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By Jay Spivey

For the Clemmons Courier

CLEMMONS — Catrina Green has announced that she has resigned as the head coach of the girls basketball team at West Forsyth after three seasons to take an assistant coach’s position at a college.  

“She texted me I’d say 4 o’clock (Friday), I guess,” Athletic Director Mike Pennington of West Forsyth said. “I talked to her a little bit later.” 

Pennington wasn’t sure which college it was. 

“I guess a little bit surprised but then not because she came from college and I think you’re always I’m sure most every coach has their aspirations for the next level, especially for the coaches that have already been there,” Pennington said. “But then she worked so hard. She came in lateral entry for us meaning she had her degree, but she had to get her education classes to get certified.” 

Green played girls basketball and graduated from Western Guilford in 2010. After she graduated, she played collegiately at Gardner-Webb, graduating in 2014, and finished with 1,200 points and 1,000 rebounds. After graduating from Gardner-Webb, Green played professionally in Europe. She was also an assistant coach at University of Illinois-Springfield, Lincoln Memorial, USC-Upstate, and just finished as an assistant at Texas A&M International in Laredo, Texas. 

Before coming to West Forsyth, Green, who was taught PE and sports medicine there, picked up her master’s degree in sports management through the online program at Western Carolina. 

“She worked hard to get certified and passed all her tests, but I’m sure opportunity came and you’ve got to take advantage of opportunities when they come,” Pennington said. “So, we hate to lose her, but we’re happy for her.” 

Green, who replaced Brittany Cox Hudson as head coach of the Titans, finished her three seasons with an overall record of, according to MaxPreps.com, of 37-37 and a Central Piedmont 4-A record of 20-21. The Titans finished 13-11 overall this past season and 7-7 in the conference. After winning the Central Piedmont 4-A tournament during the 2022-23 season and reaching the NCHSAA Class 4-A tournament they didn’t reach the NCHSAA Class 4-A tournament this past season. 

“She did a good job,” Pennington said. “She won a conference tournament. She did a very good job. She had some young teams, and so, I think she got the most out of her teams. It would’ve been interesting to see how she would’ve progressed with these young girls if she would’ve stayed on. 

“But I think she’s left the program in good shape for the next person. And I think you always want to do that. And she’s done that. But our ladies program is in good shape. And that’ll help to attract the next person.” 

Pennington added that he will post the position on the WS/FCS website on Monday and will leave it up for about a week and a half. However, there is one kink in the armor. Kevin Spainhour is technically still the principal at West Forsyth, but in was announced in late June that he will be the East Area Superintendent for WS/FCS. Pennington expects a new principal will be announced soon.  

“I’ve done a couple sports by myself – two I can think of,” Pennington said. “I’ll get the process started and then we’ll get the new principal involved soon. Basketball, be it boys or girls, is such a sport that the principal will get involved and he or she, they’re ultimately responsible for the hire, as am I. You know, so we’ll work together on it and see how they want to proceed.” 

Green also handled all of the summer workouts and camps since school ended in June. Although there is no dead period for winter and spring sports until July 31 when it runs through Aug. 20, Pennington said workouts have been canceled this week for the girls basketball team. 

“It’s not optimum, but at least the girls got their work done for lack of a better term,” Pennington said. “I know that she had some workouts planned this week, and she told them that she canceled them, which is a good thing. And then we start a dead period July 31 when fall sports start.  

“So, in that respect the timing’s not bad there to be honest with you because at least I think I’d rather, for the girls sake, I think this is not bad because at least they basically got their full summer of summer workouts. Catrina does a great job with that, so I’m sure the girls got better this summer.” 

Pennington thinks it’s possible they will have a girls basketball coach in place by the time the dead period ends on Aug. 20. 

“I think our main issue with this time is that it’s so late with the start of school is that you’d like to hire a teacher, and with Catrina being a PE teacher you do have an opening,” he said. “…That’s the only issue is that it’s put us a little bit behind the 8-ball in trying to hire a teacher.” 

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools start class for the 2024-25 school year on Aug. 12. 

“It’s significant,” Pennington said. “I think that’s a good thing in the long run. I think it’ll be good getting exams over before Christmas. But yeah, it throws a monkey wrench starting Aug. (12) instead of Aug. 25. In that, the optimum for us to hire a teacher. Now, we may not. We may get a community coach, you never know. But you always want to hire a teacher to be your head coach, and especially, well, in any position.” 

Either way, Pennington said West Forsyth will hire the best person for the job. 

“We’ll work around that,” Pennington said. “And that’s one way the new principal will help. Obviously, hiring the person that they want, but they’re more wise to the ways of how the district level works hiring a teacher, obviously, than I am.” 

It’s doubtful that there will be an interim coach for the Titans. 

“I don’t see this being prolonged. You never know,” Pennington said. “But if it does, we’ll make sure the girls get their work in. The girls will be ready for the season one way or the other.” 

Official practices for the season, per the NCHSAA, can start Oct. 30 and the first available playing date is Nov. 11. 

As for the upcoming 2024-25 season, the Titans lost, according to MaxPreps.com, Marissa Vernon, Nia Gary, Kara Desai, Hallie Kramer, Alexis Waters, and Braeden Carter to graduation. However, they have seniors Emma Staples and Campbell McClain, as well as junior Brooklynn King, returning. 

“The majority of our team is back,” Pennington said. “So, that helps. Emma Staples, you know, she’s been our point guard for two years. And I know they play AAU and Catrina did a bunch of stuff. So, I’m sure those girls have gotten better this year.” 

Even though West Forsyth has a good corps coming back they will be without Jeanna Baskerville, who is listed at 6-foot-2, who transferred to Winston-Salem Christian. After leading West Forsyth as a freshman in 2022-23 with 12.9 points and 10.8 rebounds, she missed last season with a torn anterior-cruciate ligament in her knee. 

“I think it does (help develop a cohesive unit) because they had to play without her all season,” Pennington said. “They had to play without her all summer, so it’s at the point now where, you know, I don’t think that’s a big thing. Kids are resilient.  

“If she had played with us last season, and she’d played with us last summer, then that would be pretty significant. But the fact they played 25 high school games during the regular season, and they probably played 20-plus games this summer, they’re well-adjusted to not having her.” 

The Clemmons Courier attempted to reach Green via phone call and text, but those messages weren’t returned.