By MICHAEL BOYLAN
Sports Editor

With the fall season over and Christmas just around the corner, the winter sports season has begun. The area high school's boys and girls basketball teams are gering up for a very competitive and challenging season.

In 4-AAAA, the Fayette County Tigers look to be strong with four seniors starting. The team's leading scorer, William Moore, returns to lead the Tigers to a possible regional title. The battle for the region title will be uphill for McIntosh. The Chiefs graduated several players from last year's squad and only have one starter returning this year in Stephen Cox. Seniors Graham Ingram and Rico Blackmon will round out the front court, as the Chiefs try to stay competitive and make a late season run.

On the girls side of 4-AAAA, the reverse is true. Fayette County, which was senior heavy last year, has graduated a number of their talented and more experienced players. Kara Davis and Christine Pritchett return and will try to lead the Tigers against a very talented region. McIntosh won the region last year and has the potential to do it again. Though many players from last year's team have graduated, the backcourt includes Melanie Schneider, one of the top players in her age group. Schneider scored 20 points in the Chiefs first victory this year, a 76-36 victory over LaGrange.

In 4-AAA, Sandy Creek's boys are almost certain to improve on their 4-21 record from last year. The team returns all five starters, including thei leading scorer L.T. Lockett. Lockett averaged 21 points a game last year. The Patriots are athletic and fast and will challenge most teams. Starr's Mill will improve this year, too. Finishing 3-20 last year, the Panthers return thir whole squad, including leading scorer Dane Davenport, who averaged seven points a game last year. The team is not very fast, but they are big and can present challenges to most teams.

On the girls side, Mark Decourcy will be the new head coach for the Sandy Creek Lady Patriots. The team went 6-18 last year and return two integral parts of the team in Ashley Lott and Jessica Demooney. The team will also benefit from playing a more up-tempo game and trying to spread the court. The Starr's Mill Panthers return their entire squad and have a plethora of talented players. They are all very athletic and fast. Their only problem is a lack of size.

All of the teams should be able to compete in their region, but every game will be a battle. Both 4-AAAA and 4-AAA are filled with tough teams, including Griffin and East Coweta in AAAA ad Woodward Academy and Riverdale in AAA. The season is long and it is more important to win at the end of the season than at the beginning.

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