Sammy Smith and Yvonne Hairston have used the memories of the 2010-11 season as building blocks throughout this season.
The Columbus High School boys and girls basketball coaches hope those lessons will be put to use tonight when their teams kick off the second seasons. The top-seeded Columbus girls will play host to fourth-seeded Grenada at 7 p.m., while the second-seeded CHS boys will play host to third-seeded Grenada at 8:30 p.m. in the final two of four games on the opening day of action in the Class 6A, Region 2 tournament at Columbus High.
The second-seeded Tupelo girls will take on third-seeded South Panola at 4 p.m., followed by the top-seeded Tupelo boys team’s game against fourth-seeded South Panola at 5:30 p.m. today. The girls winners will meet at 6 p.m. Friday to determine the district champion. The boys title game will follow at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
The majority of the state’s district tournament action begins tonight. The consequences are simple: Win or go home.
The Columbus boys, who won only two games last season, aren’t ready to hang up their uniforms. The Falcons (12-12), who lost Friday night to Aliceville (Ala.), suffered growing pains typical of a young team. But Smith feels his players have matured, are listening, and are ready to defend their home court.
“We feel pretty good,” Smith said. “The guys know they have matured. Even though we are a long way away, we are so much farther along than we were last year.”
Despite having only one senior, Deontae Jones, Smith feels his team is much more mature than a year ago. The Falcons have gone with a nine- to 10-player rotation that has allowed many of the younger players to gain experience beyond their sophomore and junior status. Smith said the attitudes have been good and the team has stayed together to be in a situation to get back to the North State tournament.
Smith said his team won’t face any added pressure because it is hosting the tournament. He said he is ready to put the team on his back and to lead it to its third victory against Grenada this season.
“Our expectations have never wavered,” Smith said. “When we put those ninth-graders on the floor (last year), we expected to win. It is no different right now. We expect these guys to be the ones people can be proud of.”
Hairston hopes her girls team (22-2) can take another step.
Last season, Columbus beat Starkville and Tupelo to win the Class 6A, Region 2 title. The championship was the program’s first since the 2002-03 season when it beat Tupelo in coach Amanda Brabham’s first season. Columbus edged Southaven 60-59 at home in the first round of the Class 6A North State tournament before losing to eventual state champion Northwest Rankin 85-69. Kiandria Patterson had 37 points in the game in which Columbus trailed by 24 points midway through the second quarter before rallying in the third quarter.
Hairston felt that game set the stage for where her team is today. The Lady Falcons have been ranked this season among the state’s best teams in Class 6A. Their only loss have come to H.W. Byers and to Hattiesburg.
Like the boys team, Hairston wants to make sure the girls team is focused playing in front of the home crowd. She feels her team is ready to take on the challenge of winning more than one title this season.
“I like where we are” said Hairston, whose team beat Aliceville (Ala.) on Friday to close the regular season. “They have a real positive mind-set and they are really focused on the things we need to do to get to where we were and to advance farther on in the playoff season. They’re excited about what we need to do for the city of Columbus. It would be a great thing to have the opportunity to bring a district title and a North State title to Columbus and, eventually, a state title.”
Hairston feels the expectations for this season are just right, especially since the team talked last season only about winning the district title. This season, led by the high-scoring duo of Patterson and Maggie Proffitt, Columbus will try to do even more.
“Our kids know exactly what it takes and how physical the games are going to get the farther down we go,” Hairston said. “I think last year (against Northwest Rankin) we went out a little timid and came out and played well after halftime. This year, they have that experience, so we know what it takes to move on and we know we’re going to have to be very physical.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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