The Bay Yellowjackets finished as co-conference champions of the 2A-3 last season while finishing runner-up in the regional tournament before losing in the quarterfinals of the state tournament . Bay loses a key piece in allconference post player Landon Therrell . He leaves a huge hole on the inside for the Yellowjackets . With that being said , Bay returns all of their remaining key pieces including 2A-3 MVP Justin Brannen . Brannen put together a remarkable season finishing all-state . He will look to win the MVP award in back to back seasons after going from a good player to a great one as he emerged in 2022-2023 . Brannen averaged 20 points , four rebounds and two assists per game last year . Point guard Evan Stotts also returns to serve as the team ’ s floor general . Stotts has tremendous shooting ability . He posted a 40-point performance last year . Stotts simply needs to become more of a scoring threat on a consistent nightly basis . Stotts averaged 13 points , four assists and two rebounds per game last season . A major key piece to the Yellowjacket ’ s success will be senior Seth Spencer . Spencer will likely transition down low to help plug the vacated presence of Therrell . Spencer can shoot and does a good job of finding his way to the rim . If he stays out of his head he could have a very special season . Spencer averaged seven points and four rebounds per contest a year ago . Junior Kaden Hartley finished all-conference last year . Hartley can shoot and plays aggressively . He ’ s a bulldog . Hartley managed eight points and five rebounds per game last season . Drew Long returns to start for Coach Brad Brannen . Long brings added experience . He ’ s a selfless contributor that works hard and can shoot the trey . Coming up from a full season at the junior high level is Jacob Willard . Willard is a long lanky athlete that can shoot and score . Ultimately , the Yellowjackets are still one of the favorites to win their conference . They will rely on great defensive play and shooting to keep their state championship hopes alive . They lack a genuine inside post player which could present a problem . With that said , this could be one of the top Bay teams since their last state championship back in 2016 . Look for the Yellowjackets to repeat as conference champs making a deep run in the postseason .
The Bay Lady Yellowjackets are coming off a season where they made great strides . Ending with a record of 16-18 the Jackets also lost four starters 6 ' 2 center Marlena Hipsher , post player Keyana Dodson , 6 ft SF shooter Hannah Lane , and PG Vidalia McIntire . Coach Tessa Johnson says , “ Replacing four seniors with four sophomores is no easy feat , especially when two of those seniors were dominant post players and one was a six-foot shooting guard . Only having seven also makes it hard , but they are a tough and talented group with big aspirations to continue our success . They are the right seven to have .” The Lady Jacket will rely on senior veteran Whitley Ashlock . Ashlock plays a little bit of everything . She ' s a small forward that plays in the post and can shoot outside when needed . Her strengths are her size and body strength . Her best attribute in basketball is her ability to get to the rim and her nonstop hustle and grit . She was second in steals and rebounds last year . Ashlock will be the leader on this team . Macky Morgan ( senior pg / sg ) has great speed which allows her to get to the rim and add points for her team . Morgan also has the ability to handle the ball where she will step in and fill the role of the point-guard . Faith Muntz ( junior guard ) is what Coach Johnson calls a “ go getter .” Morgan has the potential to give her team an extra go on offense with her outside shot and ability to get to the rim . She , like many of the Lady Yellow Jackets , will continue to improve as the season continues . Bella Dobbins ( senior small forward ) will add depth to the offense with her ability to play inside / out . Baylie Walsh ( senior guard ) will be a shooter on this team . Sophomores Allyson Bowman and Emma Frisby come in as guards with great intensity and push . Coach Johnson says , “ Our keys to success are pretty simple . First , we ' re all about working hard and not giving up , even when things get tough . We always try to keep a positive attitude because it helps us stay motivated . It ' s also crucial for us to play with a lot of energy and work together as a team . We stick together no matter what and support each other on and off the field . These are the basic principles we follow , and we believe that they will help us improve and have a successful season .” NEA Sports predicts the Lady Yellowjackets to miss the regional and state tournament finishing in the middle to bottom portion of the conference .