For Plant City-area basketball fans, this month is about to get a lot better: The high school season is about to begin, with most teams opening up Monday, Nov. 17.
Before things really get going, fans should get to know their teams a little better. Who’s going to make an impact for their squad this season?
DURANT BOYS
Following a 3-18 record in the 2013-14 season, the Durant Cougars have decided to try running the ship with a new captain.
Brandon Waraska will take over for Trent Tice this season, inheriting a Cougars team that lost six seniors to graduation — most notably Jesse Coker, who led the team in minutes per game with 29.2.
However, that does mean Waraska will get to work with sophomore Tyler White. As a freshman last season, White led the team with 9.3 points per game, while averaging 20.2 minutes. Erick Hernandez, who led the team with 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game, is also returning for his junior year.
DURANT GIRLS
On the other hand, the Lady Cougars aren’t going in with a very new look.
Constance Wharton is returning for her second season coaching the team, which finished with a 1-18 record in the 2013-14 season. She took over the team with the understanding that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a contender; Now that her players are more comfortable in her system, it’s a good sign that most of that young team will be back.
That includes Tahira Rodriguez, the junior who led the team with 11.4 points per game last season. With Rodriguez leading the way, it seems likely that the Lady Cougars can improve upon last year’s performance.
PLANT CITY BOYS
Like Durant, Plant City is also transitioning to a new head coach. After Dale Chambers resigned, following the 2013-14 season, junior varsity coach Jerry Yoder moved up to take the reins.
Last year’s squad, which finished at 11-11 overall and 5-6 in the district, got plenty of contribution from players like T.J. Chase and Landon Galloway. This year’s squad is also going to rely on football players, as Markese Hargrove, Deondre Gatlin and Steven Ogletree are all on board.
Having just finished up at the Red Devil Pre-Season Classic at Kathleen on Thursday night, the Raiders will have had a chance to shake off some rust before their opener.
PLANT CITY GIRLS
Coach Wilt Wilkerson and his Lady Raiders are looking to make some more noise in the district this season, and they’ve got the tools to turn some heads.
Wilkerson led the team into the district semifinals last season, his first as the head coach, and helped develop junior Shayna Lawrence into an all-around threat. Lawrence led the team with 13.8 points and 7.8 boards per game, and led the entire county with 105 blocked shots — 4.3 per game.
Lacey Hargrove, returning for her sophomore season, was a nice surprise last season, scoring 8.4 per game and leading the Lady Raiders with 3.9 steals per game and 19 made three-pointers.
STRAWBERRY CREST BOYS
The only school to retain both coaches, Strawberry Crest enjoyed great success in the 2013-14 season by fielding two district champions.
On the boys’ side, coach Andre Lewis led the team to a 22-7 record (9-1 district) and a spot in the regional semifinals, where it lost to Freedom, 42-39.
This season, Crest lost all five of its leading scorers to graduation. Of its four returning top contributors, two are freshmen; the others, Isaiah Channer and Cody McDaniel, are seniors. Last year, McDaniel led the team by shooting 57% from the field and will certainly be asked to take on a bigger role with the departure of leading rebounder Austin Griffin.
STRAWBERRY CREST GIRLS
No team in the area enjoyed as much success as the Lady Chargers in the 2013-14 season, even with the heartbreaking loss to Steinbrenner in the regional semifinals.
Almost all of that team, plus coach La’Tosha Lewis, is returning. That includes starting point guard Maiya Trigg, whose 11.6 points per game were second on the team, and starting center Nandi Jorden, who led the team with 2.7 blocks per game.
Forward Aliyah Gregory left behind some big shoes to fill, but this could be a breakout year for junior forward Terra Brooks — a two-sport star who led the team in rebounding and shot 48% from the field.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
LET’S GET STARTED
Do you feel the need to be there for your team’s home opener? Check out the schedule.
All boys games start at 6:30 p.m. and girls games start at 8 p.m.
11/17: Newsome @ Durant
11/18: Plant @ Plant City
11/18: Sickles @ Strawberry Crest