RESERVE — The East St. John Wildcats boys’ basketball team has been playing hard in preparation for Monday’s season opener against the East Ascension Spartans in Gonzales.

East St. John head basketball coach Yussef Jasmine said this first game will give him a good idea how well the boys are prepared for this season.

“We have been getting in a lot of practice,” Jasmine said. “These kids are fast and they are good. I think we will have a pretty good season. I’m hoping to do better than last year.

The Wildcats earned a position in playoffs last year, but were defeated in the first round by the Denham Springs High School Yellow Jackets.

“Our goal is to make it farther than we did last year,” Jasmine said. “With the team we have, I’m confident that will happen.”

East St. John has several tall players on its team, and Jasmine said that will be an advantage.

“This is high school,” Jasmine said. “Not all of the boys have had their growth spurts yet and you will find teams with players who are mostly short. Having some height helps keep the ball away from them, but you have to be careful. Those short kids are usually the ones with a lot of speed.”

Jasmine said he thinks his team has a good balance.

“We have tall and we have quick,” Jasmine said about his players. “It’s a lucky combination to have. And we are banking on that helping us win and helping us make it to state.”