There was a time when the Christmas holidays meant games nearly every day for high school basketball teams. It was not unusual for schools to play as many as ten games over the two week period, including tournaments on Christmas Day. 

Not anymore.

Now the Christmas break means that prep action comes to a halt as well. Given the down time, lets take a look at how area girls and boys teams have fared to date. 

Jonesboro-Hodge High School: Both the girls and boys teams have struggled to find consistent scoring so far this season resulting in the two squads combining for just six wins between them. The Lady Tigers sit at 4-11 on the year in Shan Jackson’s first year at the helm while the boys are 2-9 and averaging just 39.8 points per game. Both played this past Thursday against Class 5A West Monroe with the girls falling 52-21 and the boys losing by a 69-36 margin for their sixth straight defeat. 

Quitman High School: Fortunes are reversed at QHS as both the girls and boys teams lead the area in victories. At 15-7. the Lady Wolverines have the best record in the area and finish the 2023 portion of the schedule by winning 9 of their last 10 contests.  Sophomore Cali Deal leads the area with a 24.4 points per game average. A stellar 54% team field goal percentage has led to the Wolverines compiling a 14-7 record, best among area boys teams and sitting at #8 in the Division V power rankings, second behind only Gibsland-Coleman among north Louisiana teams. 

Weston High School: The Lady Wolves took a horrendous blow before the season even began when returning district 1B MVP Briley Peterson was lost for the year. Still the Weston girls have been successful sporting an 11-8 mark and the emergence of 8th grader, Carly Jo Griffin, has been a pleasant surprise. The Weston boys are also having a good year, also compiling an 11-8 record to date and seem to be getting better having won four of their last five games with the only losses being to Class 5A Haughton and the Division V, 5th ranked team among “select” schools Claiborne Christian.

Saline High School: It is a shame that there isn’t a Class C state champion this year as the Bobcats look like they would be strong contenders, ranking second among Class C schools in the Division V power rankings which is comprised of Class B and C schools. At 11-8 on the year, the Bobcats have a well balanced attack that has led to wins in 4 of their last 5 games and eight victories over teams from a higher classification.  If there is a team that didn’t want the break to come it is the Lady Bobcats. Sitting at 6-14 on the year the Saline girls looked to be catching fire winning their last two games against Class 2A and 3A competition. 

Dodson High School: December 15th was a glorious day for Dodson as both the girls and boys won on the same day for the first time in years. The win was especially sweet for the Lady Panthers who broke a three year, 47 game losing streak. The boys have had a hard time of it so far as well winning only 3 of the 19 games played but with Allen Parker, who led Dodson to great heights before retiring back at the helm for both squads, better days are surely ahead.