but Jenna is always listening to Jessa,” McSherry said. “And sometimes Jessa will be right about the situation.”

Jenna’s days left with the Ladycats are fewer. At the end of the 2021-22 season, she will graduate from the program and complete her high-school basketball career.

Though they only got one season together, Jenna is thankful for the opportunity to play with her sister.

“At the beginning of the year, I wasn’t sure she was going to make varsity; I hoped she was so we could play together,” Jenna said. “It’s cool to play with my younger sister.”

McSherry is excited to see how Jessa continues the Battle family legacy at Ballinger the next three years..

“It’s a great thing because the younger ones get to witness, first hand, what’s going on,” McSherry said. “She’ll be able to carry that on.”

Ballinger plays Friday at winless Grape Creek. The Ladycats are battling for district's fourth slot behind district leaders Jim Ned, Merkel and Wall.

Carson Field is the area sports reporter for the Abilene Reporter-News. He covers primarily Big Country high school sports. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to reporternews.com.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Ballinger Ladycats Jenna and Jessa Battle forming bond on court