Conference: 5-3A
Coach: Jason Johnson, first year at Perryville.
Assistant coach: Terry Smith, Perryville girls coach.
Returning Starters: Holden Branscum (junior, 6-foot), guard; Alex Tanner, 5-10 senior, guard
Best inside players: Drew Waters, 6-2, senior; Alex Strecker, 6-2 junior; Gage Williams, 6-3 junior.
Best outside players: Alex and Holden and Trent Tindall (?), junior, 5-10; Jack Cardin, 5-9, junior.
How will you match/exceed/fall short of your success from last year?
Team strengths: Coacabhle, attitude good attitude, I think depth will be good. I think overall athletic ability is above average, a strength..
Team weaknesses: Size — experience, we’re not real experienced. My best friends in school, 6-4, 6-5, 6-8 — the shortest guy I was ever around was 6-2 — I just grew up around them. That’s probably our main weakeness. With athletic ability and beng coachable — I think we’ll be able to overcome those things. I like this bunch.
Games to Watch: Bigelow, Mayflower — that’ll be a key game for us — Jessieville. We’re really be competing with th eupper echoel. New times I’ve never played; I’ve been at Greenbrier — playing 5A; now playing 3A; some of these teams. Benton Harmony-˝rve is going to be another key game — how are we going to handle that height.
Toughest opponent: I would say Little Rock Episcopal, they’re supposed to be really good.
College prospects: Oh, HOlden dcould be and Gage.
In a nutshell: I think how this team progresses through the aseson, being a new coach .. if we show progression throughout the whole season, by the time we get to post s play, we should qualify fo rthe regional and then state — that would be our goal to have a winning record and quality for the state tournment. Not have any key injuries — that’s really going to be important for us. We can’t afford any injuries. We have some guys that have never played. “We’re going to have to have some key contributors … I’m saying some guys that hadn’t played, they’re going to be called on to contribute.”
Leadership, that’s always important.