Lady Leopards open against Lakeview

The Lady Leopards are pumped up and ready to hit the court for the start of another basketball season.

The major change to this year’s lineup is the lack of seniors on the team, but coach Jerry King is confident in the abilities of his strong core of experienced players to help mold the rising players.

“[We want to] steadily improve as the season progresses and be playing our best at the start of the region tournament,” said King.

Banks County has several experienced players to rely on, including sophomores Deasha Beasley, Ashley Morris, Madison Franklin and Katlin Parks.

King also added that the team’s juniors, especially Terri Cregar, would be looked upon for consistent game play.

The Lady Leopards also have a good range of height this season with two players, Lindsey McDuffie and Brandy Daniel, topping out around 5’11”, while Kellany Merck and McKenna Riley average approximately 5’3”.

“We are a young team and will need to learn to be consistent in our play,” King said.

The Lady Leopards are looking to improve on an 11-15 record from last season while still facing a number of very tough opponents.

Providing a challenge straightaway for Banks County will be Rabun County. Rabun finished inside the Elite Eight last season and will be the first region opponent for the Lady Leopards of the 09-10 season on Dec. 4.

Other challenges for Banks to overcome, according to King, will be the Union County team, which is returning all but one player and went as far as the Sweet 16, and the 08-09 region runner-up North Oconee also only losing one senior.

While the challenges for Banks County are steep, King is confident in the team and expects thrilling games.

“We are taking a new offensive philosophy,” King said, adding that it should be exciting to watch.

Banks County starts the Lady Leopard’s season this week as the girls play Lakeview at Riverside on Thursday, Nov. 19, in a girl’s only game at 6 p.m.

The Lady Leopards will play before the boys on Nov. 30, also against Lakeview, at Lakeview. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. with the boys following.