Apalachee High School girls basketball coach Michael Parks doesn’t hide the fact his team is looking forward to Friday’s matchup with cross county rival Winder-Barrow.
“I would be lying if I said we haven’t discussed it,” Parks said. “With the quality players they have, we follow how they are doing. We want to see how we do against them. My girls want to show they are a quality team and a win against Winder-Barrow would help show that.”
This Friday’s basketball matchup is the latest athletic contest between the two schools. The girls will battle at 7 p.m. at WBHS followed by the varsity boys at 8:30 p.m. As is usually the case with the local rivalry, a large turnout of fans is expected.
“It should be fun Friday,” Parks said. “Playing in front of a large group of people will be exciting for our players.”
Having the entire week to prepare exclusively for WBHS will also benefit the Lady Wildcats, Parks said.
“It should make the week go better because the players will remain focused,” the AHS coach said. “We look forward to four good days of practice knowing who we will have Friday night.”
WBHS Lady Bulldogg coach Brenda Hill said her team will also be ready for Friday’s rivalry contest.
“They are always ready to play Apalachee,” Hill said. “I know Apalachee will be ready to play us as well. It should be a good game. I know Apalachee is doing well this season.”
The WBHS coach said some of her players have seen the Lady Wildcats compete this season.
“We’ll have to give our best,” Hill said. “The girls know bragging rights are on the line.”
AHS boys basketball coach Kevin Morris has only seen WBHS play on tape this season, but that has been enough to let the Wildcat mentor know all he needs to know.
“They are playing very well,” Morris said. “Defensively, they are playing well. Alonzo (Nelson-Obada) is a force in the inside and their guards can shoot. This is going to be a big test for us as we get into subregion play. They have proven to be one of the best teams in the region already. They have handled several opponents. It will be a good measuring stick for us.”
Having the entire week to prepare for the Bulldoggs is something Morris likes, but the AHS coach said having a week of practice is good given the time of the season.
“Having four days of practice in a row is something we will need and should benefit from,” Morris said.
For WBHS boys coach David Sokol, it will be his first taste of the local rivalry.
“As a coaching staff, we try to approach it as the next game,” Sokol said. “The kids will take care of the rest.”
Sokol said many times in rival games such as Friday’s, the start of the contest will be somewhat sluggish as players are emotionally charged.
“It might not be the prettiest thing to start with,” the WBHS coach said. “After the first couple of minutes, you hope things will settle down and you have a good region game.”
One good thing about rivalry games, like the one this week, is sometimes a player who may not have been performing well will take his play to a higher level, Sokol said.
In the end, the WBHS coach said he does hope his players will remember this game is important mainly because it plays a role in setting up where the team will stand for the postseason region tournament.
“That’s what is most important,” Sokol said. “We can’t lose sight of that.”
