MONTICELLO – November has arrived, and that means it’s time for high school basketball. Hoops fans in Lawrence County are excited, as the LCHS Lady Cougars and Cougars are opening their season Thursday night with a varsity double-header at West Lincoln.

Hopes are high for Coach Pat Bridges’s Lawrence County boys. Bridges’s Cougars return four starters from last season’s team, which finished at 13-19. That overall record is a bit deceptive, as LCHS improved dramatically over the course of the season and finished second to state 4A champion McComb, in both the Division 7-4A regular season and tournament standings.

Returning starters are senior Keith Davis, who played cornerback for the Lawrence County football team, juniors Gabriel Lewis and Phillip Moore, and 6’8″ sophomore Keyshawn Feazell.

“We’ve got high expectations for this group,” said Bridges, who is in his sixth season at the LCHS helm. “This is a very coachable group of players. They’ve really bought into what we’re trying to do. They’re working hard, and I believe they’ve got a promising future.”

Other key returnees for the Lawrence County boys include A.J. McLaurin, Lane Rutland, Shacorey Pittman and Bobby Peyton. Those players, along with other reserves, have Bridges thinking he has the deepest team since returning to his alma mater.

“We’ve got more depth-more promising depth-than we’ve had here,” Bridges said. “We’re looking to get more production off the bench than we’ve gotten in the past.”

Lawrence County’s 2014-15 slate is full. The Cougars and Lady Cougars will host their annual Thanksgiving-week tournament, as well as a Christmas holiday tournament in Bay St. Louis. The Cougars will play a “classic” game at Pearl and will participate in the “Rumble in the South” at Mississippi College in January.

Along with division contests with Columbia, South Pike, McComb, North Pike, and Purvis, the LCHS boys and girls will face Bay Springs, Terry, Brookhaven, Crystal Springs, Bay High, Tylertown, West Jones and Prentiss in non-division play.

Bridges considers reigning 4A champion McComb to be the team to beat in Division 7-4A boys’ play. Bridges is assisted by veteran hoops mentor Eddie Rials.

Lady Cougars overcome obstacles

The pre-season has presented a load of obstacles for Coach Vicki Rutland and her Lady Cougars. Illness forced the resignation of Rutland’s long-time assistant, Roberta Johnson, and Johnson’s replacement, Kay Stephens, has been forced from the sideline by a family illness. Jesse Anderson, and LCHS football assistant, and coach at Rod Paige Middle School, joined Rutland this week. He will handle ninth grade and junior varsity action, and assist Rutland. Topeka-Tilton coach Scott Johnson will also assist.

“We’ve had a lot of obstacles,” said Rutland, entering her tenth season at the Lady Cougars’ helm, “but this team is very resilient. Our team has lots of maturity and confidence, and that’s helped us to battle through some distractions.”

The Lady Cougars went 10-24 last season, making it to the first round of South State but failing to make it to the South State weekend tournament for the first time in six years. LCHS advanced all the way to the 4A state championship game in 2011.

“Our goal is always to play into the post-season,” said Rutland, “and go as deep as we can. We took some lumps last season, but I thought our kids competed hard and learned a lot. This program has high expectations for itself every year.”

Though both are still underclassmen, junior DeNeisha Dickson and sophomore Haven Johnson are returning starters for the Lady Cougars. Other major contributors for Lawrence County could be Jazmine Moore, Kametrius Leggett, Zipporah Baylis, Jada McDuffey, Kyla Holloway, Keejalah Rhodes, Camryn Davis and Tierra May. Injured senior Dekaisha Funchess, though out with a long-term knee injury, is providing quality leadership.

“We’ve got a higher basketball IQ than last year,” said Rutland, “and that comes from experience. We had a great summer. We’ll experiment with some different combinations in the early season. The goal is to be at our best come January when the district season begins.”

Rutland, who coached Northeast Jones to a state championship before coming to Lawrence County, considers South Pike to be the favorite in Division 7-4A girls’ basketball but says the division is deep in talent and quality teams.

Lawrence County Girls Roster

Seniors: Tiara May, Dakiesha Funchess, Keejalah Rhodes, Kyla Hollaway, Jazmine Moore, Kametrius Leggett.

Juniors:  Jada McDuffey, Zipporah Bayliss, DeNeisha Dickson, Bryanna Tyler.

Sophomores:  Jakerria Tillman, Keely McClinton, Danielle Sutton, Haven Johnson, Diamond Ard, Saadi Garner, Johntaja Tillman, Rozetta Howard, Tamaya Hooker, Jasmine Holloway, Gnywe Smith.

Freshmen:  Kristen Rhodes, Kaitlin Wallace, Camryrn Davis

Managers:  Xysamin Pitts, Bailey Baylis, Jordan Harp, Milan Nelson, Laticia Collins.

Lawrence County 2014-2015 Schedule

November: 1-at South Pike Jamboree, 6-West Lincoln, 8-at Brandon (Boys Only), 11-at West Jones (Girls Only), 14-Prentiss, 21-West Jones, 22-at Tylertown, 24-25-LCHS Thanksgiving Tournament.

December:  6-Bay High, 12-at Brookhaven, 13-Pearl Coaches vs. Cancer Charity, 16-at Magee, 19-Crystal Springs, 29-30-at Bay High Tournament.

January:  2-Brookhaven, 6-at Terry, 9-Purvis, 13-Columbia, 16-at McComb, 20-at South Pike, 23-North Pike, 27-at Purvis, 30-at Columbia.

February:  3-McComb, 6-South Pike, 10-Bay Springs, 13-at North Pike, 16-21 District Tournament, 23 – South State 1st Round Girls. 24 – South State 1st Round Boys. 27-28 – South State Tournament.

March: 1-2- South State Tournament, 4-14-State Championship-Ms Coliseum.