By By James Crawford
News Editor
The sounds of steady beats can be heard in local gyms and the squeaking sounds of sneakers all indicate that basketball in Atmore is in full swing. With a few games under their belts, local coaches offer some insight on how their teams are doing. The following is a roundup of area play.
The Escambia County High School Men's Blue Devils are red hot in the first part of this season, posting a 6-0 record. But Head Coach Brent Orso said even though he's happy with what his team has accomplished, he's still looking to get better.
"So far, the kids are working hard, but we still lack some discipline," Orso said. "We have a long way to go. We still need to learn some of the basic fundamentals of the game and we haven't played a lot of quality teams yet, so we still have great room for improvement."
The men's B-team at the high school has emerged as a gem in the works. With a 5-1 record, the men are out to prove they have the potential to be reckoned with.
"We look real good. We're kind of short but we have a lot of speed," Head Coach Tony McAroy said. The first-year coach directed his team to a 62-28 rout of T.R. Miller on Nov. 26. Chris Andrews was the high scorer with 19 points. Lorenzo Arnold dropped in 18 points and Jimmy Craft contributed 11 points.
The Escambia County High School Lady Blue Devils, with a 0-5 record, are still looking for the sweet spot where the team all works together without thinking about it. With the recent resignation of long-time head coach Theodore White, the young team has had to adjust to a new coach while still getting to know each other, but the girls refuse to give up.
"We still have something to prove," Interim Head Coach Andre Hodges said. "We have to pick up on defense and offense. We are still very much in a rebuilding stage." Hodges is also head coach of the junior varsity lady's team, who have thus far this season posted a 0-6 record.
All of the teams return to action Friday with home contests against Thomasville. The B-team will get things stated with a 5 p.m. tipocc.
On Saturday, UMS-Wright pays a visit to Atmore, with the B-team tipping things off at 4:30 p.m.
The Blue Devils and Lady Blue Devils then take to the road for games against Baldwin County on Tuesday before facing off in the County Tournament Dec. 12-13 at T.R. Miller.