Off-season is first step to return to top for Twin Rivers hoops

Four of the top female basketball players at Twin Rivers High School are currently immersed in the Royals’ softball season, however, for three of those athletes, the basketball off-season can’t drift too far out of their minds.

Twin Rivers has made a habit over the past decade-plus of not just competing for MSHSAA District basketball championships, but winning them.

Following this year’s runner-up finish to Portageville in the MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 Tournament, Royals coach David Crockett has no doubt that his program can keep battling to be among the best in the postseason.

“We won back-to-back (District) titles,” Crockett said of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. “We know what that feels like. Feeling like (runner-up) is not one of our favorite things to feel, but we are going to grow from it.

“We’re going to come back next year. That is our plan.”

Royal hoopsters Charly Johnson, Reese Crimson, Maci Hockersmith, and Anne Mittelstadt are all playing softball this spring, but have helped Twin Rivers be fierce on the basketball court over recent winters.

All but Johnson will return next season.

“Of the (10 players),” Crockett said of his 2022-23 team, “seven of them are back.”

Twin Rivers has won District titles in six of the past 11 years.

The Royals got offensive production from eight different players in the District title game, and five of those players will return next season, including sophomore Makenna Russell (nine points against the Bulldogs), and junior Amelia Douglas (six points).

“I got some big contributions off of the bench,” Crockett said of the championship game. “The future looks bright for us.”

Along with those already mentioned, Crockett will also return junior-to-be forwards Haylyn Crockett and Raegan Null, while Crimson will be running the offense for the next couple of seasons.

“Reese has a no-quit attitude,” Crockett said. “That is what our team is about. We’re not going to quit. We’re not going to be the fastest. We’re not going to be the biggest. We’re not going to be the most athletic, but we are going to play as hard as we can and they are going to leave everything they have on the floor.”