By Cody Stark
Huntsville girls basketball coach Jay Oliphant is not the least bit nervous about his first trip to the playoffs.
It doesn’t bother him that the Lady Hornets had a chance to win an outright district championship, but let a 15-point lead slip away in a heartbreaking loss last week at Willis.
So why is the rookie head coach so calm heading into today’s 6 p.m. bi-district playoff game against Elgin at Bryan High School? It’s because he believes in his Lady Hornets.
“We talked about Willis and how we had them on the ropes, but didn’t finish them,” Oliphant said. “That’s something we need to do. We have grown from that game. The thing about this team is that they learn from each game.”
The Lady Hornets are no strangers to the playoffs. This will be the fourth straight year that Huntsville (21-6) will venture into postseason waters.
Elgin, on the other hand, might not have many players on its roster that were even alive the last time the Lady Wildcats made the state playoffs.
It has been 17 years since Elgin last made the playoffs and that was in Class 3A. But the Lady Wildcats (15-17) ended that drought by placing fourth in District 17-4A.
“They have a lot of senior, but that really doesn’t bother me,” Oliphant said. “What does bother me is that this is their first playoff game in 17 years. They are going to be excited and pumped up.”
The Lady Wildcats are a senior-laden team with five players set to graduate in May. Elgin also has four returning starters from last year’s squad and are led in scoring by Jasmine Simmons (10.4 points per game).
Oliphant got a couple of the Lady Wildcats’ game tapes and had a chance to scout for tonight’s game.
“They shoot a lot of 3s,” the coach said. “That can be scary if they are hitting them. If we defend on the perimeter, we should be fine.”
The Lady Hornets head into the playoffs with a little bit of a grudge on their shoulders. Huntsville has had a remarkable season so far, but the players fell like they haven’t gotten the respect they deserve.
“A lot of times throughout this season, the girls have felt like they have been overlooked,” Oliphant said. “When we beat Willis when they were ranked 18th in the state, the girls felt like we should have moved into the rankings.
“I told them not to worry about that. This is a new season. The playoffs are when you put your name on the map.”
Since District 18-4A action began two months ago, about the only thing that has slowed down the Lady Hornets has been when they have ran into officiating crews that call tight games.
In Huntsville’s only two losses, the Lady Hornets were plagued with foul trouble because of their aggressive full-court pressure.
“We got into foul trouble at Montgomery and Willis,” Oliphant said. “We are going to keep playing our game, that isn’t going to change. The girls just need to adjust to the officials and how they are calling the game.”
