FERRIDAY — For Lady Ferriday High Trojans and Monterey High Lady Wolves are among the top teams in their respective LHSAA girls basketball playoffs.

It has become natural for the Lady Trojans to reach the playoffs. With Lisa Abron as the head coach for the Lady Trojans, Ferriday has played in the Class 2A playoffs for 21 years.

The Lady Trojans were co-district champions with Rayville High School this season. Abron said the Lady Trojans are hoping to bring the state championship home, just like the Trojans football team won the LHSAA Class 2A state championship.

“It has motivated us to do it even more and our goal ultimately is to win a championship,” Abron said. “But it’s a process and you have to take each game at a time. Our first goal was to win district and we were co-district champions this year.”

Now the Lady Trojans (21-4) have their sights on the Class 2A state championship. Their first opponent is fellow Class 2A-District 2 foe Mangham High Lady Dragons.

In the regular season, Ferriday High has defeated Mangham High twice. The latest game was on Feb. 7 in which the Lady Trojans won 63-23 over the Lady Dragons (14-13).

The strategy for the No. 7 seed Lady Trojans has not changed since the last time they played against the No. 26 Lady Dragons.

“We know what they have and are capable of doing,” Abron said. “We’re going to use our advantages (size and speed) against them. I don’t see ourselves changing anything but I just want us to get better than what we have done before.”

Tip off for the game is not yet to be determined but will happen on Thursday at Ferriday High School.

Monterey High aims for more success

For the last 15 years, the Monterey High Lady Wolves have been farther than they have in the past year.

For this year, the Lady Wolves (20-6) are hoping to move past the second round. Last year, Monterey lost 71-27 to Anacoco High School.

What has motivated the Lady Wolves this season is the ability to win games. During the season, the Lady Wolves won 15 games in a row.

Cary Shively, Lady Wolves girls basketball head coach, said winning games has motivated the Lady Wolves into the playoffs.

For this year, the Lady Wolves (20-6) are hoping to move past the second round. Last year, Monterey lost 71-27 to Anacoco High School.

Shively said the goal this year is to move past the second round and play in the quarterfinals.

“We’re going to work hard at every game and make it as far as we can,” Shively said. “I think they will have that opportunity to make it farther than they did last year.”

To reach the second round, the No. 9 seeded Lady Wolves have to defeat the No. 24 seed Pitkin High School Lady Tigers (10-21). Shively said Thursday is the first time both schools will play against each other.

Tip off for the first round of the LHSAA Class B state finals is at 6 p.m. Thursday at Vidalia High School.