3A-4 next year!!

[b-ball fan]

1 Adam did u say yall will have a new girls coach? Where did Wallace go?

[1-Adam-12]

1 Adam did u say yall will have a new girls coach? Where did Wallace go?

He went to Kimmons.

[#EagleStrong]

1 Adam did u say yall will have a new girls coach? Where did Wallace go?

He went to Kimmons.

Weird career path for that guy. I remember his Hartford and especially his Sacred Heart teams being really good. I often wonder why Booneville can't seem to be better than they gave been. They were a large 3A school and going by football and volleyball they clearly have athletes in their enrollment. I would have figured Wallace would have done something with them eventually.

[#EagleStrong]

Good breakdown. Might also include Mason Wisdom for Charleston on emerging players

Both Charleston and Paris have depth at guard,  so you're likely to see a couple of fresh faces emerge there. Buy it also means they'll have quality players buried in the depth chart. Paris has about five guys competing for Fenner and Fitzjurls' spots right now. There's no way all five can get minutes. Charleston is in a similar situation with Rowland, Ewing, Wisdom, and even Haney, but there's seems more locked down. Rowland and Ewing with Wisdom in a supporting role. Along with Phillip Hampton they should have some good bench play, likely the best in the conference.

[#EagleStrong]

As far as emerging players, don't overlook Skylar Cano from TR. He is the only big man returning for the Gators, so he'll have to play without fouling. Good size, tough on the glass, very good defensively, great passer from the post. Offensively, he has good footwork, but struggles making shots consistently. He is gonna be the glue guy for this TR team this year

Whitlow
Brimm
Yates
Cano


Who's projected as TR'S fifth starter?

[1-Adam-12]

Eagle, not many play both volleyball/basketball here.  Only one last season and no more than three in any season since we first made state in VB in 2009.

He would have had a much improved team this season.  A 6-2 post is coming up from Jr. High and a couple of other players moving up will help us in spot situations.  Plus a player or two who sat out their junior or soph year are coming back or thinking about doing so.

It's not the first rodeo for Wallace at a high level JH program.  After winning state with Sacred Heart he was head jr girls coach at NLR where he was very successful.  And from what I'm hearing, Kimmons is loaded for this coming season.

[#EagleStrong]

Eagle, not many play both volleyball/basketball here.  Only one last season and no more than three in any season since we first made state in VB in 2009.

He would have had a much improved team this season.  A 6-2 post is coming up from Jr. High and a couple of other players moving up will help us in spot situations.  Plus a player or two who sat out their junior or soph year are coming back or thinking about doing so.

It's not the first rodeo for Wallace at a high level JH program.  After winning state with Sacred Heart he was head jr girls coach at NLR where he was very successful.  And from what I'm hearing, Kimmons is loaded for this coming season.

Well I guess that explains it. All the other schools in the conference have had the luxury of two sport athletes. Peevy is also Paris's best volleyball player and Highfield is also among 3A's best. Storey played basketball for Charleston until his senior year and made the All-State tournament team his junior season. Even this year key players will be splitting including three of Charleston's projected starters, Danville's best player Jake Madding, Lamar's best player Blake Kern, and Two Rivers' most explosive player Morgan Yates. Without the multi-sport athletes the other teams would look very different.

[Longfellow]

As far as emerging players, don't overlook Skylar Cano from TR. He is the only big man returning for the Gators, so he'll have to play without fouling. Good size, tough on the glass, very good defensively, great passer from the post. Offensively, he has good footwork, but struggles making shots consistently. He is gonna be the glue guy for this TR team this year

Whitlow
Brimm
Yates
Cano


Who's projected as TR'S fifth starter?

Most likely John Hunter Thomas. He's a senior, average athlete, solid defender, very tough player. Could be Whitlow's younger brother Bryce. He can handle the ball well, but is a streaky shooter and defender. Also has a tendency to make poor decisions. Could be Austin Lacy. Really skinny for a post, should make rebounding tough. Solid offensively, excellent post hook. Has a long way to go defensively.

