COLDSPRING — The evening after the town’s Veterans Day celebration, the Coldspring Trojans tipped off their annual basketball tryouts, officially marking the start of a new era for Trojan basketball.
Just like the football program earlier this year, the basketball team enters the season under new leadership, a new playbook, and a fresh set of expectations. Taking the helm this year is Coach Darrian Kee, the Trojans’ new head basketball coach, who brings a renewed sense of energy and purpose to the program.
Kee shared his vision for the season, saying, “Of course we want to win, but first we want to install a winning legacy again. We need to teach how to be successful ball players, put in the preseason work ethic that will be required to be a good ball club. More importantly, we need to learn how to be good students and good human beings.”
Basketball has long been one of the most popular sports in the Trojan Nation, and the excitement is already building. Coldspring is known for packing the gym on game nights, often with standing room only, and fans are eager to see what this new chapter will bring.
Though the Trojans graduated several key seniors last year, the program’s long-standing motto still rings true: “Coldspring never rebuilds, they reload.” The gym was buzzing with energy as freshmen through seniors hustled through drills, eager to earn a place on the roster and carry on the proud Trojan legacy.
With a new coaching staff, a redefined culture, and a roster full of hungry athletes, Coldspring basketball is ready to rise again.
The Shepherd Pirates hit the hardwood on Nov. 11, hosting another round of pre-season scrimmages as they continue to fine-tune both offense and defense ahead of the upcoming basketball season.
With several key athletes out for the football playoffs, the Pirates are working with a developing roster, but that hasn’t slowed the energy or enthusiasm inside the gym.
Head Coach Jeremy Bennett noted, “The district, I think, is kind of even. At the top, you’ve got five, maybe six teams fighting for four playoff spots. On any given night, any team could beat another.”
The scrimmage featured three teams — Shepherd, Big Sandy, and Pineywoods — rotating through 20-minute quarters in a fast-paced format that emphasized teamwork, execution, and conditioning. Without official scoring or rosters, the focus remained on evaluating depth and testing rotations.
Bennett said, “With several of my starters still in football, we’re using this time to see who can step up off the bench and fill those key roles once the regular season begins.”
Despite being an early-season scrimmage, the Pirates showed promising chemistry, hustle, and a growing confidence on both ends of the court. As the football athletes rejoin the lineup in the coming weeks, the Pirates look poised to bring an exciting, high-energy style of basketball to Shepherd this year.
