The 2008-2009 Bainbridge High School Lady Cats and Bearcats basketball teams will tune up for their season openers by traveling to Blakely for a pair of Thursday preseason scrimmage games with the Early County High School Lady Bobcats and Bobcats.

The girls game will begin at 6 p.m., the boys game will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Admission is $5.

The Lady Cats will open their regular season next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday , Nov. 24, 25 and 26, when they participate in the Lowndes County High School Vikettes Tipoff Classic in Valdosta. Game times and opponents are to be announced.

The Bearcats will open regular season play Tuesday, Dec. 2, when they play Chipley, Fla., High School, where Bearcats head coach Rickey McCullough formerly coached. Tipoff will be at 6:30 p.m.

The Lady Cats and Bearcats will travel to Camilla Friday, Dec. 5, for games with the Mitchell County High School Lady Eagles and Eagles. The girls game will begin at 6 p.m. and the boys game will follow at 7:30 p.m.

The Lady Cats starting lineup Thursday in Blakely will include senior Zaikia Dawson at point guard, sophomore April Thomas at shooting guard and junior Alexis Burke, senior Lashawnda Middleton and sophomore Bria Harris up front.

Three seniors will lead the Bearcats into action Thursday night. Point guard Marquis Williams and forward Melzie Johnson have just begun practice this week after starting for coach Ed Pilcher’s Bearcats basketball team.

Senior James Lodman will start at wing for the Bearcats in Blakely.

“We’ll do some rotating in and out with players, but Marquis, Melzie and James should be in there a lot,” McCullough said.