FARMER PLANTS FIRST CROP AT CHARLESTON

Most basketball coaches believe a team can go a long way with talented guards and Charleston's Blue Jays are hoping that theory proves correct this season.

The tradition-rich Blue Jays, who went 25-4 last season and lost to Perryville in a Class 3A sectional game, return one of the area's top backcourts in 5-foot-8 senior Larico Coleman and 5-10 sophomore Howard Biles.

That pair should be able to help give Danny Farmer plenty of success in his first season as the Blue Jays' head coach. Farmer, a Charleston graduate, spent the past three years as a Blue Jay assistant after having big-time success as the girls coach at Scott County Central.

"I'm very excited," said Farmer of taking over the Charleston program. "We're working very hard. We'll be inexperienced at a lot of places, but I think we'll be all right because we've got two very good guards coming back. Guards are very important and I'll be looking for Larico and Howard to lead us."

Coleman, also a standout football player for the Blue Jays, averaged about 14 points per game last season as Charleston's second-leading scorer behind all-stater Rashad Oliver, who graduated.

Biles, the younger brother of former Charleston all-stater Jeramy Biles (now at Southeast Missouri State University), averaged about 10 points per game during a solid freshman season.

"Larico has had a couple of good years for us and Howard really played well for a freshman," Farmer said. "We'll be counting on the guards quite a bit. I'm hoping they can get those big guys to play."

Ah yes, those big guys. While Farmer is confident about his guards, he is uncertain about his inside players.

"We don't have many people back who saw much varsity time last year," he said of his front line.

Charleston's most experienced inside player is 6-5 senior Moses Rowe, who saw some varsity action last year. Also back after playing primarily JV ball last season are 6-3 senior Anthony Carlisle, 6-1 senior Tyshun Williams and 6-1 junior Larry Mitchell.

Two tall seniors, 6-6 Gerard Walker and 6-4 Clintrus Clark, played as sophomores but not last year.

"We don't have that great inside player any more, but we have some guys that work hard and we have more size than we've had the last few years," Farmer said.

Adding depth to the Blue Jays will be two guards, 6-0 senior Rommie Whitney and 5-11 junior Jeff Ewing.

The Blue Jays open the season this weekend in the New Madrid Riverbend Classic.