MAJOR CHALLENGE
Badgers to face 25-4A favorite Cougars in second game of tough opening stretch
By JEREMY HEATH Staff Writer

Senior guard Clay Tyner is second on the team in scoring (9.4 points per game), leads the team in assists (3.1 per game) and is tied for the lead in steals (1.2 per game).

The Lampasas High School boys' basketball team will play the second of three District 25-4A games that comprise a buzzsaw of an opening act when they travel to Pflugerville tonight to take on Connally.

The Badgers (9-5 overall, 0-1 in district) opened 25-4A play on the road last Friday with a 60-42 loss against Lake Travis (13-2, 1-0). Tonight's game at district-favorite Connally (which opened 25-4A play with a win against Burnet last Friday) will be followed by a Jan. 2 home game against Pflugerville Hendrickson, a team thought by many to be in Connally's class.

LHS is scheduled to play in the Cameron Yoe Tournament from Dec. 28-30, giving the Badgers a reprieve during the stretch.

"Now it's just a matter of having the right attitude going to Connally and at home against Hendrickson," LHS head coach Scott Harrelson said. "And the Christmas tournament at Cameron should give us some confidence going into next semester."

Heath Hopson: Junior post is averaging 19.2 points and nine rebounds per contest.

Connally is an athletic team led by 6'4", 230-pound post Chase Harper. Harper, who runs a 4.7-second 40-yard dash and is a Division I prospect in basketball and football, helped guide the Cougars to a state tournament appearance last season.

Harrelson said his team needs to be efficient on offense.

"It's imperative that we score in the 60- to 70-point range to beat Connally," he said.

"That means we have to be very consistent and take care of the ball. In the past, the way Connally has beaten us is by getting layups off turnovers or missed (3-pointers). Our defense has always played well against their offense."

The Badgers have fallen behind their last two opponents, limiting their options on both ends of the court. They fell behind Waco Midway 9-0 and went on to lose 78-52 and behind Lake Travis 7-0 in the district opener.

"There is no doubt we need to do well early against Connally," Harrelson said. "But against Burnet, Connally started off slow and then dominated the rest of the game, so to beat Connally you have to be very consistent early and maintain your composure."

Heath Cofield: Senior post is averaging 9.2 points and 2.4 blocks per game.

Lampasas' attempt to do just that will be led by junior post Heath Hopson. Hopson leads the team in scoring with 19.2 points per game and rebounds with nine per game. He also has been the Badgers' most consistent free-throw shooter, taking advantage of opponents' attempts to hack him out of the lane to the tune of a 79.8 percentage.

Senior post Heath Cofield has averaged 9.2 points per game, is second on the team with 5.9 rebounds per game and leads the team in blocks with 2.4 per game.

Senior guards Clay Tyner and Jacob Maceyra have been the catalysts for the offense. Tyner is second on the team in scoring with 9.4 points per game and leads the team with 3.1 assists per game. Maceyra has been limited to 2.3 points and 0.9 assists per game, but he has been judicious with the ball, committing just 2.2 turnovers per contest.

"We must take care of the ball and make them play a lot of defense," the coach said. "They must be frustrated with our style, and we've got to keep them from relaxing. They will make their runs of points, but those runs must be held down to a minimum. We've also got to force their players into foul trouble."