Salmen girls basketball Daryl Thomas looked out at the court with a smile.

The Spartans were in the middle of a drill in which two players sprinted from the end line, chasing a bouncing tennis ball to see who could catch it.

The drill is simple but creates competition, and that’s precisely the point. The Spartans want to make their opponents uncomfortable by exerting relentless pressure on the ball at all times.

“We did a lot of work in the summer to prepare for this season,” senior Akayla McMooian said. “All summer, we focused on being pests on defense, and you can see that in the way we play. We’re all over the place on defense.”

That focus is playing off. The Spartans (7-1) are riding a six-game win streak, including a 60-33 dismantling of Hahnville on Dec. 5.

“In past seasons, I d

See Full Page