With seven of its top eight players back, optimism is high for the Vicksburg High Gators as they enter the second week of preseason practice. The same can be said for the Warren Central Lady Vikes, who had their second practice of the fall Tuesday afternoon.

Class 4A schools were able to start practice last week while all other classes began on Monday. The Warren Central boys will open work today. St. Aloysius, which just hired its new coaches last Thursday, may wait until next week because the school is celebrating homecoming activities this week.

For veteran VHS boys coach Dellie C. Robinson, the Gators need the extra work in order to get ready for a challenging schedule. The Gators find themselves as the new tenants in arguably the toughest 4A division in the state with the likes of three-time defending state champ Lanier, along with perennial powers Yazoo City, Canton and Callaway.

“We know we can compete and we feel we have the team that can win but we also know this is going to be a really tough division,” Robinson said. “I definitely feel we have the best player in Jonathan Phelps.”

Phelps is the returning 2007 Vicksburg Post Player of the Year. He led the Gators to a 19-12 record, averaging 28.8 points per game. The senior guard started for the North, helping the all-stars to a record scoring performance in the Coca-Cola All-Star Classic at Mississippi College in July.

The key question for Robinson will be trying to make do without two starters in his son, point guard Delmon Robinson, and forward John Qualls. Both are key members of the Gators’ football team and may not be available to play basketball until December, depending on how far Vicksburg advances in the playoffs.

“We expect to be without those two for a while,” Robinson said. “Right now, we’ll move Phelps to the point and Jaybri Williams will play the two guard. We’ll have Maurice Williams at the three (small forward) and Mychal Ammons at the four (power forward) and Charles Williams at the five (center).”

Ammons, a 6-foot-6 freshman, is considered one of the best players in the country in his class. He led the United States to the FIBA 15-under world championship in Switzerland in January. He was promoted to the Gators varsity after the Vicksburg Junior High eighth grade team completed its season.

Robinson also has high hopes for another player coming up from the JV ranks in forward Denzel Erb.

“He’s a 6-6 kid who played JV last year but we feel he’s progressed enough to where we can team him up with Charles in the low post,” Robinson said.

The addition of Erb, Ammons and the 6-4 Coleman gives Robinson one of the biggest teams he’s had in the past several seasons.

At Warren Central, Lady Vikes coach Donny Fuller felt his team did not respond to the opening of camp in the way he would’ve liked.

“We were pitiful. I just didn’t think we had that good of a practice,” Fuller said. “We think we can have a really good team, but we have three starters that we have to replace.”

The Lady Vikes had one of the best offseasons in recent memory, winning both the State Games of Mississippi gold medal in Meridian and the Central Mississippi Basketball League championship. The team is coming off a 2006-07 season which saw them return to the Mississippi Coliseum in the Class 5A State Tournament after a one-year absence.

The club returns two-time Vicksburg Post Player of the Year Sha’Kayla Caples and point guard Karnina Bunch.

“Caples and Bunch give us a good base. But we need to use these first couple of practices to find the right combination of players that we are going to fill the other spots,’ Fuller said.

WC lost to graduation center Kaci Harris, forward Brittany Willis and guard Shantta Taylor. Willis is now playing for the Delta State Lady Statesmen while Taylor is playing junior college soccer at Hinds.

Both new St. Al coaches — Larry Smith, a former NBA player and coach, and Carla Koestler — face major rebuilding jobs. The St. Al boys lost four of its starters, including All-County forward Chase Smith. The Lady Flashes, who were 21-9 and won the Division 7-1A Tournament title in February, must replace three-time All-County forward Sarah Kerut.

Warren Central boys coach Jesse Johnson must replace the bulk of his scoring from last year’s team with the loss of center Mario Luckett and guard Shone Ester.