PC toughens schedule

I thought Parkers Chapel's nonconference schedule hurt them during last year's basketball season. The Lady Trojans' toughest games came during conference play this past season.
I like teams that have difficult nonconference opponents. They always seem to be more resilient during the long season and usually have something in the tank during the stretch run.
Parkers Chapel coach Mark Young is optimistic about his team's chances of a postseason run next year. The Lady Trojans could've improved their chances by toughening up their nonconference slate.
Young told me that Jessieville, which finished second in the state this season, will be coming to Parkers Chapel next Dec. 21. The Lady Lions have a quality team that includes 6-1 Mandy Masino, who is an inside-outside player.
In my opinion, teams that want to compete for a state title have to see that kind of opponent before they get to the postseason. Last year, in addition to Bearden, Strong played the likes of Camden Fairview, Pulaski Academy, Fordyce and Dollarway.
The Lady Bulldogs lost all of those games but, along the way, learned from the mistakes they made and got better as the season went on.
Hopefully, Parkers Chapel has taken a step toward doing that next season.