Lions look to be toughest on the floor, coach says

Head basketball coach Jared White, in his second season with the Jessieville Lions, said he’s looking to keep this season as solid as last year’s, 24-7. With three returning starters, the team seems to be headed in the right direction. “We have three returning players who gained a lot of experience; then we have several young ones who have no high school game experience,” White said. “We have a chance to surprise some people if we jell and settle into our roles sooner than later.” The starters include senior shooting guard Braxton Shifflett, who averaged 8.6 points and 3 rebounds per game last season and is “a solid guard who brings excellent perimeter shooting. He can put it on the floor and finish well as an 80 percent free-throw shooter,” White said. Senior forward Tyler Holloway, who averaged 8.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, is “an excellent offensive rebounder. He’s more of an inside-out threat. He can really shoot the 3 and is excellent in pick-and-roll situations,” White said. Senior guard/forward Chase Pedersen averaged 4.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game and is the team’s top defender, the coach said. White said a solid defense and quickness are strengths the team possesses, as well as having multiple guards who can score from the perimeter or off the dribble. The Lions will need all these attributes to face their big rival, Fountain Lake, as well as Perryville, their “newly created rival,” and Booneville, the “preseason favorite,” the coach said. “If we were to match last year’s success, I would take it, other than the quick exit from the state tournament,” White said. “We have a much tougher schedule this year and some new teams in the conference that will make the league very competitive. “We will have to hang our hat on being the toughest team to take the floor because we will be undersized compared to most teams.”