The Manning High School Lady Monarchs finished a respectable 23-6 in the 2016-17 basketball season.
Thus far, Coach Darren Mazyck said his girls are “looking pretty good.”
“We had a scrimmage last Wednesday and we will have another Saturday,” he said. “They are looking good on the court. They worked in the off-season and are down really well.”
The Lady Monarchs finished second in the region last season and ultimately concluded the year in with a loss in the semi-finals.
“We’re looking to be pretty competitive in the region this year,” Mazyck said. “We want to try and win this conference and then go a little bit further than we did last year in the playoffs. Each year is different, but we put in some good work this summer and in the off-season, and I think we can do it.”
Mazyck graduated three players in the off-season, but said most of his team is returning.
“My top four, they have put in a lot of work, and they understand their leadership roles now,” he said. “Their work ethic is something you’d want to see in anyone.”
He said the toughest games will be against some of the other home teams.
“We’re going to open up the season against East Clarendon and C.E. Murray,” he said. “Both have made some drastic improvements.”
Bishop-England and Hanahan will also be obstacles for the team.
“We’ve got a lot of non-region situations where we have tough teams, too, like Conway and Myrtle Beach,” he said. “We’re also in some Christmas tournaments that will give us some good tests.
