Tallassee is coming off the worst season in program history, but that isn’t stopping first-year coach Lawrence “L.A.” O’Neal and the Tigers from shooting for the postseason.
Tallassee went 1-9 last year, allowing a program-worst 39.7 points per game while scoring 17 points per game. Following the season, the Mike Battles era ended and the O’Neal era was ushered in.
kAmsFC:?8 E96 @77D62D@?[ %2==2DD66 92D A:4<65 FA E2=6?E65 D<:== A=2J6CD[ ?6H 2?5 @=5[ 7C@> DFCC@F?5:?8 D49@@=D 2?5 :D C625J E@ D9@H E62>D a_ab H2D 2 7=F<6]k^Am
kAm“~FC 6IA64E2E:@?D 2C6 E@ 4@>A6E6 6G6CJ 82>6[” ~’}62= D2:5] “(6 H2?E E@ 8@ :? H:E9 2 8@@5 82>6 A=2? 2?5 8C62E 2EE:EF56 2?5 AFE 2 4@>A6E:E:G6 AC@5F4E @? E96 7:6=5] %9:D :D @FC E:>6 C:89E 96C6] *@F 8@ 2== DAC:?8 2?5 2== DF>>6C ;FDE D@ J@F 42? A=2J E96D6 `d H66<D 2?5 92G6 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 492D6 2 492>A:@?D9:A] (6’C6 6I4:E65 23@FE :E]”k^Am
kAm%2==2DD66 H:== 92G6 @?6 @7 E96 >@DE E2=6?E65 BF2CE6C324< C@@>D :? E96 6?E:C6 C:G6C C68:@?] #6EFC?:?8 2D E96 DE2CE6C :D D@A9@>@C6 %C6?E |@CC:D H9@ DE2CE65 D6G6? 82>6D 2D 2 7C6D9>2? =2DE J62C] sFC:?8 9:D E:>6 2E BF2CE6C324<[ 96 =65 %2==2DD66 E@ :ED D:I 36DE @776?D:G6 82>6D @7 E96 D62D@? 2?5 2G6C2865 aa A@:?ED A6C 82>6]k^Am
kAm“%C6?E 92D 2 C62==J 8@@5 2C> 2?5 9:D =68D 2C6 G6CJ DFCAC:D:?8[” ~’}62= D2:5] “x7 J@F E2<6 2 A=2J @77[ 96’== 362E J@F H:E9 9:D =68D] (92E H6’C6 =@@<:?8 7@C 7C@> 9:> :D C62==J 8@@5 564:D:@? >2<:?8]”k^Am
kAmq69:?5 |@CC:D :D z6G:? |2D@?[ 2 EC2?D76C 7C@> $@FE96C? !C6A p4256>J] |2D@? H2D @?6 @7 px$p’D E@A A=2J6CD =2DE J62C :? g\>2? 7@@E32==[ E9C@H:?8 7@C b[`_a J2C5D H:E9 cb E@F495@H?D 2?5 `g :?E6C46AE:@?D] ~? E96 8C@F?5[ 96 CFD965 7@C `[beh J2C5D 2?5 `c E@F495@H?D]k^Am
kAmpD |2D@? D6CG6D 2D E96 324<FA[ 96 H:== 36 @?6 @7 E96 E@A C646:G6CD :? 2? 6IEC6>6=J E2=6?E65 C646:G:?8 4@CAD E92E 92D 2 >:IEFC6 @7 ?6H 7246D 2?5 C6EFC?:?8 A=2J6CD] r92D6 r9F>=6J 2?5 ys |4z6?K:6 3@E9 C6EFC? 2D DE2CE6CD] |2D@? :D @?6 @7 E96 ?6H 7246D 2D H6== 2D y@C52? z:?8 7C@> !:<6 #@25] %96 DA665J C646:G6C C66=65 :? e_ 42E496D 7@C `[_h_ J2C5D 2?5 `_ E@F495@H?D 7@C E96 !2EC:@ED 2?5 25565 EH@ CFD9:?8 E@F495@H?D 2D H6==]k^Am
kAm(2=<6C (6==D H:== D6CG6 2D E96 E:89E 6?5[ 2?5 y2:56? v@C5@? H:== 2=D@ E2<6 C6AD 2E C646:G6C]k^Am
