Memphis Northside Baseball/Softball Preview ‘08

Memphis Northside Baseball/Softball Preview '08

BASEBALL Head Coach: Robert Newman2007 Record: Unknown (District Tournament) PROJECTED STARTERS1B – Unknown2B – Unknown3B – UnknownSS – UnknownLF – Rodney Ballard (SR)CF – Richard Ketchum (SR)RF – UnknownC – Unknown OUTLOOKNorthside has struggled of late in league play. Last year’s leader, first baseman Robert Moore, graduated. A key to the season will be finding someone to replace his production in the lineup. A pair of senior outfielders, Rodney Ballard and Richard Ketchum, will be the leaders of the team.  SOFTBALL Head Coach: Frank Holmes2007 Record: Unknown (District Tournament) PROJECTED STARTERS1B – Jasmine Rayner (SR)2B – Tangela Albright (SR)3B – UnknownSS – Latasha Laws (SR)LF – UnknownCF – UnknownRF – UnknownC – Unknown OUTLOOKThe basketball season ended prematurely for Northside last month. Several of they key players from that team will move…

Lady Cougars Brimming With Confidence

Entering Thursday afternoon’s Class 3A state quarterfinal game, Memphis Northside had never won a state tournament game. Three games. Three losses. Last year the Lady Cougars fell to Wilson Central, the eventual champs, in the first round. Following Thursday’s 59-53 win over Cleveland, the Lady Cougars and their coach had the look and demeanor of a team with a long history of state tournament wins. Jasmine Rayner, who dominated the game with 22 points and 11 rebounds, flashed a huge smile during the post game conference and was brimming with confidence. "We weren’t nervous at all," she said. "Before every game, we play a game of 21. We get loose and all the nerves are gone." Besides missing 19 free throws, the Lady Cougars didn’t…

’Underdog’ Lady Cougars Move Into Final Four

Don’t tell Memphis Northside coach Donald Holmes his team is an underdog. During the press conference that followed his team’s 59-53 Class 2A state tournament quarterfinal win over Cleveland Thursday in Murfreesboro, a reporter said some people had pegged Cleveland as the favorite. "I don’t know where you got that word underdog," Holmes told the reporter. "I don’t think we’re the underdog. They were the underdogs." Cleveland (32-4) jumped out to a 5-0 lead and led 17-14 after one period. But Jasmine Rayner, who led all scorers with 22 points, scored inside with 4:53 left in the first half to five Northside a lead they would never lose. Northside led by as much as eight points in the fourth quarter. Some missed free throws allowed…