LA Basketball Putting Final Touches On Opener

The Livingston Academy Boys Basketball team doing all they can to be ready for Tuesday’s opening night.

Junior forward Rocco Carwile is a two-sport athlete and he just finished up football season. He said he is excited to switch gears and start hooping. Carwile said that the adjustment from a football practice to basketball practice has been a bit of a shock to the system.

“I’d say I’m in basketball shape now,” Carwile said. “There is still some rustiness coming off, but those first few days I was not in shape. I was still in football shape and I was huffing and puffing the entire practice. But I’d say I’m good now.”

Carwile said he has taken the role of being a leader for the underclassmen more seriously with him now being a starting upperclassmen. Sophomore guard Jagar Hammock said practices are a positive, learning environment due to the leadership from the team’s juniors and seniors.

“They’re really good leaders,” Hammock said. “If you ever make a mistake, they’ll tell you what you did wrong. But they’re there to help you learn instead of just fuss on you. They just want to win and they’re there to make you grow.”

Hammock said that a strength of this year’s roster is the unselfish nature of the players and everyone has bought into a singular goal. He said that the team being friends outside of basketball contributes to their cohesiveness on the court.

Sophomore Parker Beechboard said with the season starting in just about a week, the team is focusing in on their half-court offense and playing suffocating, lock-down defense.

The Wildcats open up their season at home Tuesday against Soddy Daisy. Tip-off set for 6pm.