The Central Lady Tigers will begin this new season, which was slated to begin Tuesday night at Vian, with someone else new.
Former Atoka coach Jay Ray, along with assistant coaches Jaycie Ray and Tommy Gage, are all new as Ray replaces former coach Shane Brown, who took a coaching job at Keota.
The Lady Tigers were 20-7 a season ago and made it to the Class 2A Area Tournament consolation quarterfinals.
The Lady Tigers return eight players from a season ago, with two of those being seniors — Cambree Bair and Cheyenne Busch.
Bair, who was named as one of “VYPE” Magazine’s Top 100 High School Girls Basketball Players to Watch for this season, eclipsed the 1,000-point mark last season.
Other returning players are junior Paris Campbell and sophomores Charlie Petree, Alexxus Bolin, Zoey Lattimore, Sarah Buchanan and Alivia Meadows.
Newcomers to the team are senior Brianna Taylor and freshmen Sara Williams and Sadie Huff.
On Oct. 25, several of the basketball team members — Bair, Campbell, Williams and Huff — were part of the Lady Tigers cross country team that went to the Class 2A State Meet for the first time as an entire squad in about two decades. The Lady Tigers were sixth as a team, and Williams earned Oklahoma Cross Country and Track Coaches Association (OCCTCA) All-Star status as an underclassmen finishing in the top 15 as she was 10th.
The Tigers are being road warriors during this month due to their gym being renovated.
The Lady Tigers, who had their Dec. 2 road game at Vian canceled due to the Wolverines still being in the Class 2A, Division II football playoffs, will begin their season at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 at Warner.
