RESERVE — While most of St. John the Baptist Parish had its attention focused on football this week, the calendar did flip to December and the season did change to basketball.

To no one’s surprise, West St. John High girls basketball coach Lester Smith elected not to hang up his whistle after last season’s success.

Led by standout guard Maya Trench, who is now a starter at Xavier University, the Lady Rams finished 20-8 overall and 8-0 in District 12-2A last season.

There was much speculation that Smith would follow Trench out the doors, even by Smith himself.

He wasn’t ready.

Smith said this year’s team will be a little more challenging, even with seniors Jaquana Hunter and Rae Edwards and junior power forward Myia Kelly.

The Lady Rams are 4-2 as they prepare for Monday’s game at Covenant Christian Academy.

“It’s not going to be as smooth like last year, no,” he said. “It’s going to be kind of like a roller coaster ride. We’re going to have up days and down days. I think we’re going to have a pretty good little team, though.”

Alton Joseph returns to coach the boys team, which struggled to a 4-20 finish last year. With football just ended for the Rams, they open this season Thursday at the East Iberville tournament.

Stasha Thomas-James is back at East St. John High, and the Lady Wildcats are 6-1 heading into this weekend’s Central Lafourche tournament. They won the St. Mary’s tournament last month with a win over Helen Cox.

“I knew this would be a good year for us because we didn’t have any seniors last year,” Thomas-James said.

Returning are guard Selena James, forward Meah Monroe and post players Briana Thompson and Nakendria Wilson. The Wildcats also got a boost from transfer student Indya Tutt, formerly of Chapelle. Tutt was named MVP of the St. Mary’s tournament. Wilson and Thompson made the all-tournament team.

Yussef Jasmine, who led the East St. John boys to the District 7-5A championship last year, opens this season Dec. 16 at McDonogh 35.

As reported in last week’s L’OBSERVATEUR, Kathy Luke has moved from Riverside Academy to St. Charles Catholic to coach the Lady Comets. Her new team is 1-1 heading into this weekend’s Lakeshore Tournament.

The boys team is off to a 2-4 start under coach Kemper Todd.

Riverside’s girls are now coached by former assistant coach Kevin Dizer, with a 2-2 start.

The Riverside boys, who finished as the Class 2A runner-up last season after winning the previous two state titles, are scheduled to open this year’s campaign Monday at home against West Jefferson.