A young but talented team of basketball players took to the court Tuesday night in the 2008-2009 season opener for the Washington- Wilkes Tigers and although details of the game were not available for this writing, Head Coach Don Keiser is cautiously confident that the team can make the state playoffs again this year.

"We're young but we are very talented, and we had a really good summer," Keiser said, and he explained that since W-W has moved down to Class A, the team is playing in a sub-region format in Region 4-A. In the sub-region schedule with the Tigers are Lincoln County, Aquinas, Taliaferro County, and Warren County. The other side of the region includes Hancock Central, which will probably be No. 1; Wilkinson County, as the likely No. 2; Twiggs County; and GMC.

"So it's a very tough region," Keiser said. "In our sub-region, Lincoln and Aquinas look pretty tough and we need to finish first in our sub-region in order to have a chance to play in the state playoffs.

Keiser said his probably starting lineup for the season, at this point anyway, would include only one senior, Quincey Bradley, along with juniors Deandre Stewart and Akeimos Coleman, and sophomores Teverrius Jones and Matson Keiser. However, Jones will miss the first couple of games due to ear surgery.

Only two other seniors are on the team: Tyrece Ashmore and Drew Wilson, who is back for the first time since the ninth grade. Other sophomores on the young team include Eric Scott, Deon Jackson, and Desmond Jackson.

After Tuesday's game, the Tigers will next host Athens Christian this Saturday, December 6, beginning with both boys and girls B-team games at 2 p.m. Then, on Tuesday, December 9, the teams will travel to Oglethorpe County for games with the Patriots.