The Deep South/Sand Mountain Shootout will begin tonight at 5:30 p.m. when the Florala Wildcats girls and boys varsity basketball teams will take on the the Boaz Pirates at Pleasant Home’s Frank Ray Garner Gym.

 

The Andalusia Bulldogs boys and girls varsity teams will begin Saturday against Boaz, with the girls’ game tipping off at 1 p.m. Saturday’s games will be played in Florala.

 

Friday night’s games will feature the return of Pleasant Home High School alumni and former two-time state championship coach, Anthony Clark. Clark coached at Pleasant Home from 1998-2003, and is now the head coach of the Boaz Pirates.

 

Florala’s head coach, Troy Stewart, played for Clark at Pleasant Home. This will be the first time the two have squared off against each other.

 

Stewart was a player for Clark from 1998-2001, and was point guard on the Clark’s first state championship team in 2001. Stewart also served as Clark’s assistant coach at UMS-Wright for two years.

 

“It’s a real honor and privilege to be coaching against one of the greatest coaches I know,” Stewart said. “He taught me a lot about basketball, both as a player and as a coach. I still use several drills of his that helped us at PHS, to be successful with my teams at Florala.”

 

The Florala Lady Wildcats will take the court first against Boaz, at 5:30 p.m. Friday and the boys will start at the conclusion of the girls game.