The Jackson County Blue Devils are preparing for the 2021-2022 basketball season with experience and high expectations.
JCHS head coach Kevin Thomas said he is excited to get the season started.
“Right now, I feel pretty good,” said Thomas. “We’ve got several guys coming back. Everybody seems like they’re excited and ready to go.”
The Blue Devils won 18 games in the 2020-2021 season and appear poised to improve that record with a returning core of talented players.
“We’re excited about the kids we have coming back,” said Thomas. “I’ve got a senior class with Ramon Cuevas, our leading scorer, is returning. I have Grayson Smith and Clinard, both were role players last year and they’ll be good role players this year.”
Thomas said his strongest class of players are his juniors.
“My junior class is, by far, the strongest class with our point guard Hayden Stacy and Jordan Arroyo who started for us last year,” said Thomas. “We added a young man in Tre Monette who’s going to help us on the perimeter shooting. Then Kendrick Brown who was my sixth man last year will come into a starting role.”
The Blue Devils are in the retooled District 5/2A including Clarkrange, Monterey, Sequatchie County, York and Bledsoe County.
“I feel confident about our team and where we’re at,” said Thomas. “I know York has a lot of returning players from a really good team last year. I do feel like we should be in the upper tier of the district and hopefully we can make some noise at the end of the year.”
Thomas said his expectations are high for his team.
“My expectations are for this team to be playing in Murfreesboro,” said Thomas. “I think we have all the things we need. It’s about us putting it all together. I think this team has the ability to be playing in Murfreesboro in March.”
The Blue Devils will open the season on Thursday when they travel to take on Community.