Both of Louisville’s basketball teams had a special run a year ago and they’re looking for more this year. The Wildcats and Lady Wildcats both finished second in Class 4A, Region 4 after the district tournament run and came up short in the championship games against good Choctaw Central teams. The key now is stacking that season for both girls coach Fred Morris and boys coach Kylan Tippett as they have their second teams at LHS. The girls are two years removed from a 4A state championship and they have a state title winning coach in Morris at the helm. Last year, he had to replace multiple starters and still led the team to a 19-9 record and a finish in the second round of the playoffs. He started year two at the Choctaw Central Jamboree last week when they defeated Union 51-39. Despite the win, Morris wasn’t pleased. “We’ve got a lot of growing up to do. It seems like from an execution standpoint, Areyanna (Hunter) showed up but everyone else didn’t show up mentally ready to play,” Morris said. “We had over 20 something turnovers, missed close shots, had blown assignments and made bad decisions. We’ve got a lot of growing up to do as far as being able to compete with these top schools in our district.” Having Hunter show up is going to be a given every night. Just this week, she was named a member of the Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen for a second-straight season. She averaged 19 points a game last year and had 20 more last week to tip things off. Having been a major part of the program since her freshman season, the team is relying heavily on her impact in her final campaign. “Here role is vital in everything we do,” Morris said. “She sets the tone with her play and steadiness when things aren’t going right down the stretch. I want the ball in her hands as often as I can get it there.” While Hunter will carry a big part of the load with her play and her leadership, there are other pieces returning and some new faces that will make an impact as well. Kiersten Ball returns for yet another year as well as Jayla Johnson and the two seniors are going to play their part. There’s also sophomores Jacylin Houston and Areyanna’s sister, Aniyah who could have their breakthrough seasons. On the boys side, Tippett is dealing with some of the same issues that many boys teams are around the state this year as football players remain on the football field. The Wildcats rely heavily on several football players including starter Ty Cooper, but they’re working through the early part of the season and will go forward with eight players that they currently have available. They start this week at home against Canton on Thursday. “I’m going to have a really nice team led by three strong seniors that have been with me since the seventh grade,” Tippett said. “Tyrell Thames, Clayton Murray and Ty Cooper are going to be the heart of the team. These guys have learned the game of basketball and have brought an element of physicality.” Cooper possesses a lot of that physicality himself but he’s also a nice mixture of athleticism as well. Last year Cooper was a big part of things down the stretch in the post and helped the team to a second place finish in the district tournament. While his future is on the gridiron, he is capable of doing big things on the court as well. “That is a special kid that is able to do what he does on the football field and come to the gym and bring us some great play on the court. I can trust him on the wing as well as in the post. That’s a plus having a big guy that can be multi-talented. Having coming up just short of winning that district title last year, Tippett and Morris both have their sights set on winning it this year and going beyond that. Tippett has high expectations for his squad as they bring a wealth of experience back. “I feel like the district is going to be tough. My team has a slight advantage because my kids have been playing on the high school level since the eighth grade. They’ve been there and been tested and been around senior led teams,” Tippett said. “The level of experience is going to come in late in the season.”
