Raiders are ‘cautiously optimistic’ looking to the remaining schedule
With his team showing signs of becoming a playoff contender, Oak Hill Academy boys' basketball coach Lee Hazelwood is using two words to describe his outlook for the remainder of the season: Cautiously optimistic.
After a one-sided loss to Starkville Academy to open the season, the Raiders had a stretch where they won eight of their next 12 games to reach eight wins at one point.
"We're kind of trying to find our way a little bit," Hazelwood said. "We've won three, four, five and six-point games. You've got to find a way to win those, and we have."
In their final season in Class 4A, District 1, Oak Hill sits at 2-0 in district play. Hazelwood said he looks forward to next season when his Raiders are realigned into Class 4A, District 3 with opponents closer to home. Hazelwood said he looks forward to the new, tougher competition the realigning will bring.
"I'll take the good competition over the traveling every time," Hazelwood said. "I like the way we compete."
With 15 players on the roster, Hazelwood said the Raiders
are deeper than last season. His starting five includes a mixture of nine players. They include senior guard Collins Trolio, senior guard-forward Jon Ross Craven, junior center Noah Brand, junior small forward Josh Long, senior point guard Kye Tate, junior shooting guard Cole Knighton, sophomore center Chip Ballard, sophomore shooting guard Mason Pruden and sophomore shooting forward Harlow Ellis.
"It's all about matchups," Hazelwood said. "We're better inside this year. We're rebounding the ball well out of the post and we can shoot the 3."
The Raiders' bench includes one eighth grader, three freshmen, one sophomore and a junior.
Leading this group will be junior guard-forward Barrett Kabor. Joining him are sophomore guard L.K. Chandler, freshman guards Amno Amno, Boston Cunningham and Connor Stokes and eighth-grade guard Jackson Fulton.
While his team has shown its competence at shooting the three-pointer, Hazelwood
said he would rather see his team go another route.
"I'd rather shoot the 2-footer than the 22-footer," he said. "In high school, sometimes you have to take what you can get, but sometimes you have to throw that out the window, go inside and draw the contact."
As for the district, Hazelwood said he expects perennial favorite Rossville (Tennessee) to be strong, with Marshall and Clarksdale Lee also offering tough competition.
After a third-place finish in the state last year, it would seem obvious that the Lady Raiders would have all the confidence in the world.
According to head coach
Terry Walters, that just hasn't been the case early in the season. Despite starting four experienced seniors and having a deep bench, the Lady Raiders have opened with just an 8-6 record in 2022.
"We're not shooting the ball well and we've had too many turnovers," said Walters, who is entering his third season as Oak Hill Academy head coach. "If we start playing hard and believing in ourselves, we should be fine."
The Lady Raiders' starting five comes on a combination made up from six potential starters. They are led by 5-foot-9 senior guard Mary Beth Briggs. Joining her are a combination made up from 5-6 senior guard Raylee Craven, 5-9 senior forward Morgan Dabbs, 5-6 senior guard-forward Allie Comer, 5-10 junior forward Harley Vaughn and 5-3 junior point guard Kara Reed.
The Oak Hill bench includes sophomore forward Locke Myers, junior guard Claire Henson, sophomore point guard Kathryn Williams, sophomore guard Ceirston Tarwacki, sophomore guard Mirah Amro, freshman forward Jacee Ellis and freshman forward Mary Katherine Wedel.
With the depth given to the Lady Raiders by their bench, Walters said he believes they have a strong chance in district play. He said he expects the toughest challenges to come from Rossville, Tennessee, Academy. The two teams will face off the first time January 6 at Oak Hill, then 15 days later on January 21 at Rossville.
"With our depth, we stand a chance in district play," Walters said. "The talent is there. Just getting it out of them is the key."*