[1-Adam-12]

One of our players returning after sitting out a year is McClung (2 time All-State libero in VB and 3 times All-State in SB) and before Wallace left he said she was already making a big difference in practices.  Our girls did not have anything remotely resembling a true point guard last season and that is what McClung is.  She will have backup from an incoming sophomore.

[#EagleStrong]

As far as the girls go, TR with the addition of Hodges looks very tough. Paris seems to have gotten their house back in order under Fairfield. Peevy appears to be staying and Highfield has rejoined the team. Danville will be hurting without Hodges, Lamar has lost a lot of talent, not sure where Atkins stands. Charleston was young last year, had plenty of ups and downs. Should be improved though. I expect Booneville to be better also, I'm curious to see just how much.

Haven't been too impressed with our boys teams at camp so far yet though. You can't read too much into them of course, but no one has jumped out yet. I've seen some good individual performances from Fenner, Ward, and Gage Hampton, but no team has really shone yet. Now, Paris hasn't had the whole team together yet, Charleston's transfers are still up in the air, and I haven't seen Atkins or Lamar yet. We'll see.

[hogsnout]

Savannah Hodges from Danville. And there are some other potential move-ins, but unconfirmed at this point

The other move ins were SG Tia Gadberry from dardanelle who i think will be a Sr and  another SG which is her little sister cortney.Tia was leading scorer there 2 years in a row and the little sister is pretty good also.Heard they already lived in TR school district i watched them blow teams out at Jessville camp they are my pic to win conference.

[BigLion10]

Who all did they play at Jessieville we went 8-0 there so I was just wanting to compare teams

[hogsnout]

Who all did they play at Jessieville we went 8-0 there so I was just wanting to compare teams

Hot Springs,Lincoln, are 2 i remember a team from Texas parkway i think but i believe they went 8-0

[BigLion10]

Yea I don't believe we played yall is why I was asking who all yall played. Sounds like yall may be a frontrunner next year good luck to u

[hogsnout]

Yea I don't believe we played yall is why I was asking who all yall played. Sounds like yall may be a frontrunner next year good luck to u

Good luck 2 yall

[hawgfan15]

What grade will Yates, Brimm, Whitlow, and Cano be in this year? That is an impressive group. Yates athleticism is insane

[Longfellow]

All seniors, unfortunately

[BigMan15]

Ready to see this conference season get started when is everybody first game ours I believe is less than two months away!!!!

[1-Adam-12]

Dropped in on a Booneville girls practice today.  Looks like only 9 out for Sr. High but there's a lot more optimism than last year.  Only 7 practiced because two of the players are still in volleyball.

Sophomore post is still growing.  Coach said she was at least 6-3 maybe 6-4.  I believe that, because she towered over a couple of our 5-9/5-10 types.  Guard play looks to be better too and top scorer also returns.  Don't be surprised to see this bunch at regionals, at least.

[#EagleStrong]

Tough to tell what Paris girls will look like just yet. Peevy, Highfield, and a good sophomore Kylie Morris are all key volleyball players. But the ones they have in the gym are working hard, and Peevy always keeps up with her basketball game. They'll be tough.

[1-Adam-12]

And that sounds like what Peevy would do.  She is excellent in both but I think a bit better in VB.  Interesting to see what sport she chooses if she goes to the next level.

[#EagleStrong]

Paris had their Blue and White game tonight. Hampton and Robinson looked like formidable presences in the front court. Defense looks much better all-around than last year. Football boys didn't play.

Charleston's Black and White game was tonight also. Any word on how it went?

[BigMan15]

Without the football players there's only 9 so they didn't get to show a lot. Fenner shot the ball well along with Ward playing well around the rim. Now Jr high looked amazing. They will be tough to beat. Honestly they could compete with a lot of Sr high teams. First game for Sr high will be the 17TH at Lincoln.

