Matt Vines

COUSHATTA – The Red River girls basketball team came within an eyelash of a playoff win this past season with an overtime loss on the road to Marksville.

The Lady Bulldogs will have to replace three seniors, but they return key players as they start their season Monday.

Red River will get going by hosting Minden on Monday, their only scheduled game in November before starting in earnest in December.

Kaleah Crawford is the cornerstone as the returning all-district player.

Head coach Kim Burton, who is beginning her fifth season at the helm of her alma mater, said Crawford has taken on the vocal leadership role to pair with her on-the-court leader role.

“We’ll definitely miss the experience and maturity of our three seniors, but having Kaleah back is huge for us,” Burton said. “She’s finishing stronger at the rim and has developed a more confident mid-range jumper.

“Defensively, she’s reading rotations quicker and becoming more disciplined. She’s absolutely a crucial piece to our success because she impacts the game on both ends and sets the tone with her effort.”
Crawford will have plenty of help as honorable mention all-district performers Nevaeh Smith and Aniyah Jones are back.

Red River will lean on this trio to help improve an 11-17 record and put the Lady Bulldogs in a position to win a district title and get a first-round home playoff game.

“Our junior group is very deep,” Burton said. “Players like Morgan Housley, Smith and Jones have shown growth in confidence and decision-making. What’s exciting is that we have a group that’s hungry, and they’ve bought into competing every single day.”

The blueprint remains the same – play with defensive intensity and generate offensive opportunities from that defense.

“Our defensive identity is still our identity,” Burton said. “When we’re at our best, we’re forcing turnovers, controlling the pace, and letting our defense fuel our offense.

“It’s something we’ve emphasized since Day One, and the girls have really embraced that as our blueprint for success.”

Burton said the roster size is small, meaning her Lady Bulldogs will have to be in great shape to maintain the defensive intensity for all 32 minutes.

“But I believe if the girls stay united and trust one another, we can still put together a very successful season,” Burton said.