PHS girl hoopsters...Seeking 9-3A honors
Plaquemine High’s Coach Cormanda Grace-Green has seen her last three Lady Green Devil basketball teams notch either district titles or runner-up honors. This hardwood season with only one returning starter in the lineup from last year’s District 9-3A title campaign, the former East Iberville basketball talent faces her toughest challenge.
“Oh, yes, I am spoiled. We had some outstanding players come through our program, but don’t sell this group short. They hustle, work hard, and have been getting better and better playing together recently,” commented Coach Grace-Green prior to tipoff of her team’s 36-34 home court victory over 3-A visitor Redemptorist High.
The victory moved the Lady Green Devil to a 7-13 record, which puts them in a hole as far as matching a trio of previous 20-win seasons. “We have a solid group of teams in our upcoming district. I see Brusly High as the favorite this season to perhaps boot us out of the championship spot,” noted the coach.
Brusly’s Lady Panthers, during the three-year time period the PHS girls romped and stomped most of the time, were a young and inexperienced team similar to his year’s one veteran starter lineup for the Lady Green Devils. Grace-Green, who grew up in gymnasium with her dad Robert Grace the longtime hoop mentor at Sunshine/East Iberville High, knows how teams hit peaks and valleys depending upon experience per season.
”We all have ups and downs, but I think this group can be competitive the rest of the season and improve its early record. I see improvement each game now. We have some older girls on the team who saw limited varsity action in the past, but still have been in the program for a while,” noted the PHS coach.
While leading scorer and veteran Brittany Brown leads the club’s offense and defense, she is joined by veteran first-time starters Tyra Arnold at point guard and inside players Candace Hastings and Amber McCoy. Guard Jazmine Burnstein joins that group as well.
And the coach mentions a pair of first-year younger girls who are players of the future who are getting varsity floor time as backups. They are guard Brianna Arnold and Myiesha Bell. Arnold was the team leader during her playing days at E.J. Gay Middles, while Grace-Green talks highly of Bell’s potential.
“It would be good if we can continue to string together some victories so we can get closer to a winning record before the season ends. And a shot at the playoffs again and a share of district honors would be great too!” noted the PHS coach.
