Friday, November 28, 1997

Former Cooper coaches back in town for tournament

By AL PICKETT / Abilene Reporter-News

The two coaches responsible for the recent success of the Cooper boys basketball team will back in Abilene this weekend to participate in the Key City Classic .

The 16-team boys basketball tournament begins at 8:30 a.m. today at both Abilene High's Eagle Gym and Cooper's Cougar Gym.

Jack Aldridge, who is now coaching at Spring Westfield, helped start the recent Cooper basketball tradition.

The Cougars won their first District 4-5A title in more than a decade in 1992 under Aldridge, and reached the Region I-5A tournament for the first time in school history in 1994.

Greg Gober, who guided the Cougars to three more consecutive Region I-5A tournament appearances the last three years, also returns with his Colleyville Heritage team.

Westfield is the defending tournament champion and is ranked in the state's top 10.

"It's a real strong field," second-year Abilene High coach Jeff Evans said. "Westfield is in the coaches' Top 10, Kingwood is off to a good start and Tyler John Tyler will be good. Coach Gober has an outstanding point guard at Colleyville Heritage. I know Coppell is strong, and Amarillo High, Tascosa and (Lubbock) Coronado are supposed to be the top three teams in that district."

The Eagles are 1-2 in the early going this season with a small team that lacks size and experience but features great quickness and depth.

"This is a chance for us to gain valuable game experience, which is something we need more than anything right now," Evans said. "We've been getting beaten in a lot of situations just because of lack of experience."

Abilene High fell 78-70 to Burkburnett in its last outing Tuesday. Kevin Starnes led the Eagles with 14 points and Marcus Eckert added 11.

First-year Cooper head coach Dan Harris saw his team down Brownwood 48-38 on Tuesday night, but wasn't entirely pleased with the win.

"I don't think it was a great effort," said Harris, whose team is 2-1. "It was a decent effort, but not a great effort. We've got to get a lot better, I know that."

The Cougars were led offensively by Kyle Scott with 13 points, Cameron Simoes with 12 and Shawn Hudson with 10.

The tournament championship game is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Cooper.

TODAY

At Cooper's Cougar Gym

8:30 a.m. -- Coppell vs. Spring Westfield

10:15 a.m. -- Lubbock Coronado vs. Longview Trinity

Noon -- Cooper vs. Fossil Ridge

1:45 p.m. -- Amarillo High vs. Tyler John Tyler

At Abilene High's Eagle Gym

8:30 a.m. -- Colleyville Heritage vs. Amarillo Tascosa

10:15 a.m. -- Lubbock Estacado vs. Houston Kingwood

Noon -- Lubbock High vs. Pflugerville

1:45 p.m. -- Abilene High vs. Lubbock Trinity

Winner's Bracket

At Cooper's Cougar Gym

7 p.m. -- Coppell-Westfield winner vs. Corondo-Trinity winner

8:30 p.m. -- Cooper-Fossil Ridge winner vs. Amarillo-John Tyler winner

At Abilene High's Eagle Gym

7 p.m. -- Heritage-Tascosa winner vs. Estacado-Kingwood winner

8:30 p.m. -- Lubbock-Pflugerville winner vs. Abilene High-Trinity winner

Loser's Bracket

At Cooper's Cougar Gym

3:30 p.m. -- Coppell-Westfield loser vs. Corondo-Trinity loser

5:15 p.m. -- Cooper-Fossil Ridge loser vs. Amarillo-John Tyler loser

At Abilene High's Eagle Gym

3:30 p.m. -- Heritage-Tascosa loser vs. Estacado-Kingwood loser

5:15 p.m. -- Lubbock-Pflugerville loser vs. Abilene High-Trinity loser