By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

NORTH SHELBY – Bobby Kerley is entering his second year as Briarwood’s head basketball coach. Kerley has been with the basketball program for 16 years, and graduated from Briarwood back in 1998. He’s been around the school and this particular program essentially all his life. In his second season at the helm, he will have to navigate the loss of one of the best players in the county as the Lions will try to make it out of a tough area.

The primary difference for the Lions this year will be the absence of Justin Brown. Brown and his 20 points per game have transferred to Spain Park for his senior season. The transition happened toward the end of the school year, according to Kerley, and Briarwood has had the entire summer to adjust to his absence.

“When we went to Atlanta this summer we were putting our team together and learning how to play without him,” Kerley said. “He’s a first-class kid, and we hope he does wonderful over there. We love him to death, that’s for sure.”

The Lions potentially will be without a few other key players for the first slice of the season, depending on how the end of the football season shapes up. Carson Donnelly and Luke Dyson both will be key contributors for Kerley, both of whom are still focused on the gridiron instead of the hardwood. Donnelly, a sophomore defensive back, is Briarwood’s starting point guard while Dyson, a senior receiver for Fred Yancey and the football team, started for Kerley all through summer ball. Barrett Tindall and RJ Jennings are also football players who will provide depth.

Jennings will serve primarily as a backup center to Thomas Collier. Collier is a 6-foot-7-inch, 210-pounder who will be the focal point of the Briarwood offense this year.

“This year will be a little bit different for us, because we have such a good center (Collier),” Kerley said. “He’s really been working out hard this year, I’ve been proud of him. He’s kind of fallen in love with the weights and we’re starting to see that. What we’re going to try to do is feed it inside to him.”

Without Brown’s athleticism to help push the pace in transition, the Lions are going to try and slow the pace of the game down by running their offense through Collier who will either finish around the rim or kick out to one of the many shooters this team has. On defense, the goal will generally be the same. Press when possible, slow the game down the rest of the time.

“We’re going to run a lot of different zones,” Kerley said. “Our strength isn’t ever going to be running up and down with other teams. We’re going to try and confuse people, try and disguise what we’re really in. Try to confuse some people, play some games with folks defensively and slow the game down.”

The Lions are in an area with Pelham, Homewood and John Carroll Catholic. Pelham and Homewood made it out of the area last season, and Briarwood will most likely have to knock one of them off in the area tournament in February to make a postseason run.

Briarwood opens up on Nov. 17 with a contest at Dora.