Lady Rockets continue success on the court

The Neshoba Central girls basketball team has continued a wave of success this season, boasting a stellar 16-1 record as they head into the new year. Currently, they hold the top spot in the Mississippi 6A Division and are positioned second in the state.

In their recent performances, the Lady Rockets displayed their dominance, securing victories over Florence (71-49) and Holmes County Central (77-53) during the Christmas Classic over the weekend. 

Head Coach Jason Broom emphasized the team's fast-paced offensive play and relentless full-court pressure on defense as the cornerstone of their success. 

“Our kids just have a natural tendency to play the game fast and share the ball,” he said. “It’s a very unselfish style of play, so it lends itself really well to playing at a pace that most teams aren’t able to keep up with.”

Reflecting on the season, Broom acknowledged the loss to Starkville early in the campaign as a blessing in disguise, relieving the team of the pressure that comes with an undefeated record. 

He said the team's character revolves around maintaining their distinctive style and building on the legacy of previous successes.

“We’re blessed year to year to always have a lot of depth and good players,” Broom said. “We’ve got a senior-heavy group this year with eight seniors on the team. Most of them were sophomores when we won the championship in 2022, so they’ve been there and really taken on that ownership of trying to finish their career off how they started it.”

This year's Lady Rockets embody a family atmosphere and supportive environment, with a large group of seniors and several sets of siblings striving to encourage each other every day as the season rolls on. 

“While we are senior heavy, they’ve been behind very talented groups, so for a lot of these girls it’s their first time being starters and carrying the workload,” he said. “I’ve been very pleased with how this team has matured during this first 17-game stretch, because we do play a lot of games that are over quickly, and we get up big on people.

Despite facing challenges so far from formidable opponents like Starkville and Madison Central, the team's early exposure to big-game scenarios has Broom optimistic about their championship aspirations.

“We are very big on skill development and don’t spend a lot of time going over x’s and o’s,” he said. “Because of the ability of our kids, we’re able to give them a lot of freedom on the court. They put a lot of work in and the depth we have allows them to be competitive in practice every day.”

Looking ahead, Broom anticipates tough competition in the division, but says the team’s focus remains on short-term goals, aiming to go 2-0 each week and improving as a unit.

“We are trying to make sure that we continue to improve and not get complacent,” Broom said. “Our goal is to keep having intensity in practice, so we keep getting better.”

The 2023-24 Varsity Lady Rockets include seniors Erica Lyons, Kailyn Willis, Zharia Leflore, A’tyia Allen, Katelin Williams, Breyonce Jim, Jakaylin York, and Nalani Thompson, junior Lanayah Henry, and sophomores Kyli Truss, Lailah Henry, Sydney Williams, Jaliyah Lewis, Miley Thomas, MJ Williams, and Zantoriya Clemons.