Royals eye district win

The Jay High School Lady Royals basketball team had carried their season this year with 19 wins and 1 loss, before they added a second loss last Monday night against Pensacola Catholic High School.

Before then, their only loss was to Pace High School Dec. 3, only to beat Pace the second time they played Monday, Jan. 21 with a score of 59 to 56.

This year is Jay Elementary School P.E. teacher Brian Watson's first year coaching girls basketball, although he has coached other sports at other schools and serves as offensive coordinator at Jay High School currently.

Jay won state in girl's basketball in 1995 and 1996, Watson said, but has not won a district title since 2005.

“The district tournament is next week,” said Watson. “This is new for us this year and I think we've had a good season so far.”

Watson said there is one senior, 4 juniors and 5 sophomores on this year's team, and he credits each player's athletic ability with the team's overall success.

“We're a lot deeper, we wear people down during the game,” said Watson. “We play all 10 girls. It's rare for a school our size to have that many girls with that much athletic ability. Some schools play 7 or 8. We play them all. It's a unique advantage.”

Watson said he hopes that advantage will carry the girls to a district title win, the first since 2005.

“We're going to look for a district title first, then maybe state,” he said. “The girls are eager to go, excited, looking forward to post season. It's trying to get through district games that's the tough part of the basketball season now, finishing up.”

Watson said the team's moment that usually reels in the win is the second half lead, which has been the key to the team's success this year.

“Most of the times we are pulling away from teams in the second and third quarter,” said the coach. “By then, we've just worn them down.”

There are two more games in the regular season. Northview and Baker High Schools will play each other Monday night Feb. 4 and Jay will play the winner of that game at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 5, at Baker High School.

“If we win that game,” said Watson, “we get into state playoffs.”