TAMPA, Fla. - Kendal Cheesman plays an indoor sport, but present circumstances have forced her to take her game outdoors.

“A lot of outside time,” Cheesman said.


What You Need To Know

  • Plant High senior Kendal Cheesman working hard to bring her team another good season

  • Cheesman not letting coronavirus stop her from preparing for the season

  • Since courts are currently closed, Cheesman has taken her game to the streets

  • More High School Sports Stories

The Plant High senior got creative when the Coronavirus shut everything down. Her driveway became a frequent workout spot. No way was Kendal going to take it easy. There’s no quit in her.

“It’s great when one of your best players is one of your hardest working players,” Plant head coach Carrie Mahon said.

That work ethic translates onto the court.

“On the court, she’s a beast,” Mahon said. “I mean, she’s a tiger. I love it, because, she’s vocal in the way that she gets everyone going in the right direction.”

Last season, that direction was straight to the Final Four where the Lady Panthers capped off their best season ever with the program’s first state championship game appearance. Kendal and her teammates fell short of a title, but the experience has made her hungry to get back.

“That journey was really, really just something that we needed and something that I’m glad we got to experience,” Cheesman said.

That experience helped round out Kendal’s game. She is a complete player. She does it all. But that’s not what separates her from the pack.

“What makes her so special really has nothing to do with basketball,” Mahon said. “When you get through being an athlete, people are going to forget your stats. They’re going to forget your awards. But honestly, people are never going to forget the way that you make them feel. And when you’re around Kendal Cheesman, you always feel so much better."

Normally this time of year, Kendal’s basketball card is full.  But her game got grounded.

“It’s been crazy,” Cheesman said. “We were supposed to go to Oregon, to Chicago, Kentucky, and that just all got cancelled.

Playing for a travel team sponsored by former Wharton High and current WNBA star Candice Dupree has exposed Kendal to another level of basketball.

“It’s just really cool to be able to represent her and that name means a lot when we have it on our jerseys,” she said.

Just as Candice has left her mark, Kendal wants to leave her own. She’s big on legacies and leaving a strong foundation for those that follow.

“She’s not going to let the tradition graduate,” Mahon said. “She will totally groom a new Kendal with a different name, with different qualities, but with the same end in sight.

So Kendal’s putting in the work on her driveway now, hoping that it leads to a big senior season. 
“We’re definitely coming back next year and we’re going to have an even better squad,” Cheesman said. “And take that next step which is just winning that last game.”