Two starters come back for Anna-Jonesboro basketball
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Anna-Jonesboro Community High School boys’ basketball team returns only two starters from last years’s 15-15 squad.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">But one senior starter, Zach Parr, who has been starting for four seasons, might be the big key to a winning season.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“He’s 45 points away from scoring 1,000 for his career,” A-J coach Mike Chamness said. “If he steps up to be a leader and everyone follows his footsteps, we should be okay.”</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Parr is a 5-9 guard. The other senior returning is Dakota Earnhart, a 6-5 forward. They are the only two all-conference selections returning from last season in the Southern Illinois River-to-River Mississippi Division Conference.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The senior laden Wildcat team includes Collin Prather, a 5-9 guard; Ryan Stark, a 5-9 guard; Hunter Garver, a 6-0 guard; Garrett Nimmo, a 5-11 guard; Logan Mattingly, a 6-3 guard; Jake Stark, a 6-2 forward; and Wyatt Smith, a 6-8 center.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The juniors are Izzy Markovic, a 6-5 forward; Jade Gillis, a 6-1 guard; Ethan Friebel, a 6-2 forward; and Michael Hill, a 6-1 forward.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The sophomores who could see playing time are Shelton McGrath, a 5-10 guard, and Jake Parr, a 6-2 forward.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">One part of the Wildcats’ game has improved considerably according to the coach.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Our post play really has improved from last year,” he said. “All of them have been really good in the post.”</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Chamness likes the fact individual scoring is not a priority on the squad.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“What I like about them is they don’t care about individual stats(statistics),” Chamness said. “They care about being part of a team. The key will be finding their roles.”</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Chamness said he sees a new direction for the squad.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Their attitude has changed and they know they’ve got to work for everything,” he said. “I really like this team, they are a good group to work with. They are really, really good kids and it’s a pleasure to be around them. They really push each other. They keep working at it and the wins will come.”</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Chamness said that he expects the conference race to be competitive.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“The conference should be good again and it looks like it will be pretty competitive,” he said.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">He sees Nashville as a possible front runner and Du Quoin and Carterville as untested because both will have new coaches this season.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats open their season in the Goreville Tournament. A-J begins tourney plays against Johnston City at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30.</span></p>