kAm“%92E C646:G:?8 C@@> :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 DFCAC:D6 7@C 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6[ 3FE ?@E FD[” ~’}62= D2:5] “(6 D66 E96> >2<:?8 A=2JD 6G6CJ 52J] (6 92G6 2 =@E @7 DA665 2E C646:G6C] (6 92G6 D@>6 3:8 8FJD 2D H6==] xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 7F? J62C :7 H6’C6 23=6 E@ AC@E64E 2?5 86E E96> E96 32==]k^Am
kAm%96C6 :D @?6 C6EFC?:?8 @776?D:G6 =:?6>2? 7C@> =2DE D62D@?] $6?:@C +2:C6? {2EE:>@C6 :D DE2CE:?8 2E C:89E 8F2C5[ H9:=6 D6?:@C r2CE6C $2J6CD 92D >@G65 7C@> =:?6324<6C E@ C:89E E24<=6 E@ 96=A E96 E62>] w6’D 366? E96 4=62C =6256C @? E96 =:?6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ ~’}62=[ 3FE E96 7:CDE\J62C 4@249 2=D@ =:<6D %@?J v2CK2 2E =67E E24<=6[ vC2JD@? r@=6 2E =67E 8F2C5 2?5 qC@5J (:D6?6C 2E 46?E6C]k^Am
kAmp 324<FA =:?6>2? =@@<:?8 E@ >2<6 >@G6D :D |:<6 {2CK2]k^Am
kAm%96 @776?D:G6 =:?6 H:== 36 D>2==6C E92? >@DE[ 3FE ~’}62= 5@6D?’E D66 E92E 2D E@@ >F49 @7 2? :DDF6]k^Am
kAm%96 =2C86DE A=2J6C :D 8F2C5 vC2JD@? r@=6 2E add A@F?5D[ H9:=6 E9C66 @7 E96 7:G6 DE2CE6CD H6:89 =6DD E92? aad A@F?5D]k^Am
kAm“(6 ;FDE 92G6 E@ 36 D4C2AAJ[” ~’}62= D2:5] “(6 92G6 E@ 5@ E9:?8D E92E 9:89=:89E E96:C D<:==D6E] (6 42?’E =6E E62>D E66 @77 2?5 CF? C:89E 2E FD 2?5 ECJ E@ 3F==J FD :? E96 EC6?496D] (6 92G6 D@>6 D4C2AAJ 8FJD H9@ 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 7:89E :? E96 EC6?496D]”k^Am
kAm%2==2DD66 H:== 36 DEC@?8 2E E96 CF??:?8 324< A@D:E:@?] p7E6C FD:?8 2 4@>>:EE66 =2DE J62C[ y@D9 vC:77:? 92D EC2?D76CC65 324< E@ E96 E62> 27E6C 2 @?6\J62C DE:?E 2E |@?E8@>6CJ r2E9@=:4 H96C6 96 CFD965 7@C `[gac J2C5D 2?5 ad E@F495@H?D]k^Am
kAmq69:?5 9:> :D y@D6A9 w@@<D 2?5 7C6D9>2? |2D@? w6?56CD@?] w@@<D H:== A=2J >2:?=J =:?6324<6C 3FE C@E2E6 :? 7@C 42CC:6D]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 =@@<:?8 7@C y@D9 E@ C62==J 2?49@C E92E A@D:E:@?[” ~’}62= D2:5] “*@F 92G6 2 <:5 H2=<:?8 :? H9@ :D 2 a[___ J2C5 CFD96C] xE >2<6D 6G6CJE9:?8 D@ >F49 62D:6C @? >J BF2CE6C324< H96? J@F 42? ;FDE EFC? 2C@F?5 2?5 92?5 E96 32== E@ 2 92C5\?@D65[ E@F89 CF??6C] w6 92D E96 DA665 E@ E2<6 :E E@ E96 9@FD6 2E 2?J A@:?E]”k^Am
