Abner brothers to reunite at Cumberland

Apr. 20—Some 20 years ago, Cherie Abner was a girls' basketball coach who brought one of her baby boys to Cumberland's Dallas Floyd Center and sat in the corner on the front row to watch one of her former players in action.

Now, Abner and her husband Greg can leave the diapers and car seat behind when they come to the Phoenix Arena for likely every game as both of their sons will be suiting up for Cumberland this coming season.

Older son Riggs has spent three years at Tennessee State playing for former Cumberland assistant Brian (Penny) Collins, who was joined this past season by former Phoenix head coach Jeremy Lewis. Younger son Cooper, soon to graduate from Westmoreland where mom has been his coach, will room with his brother, Cherie Abner announced on her Facebook page Thursday.

Both boys were at Green Hill when it opened. Riggs, a senior the first year after spending his first three high school years at Mt. Juliet, is by virtue of the alphabetical order of his last name GHHS' inaugural graduate as he was the first in that school's history to receive his diploma, presented by his mom. Cherie Abner was the Lady Hawks' girls coach the first two years before returning to Westmoreland, where she won 462 games and reached three state tournaments in 20 seasons coaching the girls' team, to take over the boys and brought Cooper with her.