[Longfellow]

My preseason conference prediction:
1. TR - Yates, Whitlow, Brimm are back. 5 talented sophomores added into the mix. Tough role players. We lack depth in the paint, but we can work around that. Expect a team that plays fast and smooth. No one will stop these guys in transition. Coach Williams is a good coach from what I've seen, even though he's a Paris grad

1a. Charleston - This team will go as Brandon goes, which could be a very long way. Ward is an excellent defender. I haven't seen him much on offense because he was often overshadowed by his brother and Andrew smith last year. Rowland can shoot, but I would be worried about my third option being a spot up guy. I don't like Ross but you can't argue his skill as a coach

3. Paris - return a lot of players but without Fenner the road is hard. For them to compete with the top 2, Hampton has to put up monster numbers

4. Atkins - people think I'm dumb for picking Atkins this high. Last year, they played a lot of good teams down to the wire and they have two of the most talented sophomores around. They play hard and whould be a tough out for anybody.

5. Lamar - Blake Kern is a nightmare matchup, but I (along with many others) question his effort and work ethic. From what I hear the Lee kid is good, but he isn't anywhere close to his brothers. This could still be a solid tandem, but it doesn't look like they have much help. Losing Coach Miller is a big loss

6. Booneville - last year they were a team with a few athletes and not much discipline. They were very turnover prone every time I saw them.

7. Danville - Trusty is gone. Cathey is gone. I didn't see much at their game against western yell that would make them optimistic. They could compete anywhere with the bottom 3 teams and end up a 4 seed, but it's gonna take a killer year from madding.

[1-Adam-12]

What I got from the Booneville purple/gold games was:

The girls have only 8 players but the overall talent level is much higher than last year.  They now have a true point guard in McClung who has the drive to win. The top three scorers are back.  The big sophomore post (who is officially listed as 6-3) is having to getting used to the speed of high school vs. junior high but I think she'll be fine by the fifth game or so.  Backup PG, a sophomore, is so much more confident and has also grown 3 inches to 5-7.

The boys are a small but quick team.  The discipline seems to be better and they are capable of shooting lights out.  In fairness we had to start and play a lot of sophomores last season; they are now juniors and with that year's experience they should be markedly better.

[Longfellow]

What I got from the Booneville purple/gold games was:

The girls have only 8 players but the overall talent level is much higher than last year.  They now have a true point guard in McClung who has the drive to win. The top three scorers are back.  The big sophomore post (who is officially listed as 6-3) is having to getting used to the speed of high school vs. junior high but I think she'll be fine by the fifth game or so.  Backup PG, a sophomore, is so much more confident and has also grown 3 inches to 5-7.

The boys are a small but quick team.  The discipline seems to be better and they are capable of shooting lights out.  In fairness we had to start and play a lot of sophomores last season; they are now juniors and with that year's experience they should be markedly better.

I have heard a lot of good things about the girls. They should be heavily competitive this year. Do any of the football boys play basketball?

[1-Adam-12]

What I got from the Booneville purple/gold games was:

The girls have only 8 players but the overall talent level is much higher than last year.  They now have a true point guard in McClung who has the drive to win. The top three scorers are back.  The big sophomore post (who is officially listed as 6-3) is having to getting used to the speed of high school vs. junior high but I think she'll be fine by the fifth game or so.  Backup PG, a sophomore, is so much more confident and has also grown 3 inches to 5-7.

The boys are a small but quick team.  The discipline seems to be better and they are capable of shooting lights out.  In fairness we had to start and play a lot of sophomores last season; they are now juniors and with that year's experience they should be markedly better.

I have heard a lot of good things about the girls. They should be heavily competitive this year. Do any of the football boys play basketball?

When football is done we will get four more players, including some that will give a little height to the team.

[#EagleStrong]

Road won't be as hard for Paris as you think. They have five good starters and a solid bench. Nehus is going to have a great year, and their forward Robinson looks like he's going to have a great season too. And people will learn about Atchison soon enough. They won't average 70 points a game like last year, but they look much better on defense. You picked TR and Charleston 1a and 1b, and I personally think Paris is 1c. I could very easily see a three way tie for first in the conference.

But I agree with your rankings for the most part. Including Atkins. They'll be a tough out. It'll be interesting to see if they can win close games and knock off one of the top 3. Last year their only conference wins were against Booneville. Jordan Vaughn will probably emerge as one of the better players in this conference.

Davenport was going to play basketball this year, so his injury is a big blow to Lamar on the court too. They already looked like they would have some serious depth issues. The acquisition of Zederic Lee helps, but I'm not convinced they'll have the firepower to compete in the conference like they have been.

