The Lady Raiders basketball team, under the guidance of new coach David Noles, will travel to Escambia High School Monday to open its regular season at 6:30 p.m.

 “I’m not about to go out on a limb and predict a win Monday,” said Noles, “but I will say our players have put in a lot of hard work over the summer and are looking forward to playing their first regular season game. I’m anxious to see how well they apply what my staff and I have been teaching. Doing it right in practice is one thing, but executing in a real game situation might be different. Still, the girls are pretty excited and seem anxious to test their new knowledge on the court in a game that counts.”
 According to Noles, the on-court leadership rests on the shoulders of three seniors, Lori Fletcher, Nikki Crawley and Kylie Casey. The 6-foot Fletcher is “our most talented player,” said Noles, “and I think she is one of the best players in the area. She has the size and skill to play both on the perimeter and in the high or low post spot. She has a great pull up jumper that is enhanced by her ability to penetrate to the left or right all the way to the basket. She runs the floor well, can bring the ball up court under pressure, and is our strongest rebounder and best defender. Did I leave anything out? Oh yeah, she also is very unselfish and works to bring her teammates game to a higher level and is definitely Division 1 college-level materiel.

 

For more on this story, see the Nov. 13 issue of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.