Conference games are really heating up in the 2A-4 division and with Lavaca sitting pretty at 4-0, the rest of the seeding is completely up for grabs. “The conference is going to be a close race from top to bottom,” explains head coach for the Hackett Sr High Hornets, Kent Elmore. “Lavaca is a great basketball team that everyone is wanting to get after. We have had a tough three-game losing streak in conference play but in the past two weeks the players have really bought in and have been playing much better basketball.”
In their first game of the new year, the Hornets faced the County Line Indians on January 7th in an away non-conference match-up and ended falling with a final score of 46-42. With the conclusion of the game, Dylan Kats led with 12 points followed by Tyler Satterfield with 11. Austin Cowell made nine points. Zach Gragg netted six points. And Cash Oliver and Ty Smith each brought in two.
“We were not playing very good team basketball and we did not play with the energy and attitude to be successful. We have played some tough competition over the past two weeks and have been in every game. We are still needing to improve on our defensive discipline. We have not shot the ball to our capability. As a coach, I do not see this as a bad thing, because I know that when we finally shoot as I know we can, we will be able to win a lot of games.”
Along with Hackett and Lavaca, the other teams competing in the 2A-4 are Hector, Magazine, Mountainburg, Danville, and Westside. Up next for the Hornets are the Magazine Rattlers on Tuesday, January 14. “On film, Magazine is much better than their record shows. It will be our homecoming game so the environment should be a great one. Our players will need to feed off that energy and use it to create turnovers and easy transition opportunities. I think if we do that and play sound defense, we will be able to come up with a much-needed conference win!”