kAm%2==2DD66 H:== CF? 2 b\c 5676?D6 E9:D J62C[ 2?5 3@E9 @FED:56 5676?D:G6 =:?6>6? C6EFC? 27E6C DE2CE:?8 =2DE J62C] t=: (9:EE:?8E@? 2?5 p]y] w6?CJ H:== DE2CE @? E96 @FED:56[ H9:=6 ?6H4@>6C }@=2? p556@ H:== =@@< E@ DEF77 9@=6D 2E ?@D68F2C5]k^Am
kAm“%9@D6 E9C66 2C6 C62==J 8@:?8 E@ 2?49@C E92E 5\=:?6[” ~’}62= D2:5] “xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 F?:E E92E :D 8@:?8 E@ AFE D@>6 AC6DDFC6 @? @776?D6D] }@=2? :D 2 DA@?86] w6 D@2<D FA 6G6CJE9:?8 H6 2C6 E6249:?8 9:>] w6 EC2?D=2E65 7C@> E96 >66E:?8 C@@> E@ E96 7:6=5] w6’D 366? E96 >@DE 4@?D:DE6?E 8FJ :? E96 EC6?496D]”k^Am
kAmq69:?5 E96> :D 2 E2=6?E65 =:?6324<6C 8C@FA] w@@<D H:== A=2J :? E96 $%p# C@=6[ 2 9J3C:5 =:?6324<6C 2?5 D276EJ DA@E] w6 :D E96 =625:?8 C6EFC?6C @? E96 5676?D6] pE E96 @E96C @FED:56 =:?6324<6C DA@E[ %C2’|6= |4r@J ;@:?D E96 E62> 2?5 :D =@@<:?8 E@ 92G6 2 3:8 J62C]k^Am
kAm~? E96 :?D:56 :D z256? !6E6CD 2E |xzt 2?5 xD:29 wF89=J 2E (x{{[ H9:=6 s256G:==6 EC2?D76C %:?J vC66? H:== D6CG6 2D 2 324<FA C@=6]k^Am
kAmx? E96 D64@?52CJ[ v@C5@? :D 8@:?8 E@ DE2CE 2E DEC@?8 D276EJ H:E9 r@FCE=2?5 #@36CED C:89E 369:?5 9:>] !=2J:?8 E96 @E96C D276EJ :D #FD9 (C:89E] q@E9 A=2J6CD D2H E:>6 E96C6 =2DE J62C 2?5 2C6 6IA6C:6?465]k^Am
kAm~? E96 @FED:56 :D p?E@?:@ w@@<D 2?5 z2=63 y24<D@?[ H9:=6 @776?D:G6 DE2CD =:<6 z:?8 2?5 r9F>=6J H:== 2=D@ C@E2E6 :? 2E 5676?D:G6 324<]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 2 =@E @7 D<:== 8FJD H9@ H:== A=2J 3@E9 H2JD[” ~’}62= D2:5] “#:89E ?@H[ H6’C6 7@4FD:?8 @? <66A:?8 E62>D :? 7C@?E @7 FD] (6 2C6 C6AA:?8 E96 >6DD @FE @7 E92E] (6 2C6 92CA:?8 @? ?@E 2==@H:?8 E96 3:8 A=2JD] (6 92G6 E@ 6=:>:?2E6 E9@D6 3:8 A=2JD :7 H6 H2?E E@ 36 DF446DD7F=]”k^Am
kAm%2==2DD66 92D 2=H2JD 925 2 4@?D:DE6?E <:4<6C[ 2?5 E92E 5@6D?’E 492?86 E9:D J62C] p==\r@F?EJ D@446C A=2J6C *FC6? #@5C:8F6K 92D ;@:?65 E96 E62> 2?5 :D 8:G:?8 %2==2DD66 2? 6IEC2 492?46 2E A@:?ED H96? 2 5C:G6 DE2==D @FE]k^Am
kAm“(6 42== 9:> ‘q:8 {68 *FC6?[’” ~’}62= D2:5] “x7 H6 42? 86E 9:> E@ 36 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 244FC2E6 96’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 G6CJ 52?86C@FD] w6VD <:4<:?8 :E 7C@> 2C@F?5 cd J2C5D] w6’D 9:EE:?8 23@FE f @FE @7 `_] x7 H6 42? 86E :E E@ H96C6 96’D 9:EE:?8 23@FE h @7 `_[ :E H@F=5 36 A6C764E]”k^Am
