Zebras prep for battle with Sheridan

Sitting in second place in district standings, the Pine Bluff High Zebras are looking to finish the season strong. Zebras’ Head Coach Billy Dixon was pleased with his team’s performance in their last outing against Watson Chapel.

“We were waiting for a game where everything came together,” Dixon said. “I thought our execution was there, and from an offensive standpoint, things worked extremely well. We played everybody and people contributed. On defense we still have work to do, and we’re not quite where we need to be.”

Caleb Parker has become the go-to guy for the Zebras as the season has unfolded. Parker’s 26 points in the game against Watson Chapel was proof that he can score the ball from multiple areas on the floor. Getting others to step up to that level is what Dixon aims to do with seven games remaining in the regular season.

“The reason Parker is playing well is because he’s mentally locked in,” Dixon said. “He’s had time to grow and develop, and from a cognitive standpoint he knows the game. He shot the ball well, but he got to the rack also. Our other guys just have to go through it. This is an inexperienced ball club, as most of our guys played JV last year.”

Pine Bluff will look to improve their one loss district record as they play host to the Sheridan Yellowjackets at 7 p.m. tonight. Due to inclement weather, Pine Bluff’s first scheduled match up with Sheridan was postponed. This will be the first matchup between the two this season, and the Zebras have an idea of what the Yellowjackets like to do.

“We worry about what we do because that’s the only thing we can control,” Dixon said. “We’ve scouted Sheridan, and we have film on them from the past two years. It’s important that we do what do, and that’s our focus.”

As the Zebras embark on the second half of their district schedule, they’re looking to play their best basketball.

“We have things that we have to work on to be a better ball club, and that’s what we’re working to do,” Dixon said.