A new basketball season is bringing a new and familiar face to lead the Gentry High Lady Rams though their 2017-18 basketball season.
Along with storied alumni Sarita Cooper now being at the helm of this season’s version of the Lady Rams basketball team, there will also be an entirely new group of athletes vying for starting positions.
Despite having zero returning starters gracing the court this season, the Lady Rams will be bent on improving last season’s 14-17 record which included a 4A first round playoff loss to eventual quarterfinalist Amory High School.
That path to a successful season by the Lady Rams begins within Sunflower County this Saturday at 6 p.m. at Ruleville Central High School.
This will be followed by the first home game of the season next Tuesday when Holmes County High of Lexington comes to town for another 6 p.m. tipoff.
As for this season’s squad, Cooper notes “I feel that our strengths will be defense and rebounding. My concerns are size and depth during adversity and challenges.”
“With the Lady Rams being fairly young, we have intriguing potential”, said Cooper. “I am excited about this upcoming season and am looking forward to bonding and working with a great group of young ladies.”
Along with Assistant Coach Mario Young, Coach Cooper will be leading their 12 member roster through this season’s campaign and there are several players expected to make an impact on the court.
The list of those players begins with Quortni Cooperwood, a five-foot-five senior who Cooper feels “this should be her moment” and five-foot-nine junior Mercedes Hayes, who according to Coach Cooper “earned big minutes last season and is expected to lead and be a veteran voice even though she’s a junior”.
Juniors Belize Reed, Khanijah White, and Nuah Davis “are great leaders and are expected to contribute to the program as well”.
Cooper also noted that Shakori Dawson “played exceptionally well last year as a freshman. This should be the start of a steady three-year run for her”.
Other sophomores “ready to make a huge leap” by Cooper are Kaidra Green and Brianna Ferguson.
As for their Region 3-4A competition, Coach Cooper feels “any team can get beat on any given night, so we’re just going to take it one game at a time and worry about district play and playoffs when that time comes.”
