Howard has same vision for Jackets
It’s been a long time since Greg Carter wasn’t roaming the sidelines inside Starkville’s gym, but a new man is in charge.
It may be a new man, but a familiar face as Woodie Howard takes over after be- ing in the chair beside Carter for years and then spending a season away from Starkville leading Kemper County. He took the Wildcats to the Big House last season and was within a game of playing for a state championship and now he’s bringing what he’s learned over the years back to his home.
“What I told the players is this is nothing new,” Howard said. “I’m building on what’s already been established. You win games with defense and I’m piggybacking off of that this year. I coached most of these guys either in high school, or when they were in junior high, and they know who I am and what to expect. They’re engaged.”
The Jackets program has been one of the most consistent in the state over the course of the last decade and they have the rings to prove it. Despite losing a great coach, they’re hoping to sustain that with the talent that they have returning.
Senior Senavion Roby, Kylan Baggett and Fred Bankhead are good leaders for the squad, but there’s some really good young talent coming through the ranks, including junior Makhi Myles, who had 25 points and 16 rebounds in a season-opening win over Pontotoc at the Hound Dog Classic.
Howard thought it was a good early test for his team.
“I expected us to make some mental mistakes, but we showed we have some fight in us,” Howard said. “We got stops and those stops turned into offensive baskets. We’re young, but I’m looking forward to the challenge with this team.”
Girls
While the Jackets are breaking in a new head coach, the Lady Jackets have the same leader that’s brought them two state titles in coach Kristie Williams.
However, SHS is going to have many new faces on the court this season and Williams is breaking in five sophomores. As inexperienced that the team is, Williams believes the talent is there as it always is. She said it’s up to the players to realize their potential.
“It’s on their end understanding and getting confidence,” Williams said. “I know what they can bring, it’s just about them seeing what they can bring for us. They need to know that they can get the job done and build on that. We had some moments (against Tishomingo County) where we looked good in spurts but there’s a lot of growth we can have.”
The Lady Jackets dropped the opening game of the season against Tishomingo County and they have a huge test this weekend against an always-tough Meridian team on the road.