The Buffalo Island Central Mustangs finished 20-14 last season , won an NEA Tournament title , but fell in the district tournament to eventual state champion East Poinsett County . Losing all but one starter , Coach Taylor Lane knows he will have to develop his young team . “ We lost a lot of pieces from last year ,” Coach Layne said . “ We need to make sure to take this year one game at a time and get better as the season goes . We will be very young and do not have the numbers we have had in the past . I look forward to seeing this group grow and compete as the season progresses .” Junior Leo Contreras is the lone returning starter from last year . Contreras is a good scorer off the dribble from the guard spot and can finish around the rim . Fellow junior Kell Gathright came off the bench to gain valuable experience last year . Gathright is a good outside shooter and vocal leader of this team . Sophomores Braxton Matheny and Zander Jackson will look to step up and contribute at the senior high level . Matheny is a forward that guards well and can finish around the rim , while Jackson is considered a work horse who can do a little bit of everything at the guard spot . The 2A-3 will have a little different look this season , but still one of the most balanced conferences from top to bottom . The tradition of that conference always holds true , and the BIC Mustangs should be a tough matchup each night . If the youth rounds into form , Buffalo Island Central could find themselves with an opportunity to make the regional tournament .
The Buffalo Island Central Lady Mustangs finished 17-18 last season , but it was a late season run that earned them a district tournament runner-up , a regional tournament runner-up , and a trip to the state tournament . Coach Trevor Matheny is hoping the Lady Mustangs will ride that momentum into this season and continue the ride . BIC lost several key pieces to that late season run , but return a lot of experience and a lot of talent . Seniors Riley Parker and Kendra Towell return to lead the Lady Mustangs . Parker played a big role in last year ’ s late season run earning All-Tournament honors in the Regional Tournament Towell is a physical presence inside that can step out and shoot and handle the ball . Junior Josephine Hanneken is another post player that can protect the rim and rebound . Guards Jaylyn Cagle and Chandler Gathright were key in the postseason last year as well . Cagle has a knack for knocking down big outside shots in key situations , while Gathright also earned All-Region honors utilizing her quickness to attack the basket . Emma Kate McCord is another guard that will look to contribute and add depth to the BIC lineup . The 2A- 3 conference will be as strong as ever with the additions of Corning and Piggott , so Coach Matheny knows what his team must do to recreate the magic . “ We have to be more disciplined on the defensive end than we tend to be at times ,” he said . “ We have proven that we can play with anyone if we control the boards , and we have the size to do that . We finished great last season after a bumpy start , and we are looking to build off that .” With returning talent and postseason experience , NEA Sports predicts the Buffalo Island Central Lady Mustangs will finish second in the conference and make another run into the state tournament .