Watching Booneville in camp this summer, I can tell you they're better. Should be a lot more competitive than last year. Matt Carter will do a lot for them. He'll give the zone teams in the conference some fits with his range. Danville will struggle. Madding is a good athlete, but he isn't the talent that Trusty was, and he has no supporting cast.

It's going to be a very interesting year in this conference again, and I can't wait to get started.

[cl line]

that players list will change quite a bit after the games start

[cl line]

was in the gym about two weeks(Charleston) ago picking up a niece...some people are going to be shocked at a kid I watched embarrass others...They told me he was a 10th grader....so it wasn't ward or fenner! My guess is he shows up on your top players list soon

[Longfellow]

was in the gym about two weeks(Charleston) ago picking up a niece...some people are going to be shocked at a kid I watched embarrass others...They told me he was a 10th grader....so it wasn't ward or fenner! My guess is he shows up on your top players list soon

I assume you are talking about Wisdom?

[cl line]

not sure..i only asked what grade he was in? tall blonde hair kid..i will ask my niece next time I see her.

[WPWells]

Wisdom is tall with blonde hair, so it could be him. My guess is the Ewing kid, though.

[BigMan15]

That would be Ewing and he has improved. Wisdom on the other hand has quit!!

[cl line]

either way I have watched a lot of b-ball in my old age and several kids on the (best kids) list posted earlier....I sat in the chair and watched THIS kid score at will on the best defensive player I have seen in years...shooting, driving , and best of all...watched him switch hands in air and finish with his left. Might not seem like much, but just watch how many kids have lost that ability to use either hand. Charleston should win this conference.

[BigMan15]

The thing about it is that these players have not learned their roles yet. Most think they are PG and all think they are 3 point shooters. It may take a while but I figure within a few more weeks we will be looking great.

[adaptedtigerfan]

CL line check your inbox.

[Kitty01]

Cl line is he better than ward last year?

[cl line]

I wouldn't go that far!! Ward is a great player..that kid just has the tools to be a great player, we shall see? I don't know his work ethic or attitude, but his skills are spot on.

[Kitty01]

Good to hear, if he is half as good as ward with fenner and the younger ward, Ross will have c-town in the mix for a championship best coach in the 4-3a and that much talent we will be there in the end. Well if we stay healthy of course

[cl line]

I would have to agree. I knew they had two special players, looks like 3 with a great supporting cast. If you have 3 solid players in 3A you should be in the mix.

[RTF]

Good to hear, if he is half as good as ward with fenner and the younger ward, Ross will have c-town in the mix for a championship best coach in the 4-3a and that much talent we will be there in the end. Well if we stay healthy of course

HAHAHA....

[Kitty01]

What are u hahaing rtf? Who do u think is going to win it?

[RTF]

Episcopal in a 3-peat... or do you mean conference? Right now Two Rivers.

[BigMan15]

either way I have watched a lot of b-ball in my old age and several kids on the (best kids) list posted earlier....I sat in the chair and watched THIS kid score at will on the best defensive player I have seen in years...shooting, driving , and best of all...watched him switch hands in air and finish with his left. Might not seem like much, but just watch how many kids have lost that ability to use either hand. Charleston should win this conference.

Who is the best defensive player you are talking about

[PrivateLesson]

What are u hahaing rtf? Who do u think is going to win it?

His Hahahahahha is irrelevant.....he secretly loves Charleston.

[RTF]

What are u hahaing rtf? Who do u think is going to win it?

His Hahahahahha is irrelevant.....he secretly loves Charleston.

Maybe....  or maybe not.... hmmmm

[BigMan15]

Episcopal in a 3-peat... or do you mean conference? Right now Two Rivers.

Yes I think ECS may 3-peat but remember Jesseville and BHG gave them all they wanted last year and this year everyone somewhat catches up. Mainly Cedar Ridge Charleston Jesseville among others. So yes they are the favorites but nothing will surprise me this year.

[WPWells]

Two Rivers-Charleston games will be epic

[BigMan15]

Two Rivers-Charleston games will be epic

That depends which TR team you get