SMITH NAMED NEW CHS COACH

After serving as Cape Central assistant girls basketball coach the past two seasons, 1982 Central graduate Darrick Smith will be taking over the head coaching reigns of his alma mater next season.

Smith replaces head coach Paula Watkins, who will be taking a maternity leave of absence from the school. The news was officially announced Thursday night.

"It's neat to come back and give something back to a place that did a lot for me," said Smith in a telephone interview late Thursday night. "It's really something to come home and be able to contribute to a place that means so much to me."

Smith coached at Hazelwood Central for nine years before taking the assistant's position at Cape Central two years ago. In Smith's final year at Hazelwood Central, he was head girls basketball coach.

"I'm looking forward to it," Smith said. "Normally when you move into a new coaching position the cubbard is left bare, but our's is far from bare. We have some talented young kids coming back."

The Lady Tigers were 17-9 last season, losing to eventual Class 4A state runner-up Jackson in the district semifinals 37-36.