By Michael Butler

The Tallassee High School basketball season tips off this week with two new head coaches. Justin Ellis is taking over the varsity boys’ program. Daniel Byrd will lead the varsity girls.

Ellis was an assistant with Keiven Mixson for five seasons. Mixson went 111-81 in eight seasons. His best was a 27-5 record in 2019-20.

“We had some good runs,” said Ellis, who is also an assistant coach with football and baseball. “We’ve made it work. The hardest transition is going from basketball to baseball. The seasons overlap. It’s funny because I have basketball practice in the afternoons. I’ve got some of the baseball kids coming to me. We’re working some infield drills in the gym. It’s a whirlwind.”

Byrd, who also serves as assistant athletic director, has worked with Ellis as an assistant on the football staff. This is his first year in Tallassee.

“I had been at Handley. That’s where I started my career. I left from there and went to Auburn. Last year I was at Loachapoka – my first year with basketball. I love the game, been around it my whole life. I’ve been around sports my whole life. My mom ran track at Florida State.”

Some of Byrd’s players are still playing flag football.

“Here at Tallassee our female athletics are among the next-level sports. Every single female sport continues to grow. That’s the goal with basketball.”

Byrd will have a young team. Jaaliyah Williams is the lone senior on the roster.

“She’s kind of leading the pack,” Byrd said. “Ari Daniels, Z’riyah Alleyne, Mykah McKeithen… really guard heavy. It’s a super athletic group, super fast, super quick. Very gritty. We expect to play major defense, make you uncomfortable and get out and run.”

Last year’s varsity girls team went 8-8. The varsity boys were 5-13.

“We practice back-to-back,” said Ellis of the two teams. “Their style of play is kind of what we’re trying to do. Coach Byrd and I have become really good friends coaching football together. We bounce a lot of ideas off of each other. We want to get up and down the court, (create) ball pressure and hopefully force turnovers to get out in transition. We’re a very athletic team.”

Ellis will work with some of those same athletic guys who he helped coach in football.

“Trent Morris will be starting at guard for us. We’ve got Milaki Griffin, Chase Lindsay, Demarcus Smart, Kaden Jackson, Monkiah Hooks. We’ve had some minor setbacks with some guys who will miss some time early in the season.”

This year, the AHSAA is implementing a 35-second shot clock.

“We’ve used the shot clock in practice. It hasn’t bothered us one bit,” Ellis said. “Teams will get in four corners, you have no choice but to foul. Now, you’ve got to take a shot.”

Like Ellis, Byrd is in favor of the new rule.

“It’s going to create more high IQ basketball moments. I’ve always been a proponent of transitioning, if we want our young athletes to make it to higher levels.”

Both squads will be in Class 4A/Area 5 with Beauregard, Elmore County and Valley. The season tips off on Thursday, Nov. 12 versus Notasulga at Stumberg Gym.

Schedule/Results