Edna Kerr’s Taurus Howard has coached the basketball game against the Jesuits well enough, and he knows what to expect when the team kicks off its district games on Tuesday.
What he’ll soon learn is what it’s like to face many teams for the second time in a season.
Kerr (7-6) and the Jesuits (11-6) will start the first round of divisions at Kerr on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Play a second match.
“The fact that we will be playing a division opponent twice is going to be different for us,” said Howard, who has played one round of league play for his former division.
This is Karr’s first season in Division 9-5A. The Cougars gained a lot of attention during his football season for dismantling six of his other schools in the district by a crucial point his margin.
Basketball season should produce closer scores.
“I think the Catholic League is very egalitarian,” said Howard. “Anyone can beat anyone. Anyone can lose to anyone. It’s going to be a challenge for us just because it’s new.”
Karr is no stranger to 9-5A, but the Cougars have experience against several teams in the district.
Carr has a three-game winning streak against the Jesuits. This is all from the last three seasons when each school had an out-of-district game. The last victory of the Jesuits was four years before him.
Kerr has gone 3-0 against Brother Martin in the past two seasons against other 9-5 schools. Kerr defeated John Curtis in their matchup last season, but lost to the Patriots in overtime at the Country Day Classic on December 23.
Carr’s last match against St. Augustine was a loss in 2020-21, Holy Cross won 2019-20 and Rummel won 2018-19.
Howard said of his style of play at 9-5A, “It requires more movement, more man-to-man, more physicality.
Two rounds (12 games) of districts is new for Kerr. The Cougars have never played more than four games in the past five seasons. His first district game of last season came on February 1st.
Howard said his preference is for fewer district games. He would be in favor of playing his one his round of league play. Or district competition. But Kerr goes with whatever the league likes.
“I am a person,” Howard said, emphasizing that he is not driving change in a district bound by tradition.
Howard has tried every year to craft a regular season schedule that could prepare his team for the state playoffs.
“We try to schedule different styles of play,” Howard said. “Teams that slow it down. Teams that play fast. Small teams. Big teams.
Kerr graduated seven seniors and lost four starters from a team that reached the semi-final round of the Class 4A State Playoffs last season.
Returning starter Keith Jones is a 6-foot-3-inch junior who is averaging 17 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. His senior guard, EJ Riley, is averaging 10 points and 5 assists. Senior guard Derrick Hawkins averages 7 points and 6 rebounds.
Shaw won the district championship last season, but was moved to the Class 4A district when the school decided not to play in the higher enrollment class. rice field. Brother His Martin, Holy Cross, Jesuits and St. Augustine have each won district championships in recent seasons, and Rummel is on the rise.
Kerr adds more balance to what promises to be a competitive district championship race.