With the end of the high school basketball season and playoffs looming, the No. 1 basketball team to watch in the Miss-Lou is Natchez High School.

Since the 60-46 win against Ferriday High School on Jan. 3, the Bulldogs lost their first two Class 5A Region 6 Mississippi High School Activities Association games. The second region loss came on Jan. 14 against Jim Hill High School. Natchez HIgh won 57-36 over Jim Hill.

I placed the Bulldogs No. 1 on my list of teams of six teams to watch in the Miss-Lou because their overall record is 10-7. Natchez even defeated Miss-Lou opponent Ferriday High School. The next game for the Bulldogs is at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Pearl High School.

Cathedral High School

The Green Wave are the second Miss-Lou team to watch the rest of the season. The Green Wave won 53-49 over Silliman Institute on Jan. 14. In the game, Kaden Batieste led Cathedral with 15 points and newcomer Christian Wright was second on the team with 13 points. Cathedral has an overall record of 11-10. The Green Wave are 1-2 against other MidSouth Association of Independent Schools Class 4A District 4 foes. Cathedral’s next game is at 7 p.m. Tuesday at home against Brookhaven Academy.

Adams County Christian School

I rank the Rebels as the third team to watch in the Miss-Lou. The Rebels (7-6) are 2-1 against other Class 4A District 4 MAIS teams. Brookhaven Academy won 43-38 over ACCS on Jan. 14. Vic Lassiter led the Rebels with 15 points while JD Granger and Josh Credit tied for second with six points. Also, ACCS won 59-39 over Cathedral on Jan. 10. The Rebels next game is at 7 p.m. Monday at home against Centreville Academy.

Ferriday High School

The Ferriday High Trojans (4-9) are fourth on my list and 29th out of 52 teams in the LHSAA Class 2A power ratings. The Trojans traveled to Mangham High School on Jan. 16. Mangham won 62-60 over Ferriday. The Trojans will play at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Beekman High School.

Vidalia High School

The Vikings are the fifth basketball team to watch for the rest of the season. Vidalia is 36th out of 52 teams in the Louisiana High School Athletics Association Class 2A power ratings. Vidalia has an overall record of 5-7. Delhi Charter won 63-45 over Vidalia on Jan. 16. Ray J Ransom led the Vikings with 20 points and Curtis Washington was second on the team with 12 points. The Vikings next game is 7 p.m. Tuesday at Rayville High School.

Delta Charter

The Storm are the last team in the Miss-Lou to watch for the rest of the season. The Storm are 2-9 overall and are 0-3 against other LHSAA Class 1A teams. The Storm won 64-45 on Jan. 14 against Sicily Island High School. Delta Charter will play at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Cedar Creek High School.

Patrick Murphy is a sports reporter for The Natchez Democrat.