NATCHEZ — Natchez High School’s varsity girls and varsity boys basketball teams are both off to good starts early in the 2018-2019 season with the Lady Bulldogs at 6-3 overall and the Bulldogs at 5-1 overall.

Yet Lady Bulldogs head coach ShaRhonda Gipson and Bulldogs head coach David Haywood know their respective teams have room to improve and a lot of basketball ahead of them.

“The season’s coming along well. The three games we’ve lost have been our best competition,” Gipson said. “We lost to Vicksburg by one point. We lost to Picayune by one point. And we also lost to South Pike. We have to learn how to finish. The losses by one point, we didn’t do well at the free-throw line.”

Haywood sees room for improvement as well.

“I think we’re growing. We’ve got some things to (work) on,” Haywood said. “But the first six games, we’ve had some good stretches and not-so-good stretches. But I think we’re heading in the right direction.”

Each coach, however, has different expectations for the season. Haywood is taking the one-game-at-a-time approach while Gipson’s goals are to have a winning record and be one of the top two teams in MHSAA Region 6-5A come February.

“Just stress to the kids not to get ahead of themselves,” Haywood said. “Get better every possession. Implement a high level of thought when it comes to execution on offense and defense. The results will take care of themselves.”

There are a couple of other goals that are rather lofty for most high school basketball teams but ones that Gipson said she believes the Lady Bulldogs can attain: “Eighty percent from the free-throw line and 90 percent on lay-ups.”

While both teams are loaded with talent, there will be challenges that each team will have to face as the season goes along. For the Bulldogs, it’s being consistent. For the Lady Bulldogs, for the second year in a row it’s youth.

“Being consistent with our level of thought and energy. We had a game where we won, but our energy level wasn’t high because we weren’t hitting shots early,” Haywood said. “When things aren’t going right, you have to grind and play defense.”

“We only have two seniors, one of whom transferred from Adams County Christian School (Rearnna Mayberry). Aja Carter was here last year,” Gipson said. “They’re not used to playing at a high pace. They’re still getting used to that. Also, playing as a team first.”

Gipson added that she wants Carter and Mayberry to leaders not only on the court, but off the court. Those two aren’t the only standouts on this Lady Bulldogs team.

“Our junior class is led by Candi Gray, who’s our leading scorer, and Kelvonda Arbuthnot, who rebounds and plays defense well. “My sophomore class with Kelsey McNeal and Kyla Butler. We basically have to depend on each other. When you have to go to your bench, it’s always a plus,” Gipson said.

The Bulldogs are led by a pair of seniors in point guard Charles Credit and guard Alex Miller as well as junior guard/forward James Singleton.

“Charles is doing a great job of trying to be a leader. Lack of leadership caused our team to be in very bad situations last year. He’s trying to be that leader in practice. Do things the right way, even when he’s not feeling well,” Haywood said. “He’s got the most playing time. He’s got the most experience. James is a kid who’s got a lot of potential. He’s been getting a lot of playing time because he’s been playing on the varsity team since the eighth grade. Alex may not end up with the most points and the most assists. But he’s playing hard on defense and making the right plays on offense. They’re showing they young guys the right way to play.”

And there are some tough games ahead for the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs before Region 6-5A play begins on Friday, Jan. 4, 2019. Both coaches said that every game the rest of the way starting tonight concerns them — but for different reasons.

“Because any given night, any team can beat you,” Haywood said. “My biggest concern is the team doing what they’re doing. At this point, basketball is basketball. I try to prepare them for every type of defense we’re going to see and then we prepare them for every type of offense we’re going to see.”

“To me, all the games we are playing (in December) will prepare us for (region) play,” Gipson said. “(Tonight) against McComb will challenge us. Next Tuesday night, Raymond will challenge us. Then (region) play begins against Brookhaven, which right now is undefeated.”

While Haywood said that one game is not more important than another, adding “That’s how be kind of handle business around here,” he noted that the home game against Class 4A Raymond High School will be a big test for the Bulldogs.

“Raymond is one of the best teams in the state,” Haywood said. “Forest Hill and Brookhaven (in Region 6-5A).

The Lady Bulldogs and Bulldogs will both competed at the Hattiesburg Tournament, which will take place Dec. 27-29. And both Gipson and Haywood are excited to have their teams taking on top-notch competition from around the state.

“It will determine how hard they are willing to work,” Gipson said. “I just found out that our first game is against Hattiesburg. They won the (Class 5A) state championship last year. Those games will let us know what we need to work on.”

“I think that this tournament has implications on how far your season will go. We played in that tournament a couple of years ago. That level of competition, you will see in the playoffs,” Haywood said. “I think it will be a great experience for our kids because you have to play your best basketball. I’m looking forward to that tournament.”