BY MATT VINES, The DeSoto Parish Journal
STONEWALL – Leave No Doubt.
That’s been the motto for the North DeSoto girls basketball team this season, and the Lady Griffins are leaving no doubt that the program is building into a contender under the guidance of first-year head coach Jalena Sanders.
North DeSoto is 14-5 with two more games – tonight at Doyline and Tuesday against Converse – before the Lady Griffins gear up for District 1-4A play.
NDHS was riding high on a five-game winning streak after Christmas before stumbling in their last contest, a 41-35 loss to Logansport that was plagued by turnovers.
“These girls have made such huge strides to bring excitement around the game of basketball in Stonewall,” said Sanders, who led Waskom High before crossing the border back to her native Louisiana. “My girls played hard, and every single person on the team makes a difference and is essential to our success.
“There are no superstars – just a bunch of girls who are growing and playing for each other.”
It wasn’t long ago that the North DeSoto girls could count their number of wins for an entire season on one hand.
But former head coach Patrece Carter started the upward trajectory of North DeSoto in her two seasons, combining to win 18 games in a program that had won just seven games in the previous two seasons.
Sanders inherited a group that may not have had much experience, but she said the players inherited Carter’s toughness. Carter left to be an assistant coach at Southern in Baton Rouge this offseason.
“Success is not something that has been associated with this program in basketball, so this is a special group,” Sanders said. “They’ve grown under Coach Carter, and she left me with a hard-nosed group of girls.
“It’s been a work in progress, but I just came in and picked up in the direction the girls were already headed.”
Defense has been a staple for North DeSoto as the Lady Griffins have held 14 of their 19 opponents to 35 points or less. Those games are highlighted by virtual shutouts of Haynesville (52-4) and Lakeside (54-3) and include holding Class 5A member Byrd to 15 points.
“We are still finding what works for us defensively, but we have been able to switch from man to zone and do some pressing,” Sanders said. “That’s kept offenses on their toes.”
While the Lady Griffins shouldn’t have an issue with a Doyline team they beat by 36 points a week ago, the matchup with Class B Converse (21-7) should provide a nice test before district play begins.
That district slate starts with reigning champion Huntington, who advanced to the Division I Select quarterfinals this past season.
“Getting wins before district play would be huge, but you also want to look good doing it,” Sanders said. “Huntington has a great program with amazing guard play.
“Huntington is in a league of their own right now, but we want to limit turnovers and try to control the tempo to limit offensive possessions for Huntington. They are going to score, but we can’t get in a running game with them. They put up a lot of points.”
North DeSoto point guard Aja Douglas is “the engine to the team” as she runs the offense and is one of the team’s best defenders. Power forward Morgan Bates is a versatile inside-outside player who is comfortable in the post or on the perimeter.
The Lady Griffins have positioned themselves for a playoff berth for the first time since at least 2003 as North DeSoto is No. 14 in the Division II Non-Select rankings. LHSAA digital records go back to 2003.
But Sanders isn’t after just a playoff berth, she wants NDHS’s opponents to feel it after tussling with her squad.
“Opponents need to remember they played us and that at the end of the game, no doubt should be left that North DeSoto stepped foot on the court and was tough competition,” Sanders said. “I have been preaching peaking at the right time and being a high-caliber team no matter the opponent because that’s what we’re moving toward.
“We don’t walk in the gym hoping to win, we have to walk in knowing we can win. Even if we don’t win, it won’t be an easy win for our opponent.”