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Raw, inexperienced Beddingfield teams ready to reverse trend in 2018-19



Raw and inexperienced teams are embracing the challenge of reversing the recent losing trend of the Beddingfield High varsity basketball editions.

After winning a share of the 2-A Eastern Plains Conference regular-season championship in 2016-17, Joe Dvozenja’s first as head coach, the Bruins boys plunged to 9-13 last year and finished fourth in the conference.

Head coach Debra Pegram’s girls have dealt with losing records each of the last two seasons and, in the process, did not qualify for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association playoffs. Only thrice in Pegram’s previous 26 years have the Lady Bruins not advanced into the postseason.

The girls tip off their season Tuesday at Tarboro. The boys’ debut is uncertain because of the football playoffs, but Dvozenja anticipates Beddingfield starting the season at home against Fike on Friday, Nov. 30.

“We had a good offseason and a good preseason,” Dvozenja remarked. “We have a young, raw team, but they play so much basketball that I don’t think they will be intimidated in any atmosphere they may encounter. We have good chemistry and they are stepping up.”

Commented Pegram: “We are extremely young with limited experience. We have a hodgepodge of people. We’ve got to keep our heads up and not get caught up in wins and losses early in the season. We have to stay focused and keep working.”

EVERETTE THE KEY

Pegram has not reached the point of declaring: “So goes Makayla Everette; so go the Lady Bruins.”

But a double-double of points and rebounds nightly is expected from the 6-foot-3 junior who has drawn interest from North Carolina A&T, Western Carolina, North Carolina, Delaware, East Carolina and Barton College.

“If she works on her stamina and becomes very aggressive after the ball, we’ll be in good shape,” Pegram declared. “She’s definitely a great basketball player — great hands and shooting touch and probably our best ball-handler. She needs to demand the ball and we need to do our best to get it to her.”

Everette, a returning Wilson Times All-Area and all-conference performer, is joined by junior Aa’Niyah Sherrod and 5-10 senior Jasa’Ray Pope as the only Lady Bruins with substantial playing time. 

Junior Trinity Anderson, sophomore Brittany Dudley, sophomore Ihjanae Cooper, sophomore Jessica Farmer and senior Kaniya Thomas played at the varsity level last season.

Junior Shamya Best has surfaced as a potential starter and senior Tydaisha Worsham played at Garner Magnet School last season. Newcomers are freshmen Ayanna Fuller, Ebony Huggins and Socoria Hunter. Best was injured most of last season.

“We are faster than the last two years,” Pegram described. “We have a group that we can run in and out that is pretty equal. The freshmen have improved leaps and bounds. If we can get everybody on the same page and continue to work on fundamentals, we can become a team that, by January, can give other teams trouble.”

Pegram contended first-game starting jobs are dependent upon who works the hardest at practice Saturday and Monday. Everette will be in the lineup and other candidates are Dudley, Best, Sherrod, Pope, Cooper and Anderson.

Dudley, Worsham and Best will be utilized at the point. Sherrod, one of the most athletic, will see action on the perimeter and inside. Dudley is tough and competitive. Pope, in her fourth year, is fundamental, responsible, hits the board and is arguably the most coachable. Pegram likes Worsham’s defense and energy. Best, an effective on-the-ball defender, needs to create defensive havoc.

“The freshmen are growing every day,” the veteran head coach acknowledged, “but at the end of the day, they are still freshmen.”

When January rolls around, Pegram, assisted again by Leslie Pate and Jody O’Neal, again hopes she can evaluate her squad as “solid.”

“Maybe the defense can cause turnovers and we can score off the defense,” Pegram reasoned. “We have to cut down on turnovers, handle pressure, rebound, play transition defense and adapt to high school speed.”

Pegram cautions Beddingfield plays in a rugged conference, pointing out North Pitt has won a state championship twice as an Eastern Plains member. 

She considers Farmville Central a powerhouse and mentions that other teams feature NCAA Division I-caliber players.

She would be delighted with a winning record and adds: “We would definitely like to make the playoffs. The opportunity is there.”

BRUINS MOVING ON

The boys must overcome the transfer of two key players to Wilson Preparatory Academy and another to Fike.

“You just move on to the next one,” Dvozenja commented.

Dvozenja takes the approach as many as two players are going to depart for “greener pastures” from season-to-season, but admits: “School pride is one of the things we need to work on.”

Returning is the trio of 6-5 senior Trevon Brantley, 6-1 sophomore Lamont Speight and sophomore guard Michael Best.

Junior Javan Best and Andrew Gattis played at the junior varsity level at Hunt and Southern Nash, respectively, last season. Dvozenja, assisted by Roland Loftin, expects to add a couple of players off the football team.

Stepping up have been junior guard Nathan Coley, 6-6 junior Avery Huggins and junior Jatavis Highsmith. Huggins, Brantley and Coley have been named team captains.

Completing the season-opening roster are junior Omarion Williams, senior Reggie Grant and junior Corey Williams.

“We have some good pieces to the puzzle,” Dvozenja contended. “Hopefully, we will play together and work hard together. Team basketball is going to win games.

“We are bigger than last year; we have a lot of good kids and good athletes. They are competitive and ready to play somebody other than themselves and actually keep score. We want to get better every day, play good defense, rebound well and get out on the break. We have a lot of upside.”

Huggins is expected to be a force in the middle. Speight and Michael Best should be threats from the wings; Gattis shoots well; Highsmith distributes and runs offensive sets; Speight and Coley will also be called upon at the point; and Javan Best, fast with excellent reflexes, is a leading defender.

Dvozenja want his Bruins to develop a reputation as hard-nosed defenders, with the motto: “Defense can travel; make things ugly when you have to.”

Bumps and bruises are to be expected, and Dvozenja cautions: “We want to be mentally tough guys. We want to play as fast as possible and push the issue. But I think these guys can do a better job of running sets.”

Dvozenja describes the conference “up and down” and cites Farmville Central, North Pitt and Nash Central as contenders.

“Anybody can beat anybody,” he insisted. “Our goal is to be one of the top teams in the conference. Our goals are always to win the conference and get past the first round of the playoffs.”

The 2017-18 season ended in the opening round.

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