NATCHEZ &045; The start of the season for the Cathedral girls has taken a new twist. Peter Arnold, who took over the team last year and initially was set to coach again this year, stepped aside for Erin Binns, who is now the team’s head coach.

The plan was for Binns, a teacher at Cathedral and former standout at Adams Christian, to serve as an assistant for one year and take over next season. Arnold, who suffers from chronic back pain, asked to push the plan up a year and serve as an assistant.

&uot;Peter asked if I’d be interested, and I said sure,&uot; said Binns, who helped coach Cloyce Hinton with CHS softball. &uot;It’s great. We just kind of swapped our roles. I was extremely nervous and didn’t know how well I would do. The girls are playing better every game. They’re seeing what they’re doing wrong and improving on it.&uot;

That was late last month, and the Lady Wave is getting used to its new coach and took its first win of the season at the Monterey tournament two weeks ago. The squad took an exit from the Harrisonburg tournament on Wednesday and will return to action in its tough division soon.

&uot;She’s going to be good for the program,&uot; Arnold said. &uot;She’s enthusiastic. Hopefully between she and me we’ll get better. We’ve been competing had and getting better.&uot;

SAINTS RISING &045; Fortunately for the Trinity Episcopal Saints, those days of suiting up six players are over. Others have suited up, Stevan Ridley returned this week from an ankle injury suffered in football and they’ll welcome big Australian exchange student Robert Manson possibly Friday.

It’s a huge welcome for those two players after the team lost point guard Chase Brown to an ACL injury in football and post Dudley Guice Jr. opted not to play.

Manson, however, may make a big difference in the post.

&uot;We’re excited, and he’s excited,&uot; TE head coach David King said of Manson. &uot;I think our kids are excited to have him in there. This school’s exchange program has been good for us. A lot of people come here through our exchange program. A lot of people think they come here to play basketball. We’ve had several the last few years.&uot;

REBUILDING &045; Friday’s girls’ game between Block and Ferriday were a couple of mirror images of each other. They’re both starting over after losing several key players from a year ago.

There’s no Monique Jones for Ferriday, and speedy little LaShawnda Pryor was there &045; only on the stage after graduating last year. The Lady Bears lost guard Dani McMillin and post Catessa Branch from a year ago, and both teams are just plain young.

Neither team played fluid basketball Friday, but the Lady Trojans were thankful to take a 59-57 win after Block’s half-court shot at the buzzer from Tiffany Wilkerson went in but not in time.

&uot;They said we had 25 turnovers, but I know we had more than that,&uot; said FHS head coach Lisa Abron, whose team is 4-3. &uot;Despite all that, we still pulled it out. It’s a miracle we won it. It really is. This is a young team. We needed a win to boost our confidence.&uot;