As we have one Friday night show in the books on Prep Plus, and our first show this year focused on prep basketball, I wanted to focus on what we have learned so far about this season.

As we have one Friday night show in the books on Prep Plus, and our first show this year focused on prep basketball, I wanted to focus on what we have learned so far about this season.

One thing that is obvious is the usual teams that in the top echelon are right where they belong: Jesuit, St Augustine and Brother Martin in the Catholic League, Ehret and West Jefferson in the Jefferson district, McDonogh 35, Karr and O.P. Walker in the city 4A district. All these teams are ince again the best in the area. I know that other teams like Destrehan, Hahnville, Salmen and Country Day also belong in the discussion as well.

There are also new teams that are entering the fray as well including the upstart Thomas Jefferson of Gretna, and who can forget Riverside Academy where Timmy Byrd and the Rebels are picking up where Byrd's old school, the former Reserve Christian, left off winning games in bunches. Another school coming out of the destruction of Hurricane Katrina to greatness is Douglass from the upper 9th Ward.

The Baton Rouge area is also starting to take shape, and with the usual suspects - Glen Oaks, Catholic, Central, Istrouma and Broadmoor - there are also a couple of newcomers to take note of this season with Scotlandville and Capitol splashing on the scene.

The girls' side is starting to take shape with Denham Springs, defending champion Chapelle and John Ehret setting up a 5A showdown in what could be a wide open field to the championship. Of course, Shreveport power Southwood will be once again standing in the way of the locals.

Prep Plus now has a growing list of reporters, and we were able to cover six games this past Friday night. Our goal is still to get as many games covered as we can so we still have time to add reporters to the fray. We want to cover YOUR school. If you go to prep basketball games and have a cell phone, that's all you need. A knowledge of the game and the abiility to keep stats is helpful, too.

The possibility to have your reporting put in writing here on NewOrleans.Com/Sports can be a reality as well. Please contact co-host and coordinator of reporting assingments George Pepis by e-mail at george@wgso.com to set up a reporting opportunty of your own on the radio at WGSO 990 AM.