Tony Vis accepted the offer to become Kennedy's new girls basketball coach last May before he knew Morgan Martin would be moving to town from Quincy, Ill.

Some guys are just lucky.

Martin poured in 24 points Monday night as the Cougars defeated Union High School, 52-25, in a Hall of Pride scrimmage at Kennedy.

Martin, a 6-foot-1 junior, was named fifth team all-state in Class 2A last season when Quincy Notre Dame won the 2A state title. Martin played on an AAU team with four Cougars and the family decided to move here so she could play at a bigger school and take more Advanced Placement classes.

"I'm very pleased with Morgan," Vis said. "Great kid. Hard worker. Does a fantastic job in the classroom.

"She does things the right way. She's a great addition."

Martin rarely missed a shot against the Knights. She displayed a nice shooting touch and made some effective moves around the basket.

"Just a very powerful young lady," Vis said. "Very strong by the basket, and she's willing to do anything you ask. Very coachable. Doesn't think she knows everything.

"You don't find too many kids that big who move as well as she does."

Martin is delighted with the switch to Kennedy.

"It's gone great," she said. "Coach and the team, they've been more than welcoming. We're doing some team bonding later tonight, I think. It's just swell."

Martin was a nice surprise for Vis, but he had a good scouting report on two other new starters for the Cougars. They are his daughters Brianna, a 5-foot-7 point guard, and Mariah, a 5-foot-7 wing player.

Vis is installing a new system at Kennedy and said it helps to have Brianna running the club.

"It helps a lot," he said. "She's doing about as much coaching as I am in practice as far as trying to get the kids in the right place.

"They probably feel more comfortable asking a peer than asking me at times, and she does a great job of fielding those questions."

Brianna Vis was the leader Monday night.

"Bri is so helpful," Martin said. "Bri got voted our team captain, and I think that's good. She does a great job of explaining the drills if we don't correctly get them right away.

"She's kind of like a second coach out there."

Martin, Brianna Vis and Mariah Vis joined sophomore Stephanie Botkin and junior Madison Meier in the starting lineup. Botkin is 6-feet tall, giving the Cougars two 6-footers.

Juniors Paige Hendrickson, Jordan Holmes and Madison DeLong gave Kennedy an eight-girl rotation. It's a fairly young team, with Brianna Vis the only senior among the top-8 Monday night.

"There's a lot of teaching," Coach Vis said. "We're thinking and reacting, rather than just playing and being proactive. That's going to come.

"I'm not a very patient person. Hopefully it will come sooner rather than later."

Hendrickson scored nine points and Botkin had eight.

Bre Bader led Union with 10 points. The Knights finished 19-3 last season and are ranked No. 6 in the preseason Class 3A poll.

The Hall of Pride scrimmage does not count on either team's record. Kennedy will open the regular seaon at Cedar Falls on Nov. 27.

UNION (25): Hilton 1 2-3 4, Bockholt 0 1-2 1, E. Phillips 0 0-0 0, Bader 3 1-2 10, Barz 2 0-1 4, Hansen 0 2-2 2, Reiter 0 1-2 1, M. Phillips 0 0-0 0, Sherwood 1 1-2 3, Wrage 0 0-0 0. Totals 7 8-14 25.

KENNEDY (52): Meier 1 0-0 2, B.Vis 0 1-2 1, M.Vis 0 0-0 0, Botkin 3 2-2 8, Martin 10 4-4 24, DeLong 1 0-0 2, Holmes 2 0-0 6, Hendrickson 3 2-2 9, Schwartzhoff 0 0-0 0, Ryder 0 0-0 0, Zinser 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 9-10 52.

Halftime - Kennedy 20, Union 10. 3-point goals - Union 3 (Bader 3), Kennedy 3 (Holmes 2, Hendrickson 1).