Suffolk News-Herald

In discussing the Nansemond River varsity basketball squad’s upcoming season, it might be best to get the bad parts out of the way quickly.

The Warriors have lost seniors Marquie Cooke and Dennis Conley, integral pieces of a team that brought home the last three Southeastern District regular season and last two district tournament titles. They also said goodbye to coach Franklin Chatman, who gave up coaching to become the school’s vice principal.

Having said all that, let’s get to the bright side. Chatman’s replacement, Ed Young, brought Suffolk High a state title in 1987 and helped Norview and Green Run become powerhouses in their respective districts since then.

&uot;It’s nothing really new for me,&uot; said Young, watching his boys prepare for their season opener Friday evening at Lakeland (their first home game is Dec. 13 against Indian River). &uot;This is something I’ve done for my whole career. It’s a challenge, and I’m ready for it.&uot; The team started practice on Nov. 15.

&uot;We’ve got some good workers here,&uot; he said. &uot;We’re slowly getting some team chemistry. We’ve got some players who haven’t played before, some who have just played junior varsity, and some who have played just a little on the varsity, so it’s going to take a while.&uot;

One such newcomer is Andre Jones, who spent last year on the junior varsity team.

&uot;I know we have a lot to look forward to,&uot; Jones said. &uot;There’s a lot of learning to do, but we can do it. Experience won’t really make a difference; we have to go out and play some basketball.&uot;

Even though he, Jerome Burgess and Vaughn Wilson are the only returning starters, Keith Josey feels the team can come together quickly.

&uot;I don’t think we’re that much off from last year,&uot; he said. &uot;Last year, we were more intense, and we have to get that back. We can do what we did last year, so I don’t look at it as a rebuilding year.&uot;

Neither does Burgess, also in his farewell season.

&uot;We’re trying to get everyone on the same page,&uot; said the shooting guard. &uot;We have to listen as a team. We need to work on our defense, because that’s what wins games.&uot;