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Michael Floyd

 

Coming off a 69-21 win over arch rival the WSN Blue Eagles, the Lady Tigers are now prepared for the postseason and Junior Aleria Smith says her and her teammates are ready. “My teammates and I have been dedicated since day one and we’ve been coached by the best coach in the State of Alabama,” said Smith. The Lady Tigers are led by head coach Ron Jackson, and he says the girls come out everyday and practice hard. “We basically focus on defense. We play tough defense” said Coach Jackson. “Some of these kids have been with me since seventh grade, and they know how I think. I know if we go out there and execute, we will have a good chance of winning” stated Jackson. Smith is one of the kids, that have been playing basketball with Coach Jackson since seventh grade, and her respect for him is one of the factors that motivates her. “The respect I have for Coach Jackson is outstanding, so therefore the game I play is outstanding. I play hard and work hard, just as well as I practice” said Smith. The TRM Lady Tigers are ranked #2 in the final Class 3A ASWA rankings, and Coach Jackson knows how to keep his team focus. “I really haven’t done anything to keep them out of the media, we just come in the gym and work hard every day. So when they get out of practice, they go home and go to sleep probably” Jackson explained. On the player side of the story, there is more work to be done. “Being ranked No. 2 means a lot, but it is not enough. We want No. 1,” said Smith. As coach Jackson and the Lady Tigers move forward toward the postseason, they know one mistake can cause you a game and the season will come to an end. “We’ve done the work and we are prepared, now it’s about going out and doing it. There is nothing else I can do, I’ve done my part and now the rest of it is on the players,” said Jackson. As for Smith, the Tigers are up for the challenge. “My teammates are great, and the starting players are the most athletic and talented players you’ll see this year. The other teammates are just as great, but when they get the hang of the game of basketball they’ll be ready as well” said Smith. The Lady Tigers are the No. 1 seed in the area and the hosts of the area tournament. They played the No. 4 seed the Excel Lady Panthers. The Tigers took care of business and defeated the Panthers 70-10. “We got to play a lot of players, we came out and played a good first half,” said Jackson. The TRM Lady Tigers will play the Thomasville Lady Tigers for the third time this season and Jackson, knows what it takes for TRM to come out on top. “We’re going to just go to work for the rest of the week and we’re going to just do Miller” said coach Jackson. The Lady Tigers of TRM will play for the AHSAA Class 3A Area 2 Championship on Friday at 7pm at T. R. Miller Gymnasium.