By REED DESALVO

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — Adams County Christian School boys coach Richy Spears perhaps said it best pertaining to the significance of the upcoming district tournament.

“You have to be fully focused, because there is no tomorrow,” he said.

ACCS will welcome the rest of its district foes today as it is set to host the MAIS 5-AAA tournament.

The ACCS boys team will play at 7:45 against Brookhaven Academy.

The girls team, however, having clinched an opening-round bye, won’t play until Friday.

The Cathedral boys and girls teams, meanwhile, will play at 5:15 and 6:45 p.m., respectively.

Cathedral (boys) take on

Laurel Christian

The Cathedral boys enter play today tournament with a 16-10 record and must win at least one game to qualify for next week’s South State tournament at Columbia Academy.

“This is our first year in the private school league, and we want to make a good impression,” Cathedral coach Peter Arnold said. “We want to make sure we get to South State.”

Cathedral has topped Laurel Christian in each of the two meetings this season, including a 46-28 win on Jan. 24.

Arnold, however, said his squad remains focused on the task at hand and is not overlooking today’s tilt.

“Nothing is a given,” Arnold said. “We will not take anything for granted. You want to make sure you put your best foot forward each game. All it takes is one bad night and your season is over, and we’re not ready for that.”

Arnold said the key for his squad will be how well it executed its offense.

“We have to be patient and discipline,” he said. “We have the athletes and the size, but our biggest enemy at times this year has been trying to play too fast. We need to take good shots and get the ball inside, because once you establish the inside, then all the outside shots become readily available.”

Cathedral (girls) square off against Laurel Christian

The last time the Cathedral girls took on Laurel Christian, the Lady Green Wave raced out to a 27-1 first-quarter lead and never looked back en route to a 44-15 win. Cathedral also defeated LCA on Dec. 8.

The Lady Green Wave will look to clinch their spot in the South State with a third win this season over Laurel Christian.

 

“It’s hard to beat a team three times in one season,” said Arnold, who also serves as the girls coach.

 

Arnold said the key for the girls will come down to defensive rebounding and playing at a high tempo.

 

“We have to play to our strengths,” Arnold said. “We need to get some transition baskets and rebound the basketball. Rebounding the ball is critical for the girls; rebounds on defense sets up for our fastbreak and opens up the floor for us.”

 

ACCS (boys) take on Brookhaven Academy

Just like the Cathedral boys and girls, the ACCS boys needs at least one win to clinch a spot in next week’s South State tournament.

 

“We’re geared up and ready to play,” Spears said. “We had to come from behind the last time we played (Brookhaven). We got down double digits, but we did some things defensively that I think the kids are excited about.”

 

Spears said he hopes playing in a familiar environment will give his team a boost throughout the tournament.

 

“We shoot in our gym every day” he said. “That’s going to be good for us. Hopefully we’ll have a good turnout with the fans and students, and hopefully we can get some momentum going.”

 

ACCS (girls) play Friday

 

The Lady Rebels have clinched a spot in next week’s tournament and will await today’s results to find out who it will face Friday.

 

“It has been a good while sine we’ve hosted the district tournament,” ACCS girls coach Melanie Hall said. “Any time you can play on your home floor is a blessing. We’ll have our home crowd there and we’ll be ready to protect our house … To God be the glory.”

 

ACCS enters the tournament slated as the No. 2 seed. Hall said the key to her squad’s tournament will come to executing the fundamentals.

 

“We have to take care of the basketball, and we have to execute offensively and defensively,” she said. “We have to do it as a team. I’m blessed with depth and everybody brings something different to the table … We’re unified.”