The high school basketball season for teams in Class A and above tips off Monday.
Lakeside travels to West Monroe for boys and girls games against Claiborne Christian.
The Minden boys and girls host Ruston Tuesday.
North Webster’s boys and girls teams open their seasons in the Lakeside tournament, which begins Wednesday.
Minden’s boys and girls teams, both of which have new head coaches, are also in the tournament.
Jacob Brown, who had a successful 14-year stint as head coach of the Minden girls, is now the boys head coach.
Cindee Wright-Clark, a former head coach at Calvary Baptist and Southwood, has replaced Brown. She was also a state champion player at Southwood under Steve McDowell.
The Minden boys are coming off a 10-18 season, the Tide’s final one under Head Coach Rennie Bailey.
The only returning starter is 6-foot-2 senior Maurice Rabb, a member of the football team that completed its season last Friday. The only other senior is 6-1 JeKoye Knowles.
Some of the players on last year’s team will be playing different roles this season.
“I’m looking forward to watching this group of young men grow together as a team.,” Brown said in a text message. “Throughout the summer and fall, we have continued to develop chemistry as well as having an understanding of what’s expected to grow as a team.”
This is Knowles’ first season of varsity basketball, but Brown said he has the ability to be a “difference-maker.”
Guards Darnell Morris, a 6-3 junior, and Carmelo Smith, a 6-1 junior, “are two key players that have shown growth and will be expected to step into leadership roles, on both ends of the court.”
Smith missed last season because of a knee injury.
Christian Lofton, a 5-8 junior guard, “should help us have a quality group of guards that allow us to play at the tempo that the game calls for,” Brown said.
Rounding out the junior class are 6-0 Chris Harris and 6-2 Jarvis Davis, both football players, along with Marcus McClendon and Britton Jackson.
Brown calls Harris a “quiet leader.”
Brown will be looking for sophomores Jaiden Franklin and Cameron Parker to provide depth. Both saw playing time as freshmen.
“Both are dynamic players that impact games in multiple ways,” Brown said.
Other sophomores are Kameron Harris and Hudson Brown, also football players.
Junior Travesti Byrd, an All-District 1-4A second-team selection, leads the returning players on the Minden girls team.
She averaged 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 4 steals.
Seniors Timiah Hawkins and Kierra Harrison were honorable mention All-District selections.
Hawkins averaged 9.7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.6 steals. Harrison averaged 5 points and 4.3 rebounds.
Wright-Clark said she will also be counting on Shelby Glen, Jakhiya Johnson, Brooklyn Jefferson and Kynnadi Brown.
Minden went 11-16 last season and made the playoffs.
The Glenbrook girls team has a new head coach, Valerie Ricord, who spent the last nine years at Donnie Bickham Middle School.
Glenbrook lost only one senior from last season’s team that went 6-15 last season and made the playoffs.
There are five returning juniors — forward/center Hallie Harmon, guard Colby Hollis, forward/shooting guard Emily Chandler, guard Vivian Still and forward/center Rebecca Mosley.
Another player to watch is sophomore guard Gabi Brown.
The Glenbrook boys will be looking to improve on last season’s 6-16 mark.
The Lakeside boys team is coming off a 9-17 season. The Lady Warriors went 4-17.
The North Webster girls team went 7-14 last season. The boys team will be looking for improvement after struggling last season.