After a tough 3 – 23 season, head coach Jamison Fortenberry and the Trumann Lady Wildcats are looking to turn the page in 2024 – 2025. The team returns key contributors who bring leadership, scoring ability, and defensive tenacity, with several juniors stepping into bigger roles alongside senior point guard Oshua Smith, a two-year starter who runs the floor and controls the tempo, and junior shooting guard Olivia Matos, who provides scoring and perimeter defense. The Lady Wildcats also get contributions from juniors Tayesha Chappell, a versatile scorer at forward / center, Raylene Chavarria and Mercedez Carter, disciplined shooters who can stretch defenses, Kayla Blagg with excellent court vision, and Chloie Williams, a strong presence in the paint who anchors the defense and rebounds aggressively. Sophomore Bailey Smith adds energy and fundamentals on both ends of the floor. Coach Fortenberry believes the keys to success will be strong defensive stops, consistent rebounding, and limiting turnovers. The Lady Wildcats’ biggest strengths lie in their cohesion, discipline, and familiarity with each other, while height and lack of experience may pose challenges. With a mix of leadership and developing talent, Trumann hopes to compete every night and make strides in the 4A-6 conference.
Justin Ward takes over as head coach for the Trumann Wildcats after they finished 3-19 last season. Coach Ward has a strong leader in senior Jalen Elrod to help turn things around for the Wildcats. Elrod averaged 14.7 points, five rebounds, and 3.5 assists earning several college offers. Coach Ward says Elrod is a great athlete with even more potential to tap into. Several players will play big roles for Trumann. Seniors Trevor Blagg and KJ Harris will help in leadership roles. Blagg is a great shooter with something to prove after missing last season with an injury, and Harris is a good ball handler that can knock down the perimeter shot. Juniors Drake Harlow, Johnny Bell, and Landon Adams should be keys for the Wildcats. Harlow played a big role last season and can play anywhere on the floor. Bell is another good athlete who is versatile and can guard and rebound, while Adams is another good shooter who will be looked upon to knock down the big shot. Three sophomores will look to make big contributions for Trumann. Tyreke McCullough is an exceptional athlete who can handle the ball, while Lawson Penter will also be called upon to handle the basketball at the guard position. Coach Ward calls Jace Bennett a shot maker and“ one of the best shooters I have ever coached.” Coach Ward says his squad has something to prove.“ The major key for us this upcoming season will be how hard our guys compete,” he said.“ We won 3 games last season, so this off-season was big for us with building trust in one another. We ' ve had some changes and a productive summer, and we expect big changes. A strength for this team should be that we have something to prove. They want to win, and I think we will put a better product on the floor this year. A weakness this season will be experience. We have young guys that will see a lot of playing time and guys that haven ' t won much in the past. We will have some growing pains, but I expect us to still be competing hard at the end of the season.” They will have the opportunity to learn and grow before the 4A-6 conference slate cranks up in January. Look for the young guys to gain key experience and for the Trumann Wildcats to compete at a higher level in the conference and maybe surprise some people.
The Cross County Lady Thunderbirds finished 15-17 last season and were one game away from advancing to the regional tournament. Now, with everyone on the roster returning, Coach Kyle James and the Lady T-birds have high hopes on advancing further into the postseason. All-State selection Avery Cox returns after averaging nine points and two assists per game last year. The senior guard is a good three point shooter and a smart player that can create for others. All-conference selection Kaylie Witt also returns. Witt averaged nine points and 2.3 steals a night for Cross County. The senior guard has great defensive instincts, is a good ball handler, and hustles all over the court. Junior forward Avery Johnson is a very good three point shooter, has good length, and can create for her teammates. Johnson only played in seven games last season before an injury shortened her season, and Coach James is excited to have her back in the lineup. Junior Brooklyn Miller and sophomore Ania Coffey will add depth to the already deep perimeter game of the Lady Thunderbirds. Miller is a quick guard that can facilitate and score, while Coffey has a high motor and can score at all three levels. Coach James is extremely high on this group.“ This is the deepest team that we have had at Cross County,” he said.“ We will have 9 or 10 girls who can all play and compete for rotation spots. Our keys to success for this year is to limit bad shots early in shot clocks, have better transition defense, and play for each other and be a true team. One weakness that we have is our size. We are a small team so being able to crash the boards and box out are important for us because teams will be bigger. We can also spin that into a strength by playing fast, pushing the tempo.” The Cross County Lady Thunderbirds could make some noise in the 2A-3 and be a team fighting for a regional berth at the end of the season.
The Armorel Tigers are looking to bring the excitement back this season, and with a handful of key returners, there’ s plenty for fans to get loud about. Senior point guard Ben Braswell— a two-year starter— returns as the Tigers’ go-to scorer, a downhill attacker who isn’ t shy about firing early and often. Beside him is fellow senior Braylen Williams, a long, athletic slasher who can fill it up and bring serious energy in transition. Armorel will also get a boost from sharpshooter Jacob Welch, whose three-point range can change momentum in a hurry, and big man Thomas Gall, a strong rebounder who battles on the block every possession. Head coach Shannon Miller believes that if the Tigers can control the tempo and knock down shots, they’ ll be right in the mix in the 1A- 3. With experience, athleticism, and plenty of hustle, Armorel is a team Tiger fans should be excited to watch this season.