Student athletes for both Indians’ and Lady Indians’ basketball teams have hit the gym
in preparation to play a tough schedule during this year’s season. Head Coaches Tory
Douglass and Kenny Barnes return for another year, providing experienced leadership
for both teams.
Lady Indians
In his seventh year at the helm with the Marietta Lady Indians, Coach Tory Douglass is
looking to develop a team that is young, but not inexperienced. While Douglass has only
one returning senior, he also has two returning juniors, and a sophomore who started
last year.
“I believe by the end of the season, if they stay engaged and committed, by playoffs we
can be good,” Douglass insisted. “Our schedule is going to be a dog fight, but they have
the ability. I think we have the potential to be good.”
The first hurdle that Douglass’s team faces is getting back in the gym consistently and
getting in basketball shape. Many team members have been involved in other sports
that are just now finishing up.
Next will be getting the team to gel, to learn to play with one another. Putting that puzzle
together, figuring out which pieces work best and how, is a challenge, but it’s one that
Douglass has already given a lot of thought to.
“Abby Garcia is our only senior, she started last year,” Douglass said. “She’s a
workhorse, a multi-sport athlete. She may not average a lot of points, but I lean on her
defensively.”
Another player that Douglass is expecting big things from is Liliana Fernandez, who
started as a freshman last year.
“She had a great summer,” Douglass said. “She was more of a rebounder last year and
averaged a double-double with rebounds and putbacks. She kept us in a lot of games.
This year she shot a lot over the summer, and I think she is starting to really enjoy
basketball, and to know that she could do this at the next level.”
According to Douglass, leadership, both on and off the floor, will come from several
players.
“Senior Merely Gomez is faithful to weightlifting and practices. She pushes and
encourages the other players, and they look to her, but she will tell it like it is. She’s
definitely an asset to our team,” explained Douglass.
“Another player we look to for leadership is Bella [Izabella] Fernandez,” Douglass
commented. “She is our silent leader, does everything you ask on and off the floor, and
leads by example. I think she could have a really good year.”
The key to a successful season, as far as Douglass is concerned, is getting everybody
on the same page, getting them to click and play together.
For now, Douglass and assistant Tanica Anderson will focus on getting prepared for the
start of the season. They’ve got a lot to do and little time to do it, but Douglass says that
the Lady Indians will be ready to take the court for their first game.
Indians
Coach Kenny Barnes is heading into his fifth season as head basketball coach and is
looking to build on successes the team has had in past years.
“We return a lot of our team from last season and gained a few new faces giving us a
20-man roster,” Barnes said, “and between the high school, junior varsity, and freshman
teams, there will be plenty of options for playing time this season.”
Returning from last year’s team are seniors Luis Garcia, Javin Pelley, and Ivan
Rodriguez; juniors Jorge Remis, Seth McMillin, Javion McCarroll, Tripp Presley, and Will
Rutledge; and sophomore Caiden McCarroll.
Expectations are also high for several newcomers including senior Dillon Trail,
sophomore Johnnehider Aranda, and freshmen Eli Holmes, Leighton Phillips, and
Braxton Perkins.
“Most of our focus will be on defense and creating turnovers so we can get out in
transition and run on offense with Luis Garcia, Javion McCarroll, and Eli Holmes leading
the charge,” Barnes said.
Garcia, Remis, and McMillin, top scores from last season, return, but according to
Barnes, the team has several players who have the potential to score in double digits on
any night.
“We will rely more on team offense than an individual,” Barnes stated. “I think this
season’s team has become better at shooting the ball than teams I have had in the past
few years, so I expect us to be more difficult to guard because we will have more guys
getting a green light from beyond the arch.”
Defensively, the team will rely on a group of players, including newcomer Trail, juniors
Presley and Javion McCarroll, sophomore Caiden McCarroll, along with freshman
Holmes and Phillips.
“We will also have more line-up possibility with returnees like Javin Pelley and Ivan
Rodriguez, who give us discipline with both being mature seniors, which we will need
with most of our core being juniors and younger,” said Barnes.
Other areas of focus for the team this year are growing in toughness, pride, consistency,
and promoting accountability within the team.
“If this team can buy in, believe that WE is greater than ME and mature as the season
goes on,” claimed Barnes, “they will have a very successful season.”