By Kyle Roberts
Both Ruston high school boys and girls basketball had quite a season last year with two district titles and multiple post-season honors.
Now, Ruston has revealed its 2022-23 composite schedule for both boys’ and girls’ basketball teams this past week as both teams look forward to beginning regular season play starting the week of November 14.
Both coaches led their teams last season to District 2-5A titles, with both Bearcat head coach Ryan Bond and Lady Bearcat head coach Meredith Graf named district coaches of the year.
For Graf, she spoke about her excitement for this year as her team ran the table in District 2-5A play last season going 10-0 in district play. Her Lady Bearcats entered the playoffs as the fifth-seed in 5A.
“I am very much looking forward to this upcoming season,” Graf said, as she enters her sixth season as head coach. “I believe I have one of the hardest working teams I’ve ever coached. This group has really bought into doing whatever is necessary to get better individually and as a team. We have a good mixture of returners and younger talent that I expect to get better as the season progresses. We will play a style of basketball that will be a lot of fun for the fans to watch. This team has a wonderful chemistry and a selfless attitude that I believe will help carry us.”
The Bearcats finished as the No. 3 seed heading into the playoffs last season. They return senior Braylan McNeal, junior Jamadrion Lillard, and sophomore Aidan Anding. For Bond, it’s important to simulate the playoffs in the regular season by going to tournaments with tough competition and spoke about how excited he is to run it back with the reigning District 2-5A champions from last season with a team returning key players.
“Being around (football head coach Jerrod) Baugh a lot, we took a page out of his playbook by scheduling some tough teams in the last couple of years,” Bond said. “We’ll be a little short-handed early because some of the kids will still be playing football. We’ve got some other guys who have experience, and we would not have scheduled such quality opponents if I didn’t think we could handle it.”
An interesting note on the schedule for the Bearcats: on November 7, the boys will travel north to Little Rock to take on Parkview High School for a scrimmage. Parkview is coached by Scottie Thurman, a name very familiar to Ruston basketball fans.
“We tried to work it out to see if they could down to our tournament, but (Parkview) would have been in conference play at that time,” Bond said about playing Thurman’s team. “Scottie’s just a tremendous ambassador for Ruston. He still has family here, and he’s a tremendous coach and person. I’m excited about it.”
District play will begin for both teams in January, with the girls starting at West Ouachita on Jan. 6, and the boys opening at home against West Monroe on Jan. 10.
Graf concluded that the schedule will require a team effort from the entire team but offered a highlight for a few Lady Bearcats to keep an eye on this year.
“Some of the more experienced Lady Bearcats are senior La’Marcyah Parker who will have a big impact inside the paint, junior Jaliyah McWain, who will continue her previous success as a scoring point guard, and junior Zaccheya Jackson who has been a solid player on both ends of the floor” Graf said. “I’m excited to see so many more juniors and sophomores step up and round out a complete team.”
The full schedule is below.
