Bengals basketball has already begun to put the bad memories of a winless 2008-09 season where they belong – in the past. Fuquay-Varina entered this week with one win already and plenty to look forward to in 2009-10.

We've got to think positive this year and execute better than last year and play good defense,” senior guard Tarek Behairy said. “We've got all our seniors returning from last year, and we're ready.”

This year, the Bengals won’t be facing a conference slate stacked with Division I recruits, and the nucleus that returns in Fuquay is experienced. Second year coach, Randy Barrow said he is seeing several players stepping up to lead this winter.

Junior forward, Dominique Byrd is averaging double figures at 11.2 per game through Fuquay’s first six contests. Byrd, at 6-foot-6, should be the Bengals’ most potent weapon. His classmate, 6-foot-9 Isaac Daniel is coming into his own this winter and Barrow said senior point guard, Drew Robinson needs to be a coach on the floor for Fuquay to be successful.

“He's going to get two, maybe four points a night, but he's going to drive us he's going to do the things that we need to get done,” Barrow said of Robinson. “Being a former point guard, myself, it's nice to have that person who I can rely on understanding the game and understanding situations where we need to be.”

Fuquay (1-5, 0-2) lost Friday night at home to non-conference foe, Clayton High 54-50. The Bengals will be in action at home this Friday night against Tri-9 rival, Holly Springs.

Lady Bengals Basketball

Fuquay girls’ basketball coach, Mardy Cutchin has been here before. This winter, like every winter, it seems he has to rebuild his roster. This time around other sports’ gains are his losses. 2008-09 leading scorer and rebounder, Raquelle Keaton is not playing this winter to concentrate on volleyball and softball standout Camise Patterson won’t be on the hardwood as she is fielding extra softballs and college softball scholarship offers.

“So now I have a starting lineup of two freshmen, a sophomore and two juniors,” Cutchin said. “So, we are a very, very young basketball team with hardly any varsity experience.”

But Cutchin said his young players are holding their own, despite a 1-5 start.

“We've just got to take care of the basketball a lot more,” he said. “We could very well have been 3-3. We shouldn't have lost to Cary or Panther Creek. We lost to Panther Creek by one and lost to Cary by four.”

The Lady Bengals will be home again next Tuesday, to host Green Hope High.