By Justin Fedich | The Selma Times-Journal

The Selma Saints and Keith Bears each opened the season playing against one another in Selma’s gym, and Friday, they will renew their rivalry once more at Keith. The Saints girls’ basketball team won the first meeting 44-38 while the Bears boys’ basketball team defeated the Saints 59-53. Each coach believes their team has improved since the season-opener, and the coaches expect a different game than they saw on Nov. 13.

“Selma’s playing extremely well right now,” said Keith boys’ head coach Tommy Tisdale. “They’re an extremely different team from Week 1.”

Both the Keith and Selma boys’ teams are 5-2. The Bears are coming off a close loss to Francis Marion at home Tuesday, while the Saints defeated Chilton County at home in double overtime Tuesday.

Selma head coach Woodie Jackson is ready to put the past in the past and focus on beating one of Selma’s toughest opponents Friday.

“We know it’s going to be a big game, and going down to Keith will make it even tougher,” Jackson said.

Tisdale said he expects the gym to be so packed, that fans who come after 5:30 p.m. might not get in. Still, both Tisdale and Jackson downplay the importance of a game that doesn’t go a long way in determining where the teams end up in the playoffs.

“It’s fun for the rivalry. It’s fun for the community, but at the end of the day, beating Selma means absolutely nothing,” Tisdale said.

Keith’s girls’ team has won six straight games since falling to Selma in its first game of the season. The Bears defeated Francis Marion convincingly Tuesday, but Selma hasn’t lost a game this season.

Keith girls head coach Cecil Williams knows that his team is capable of beating anyone on its schedule, but he also said if his team doesn’t come to play, Selma could easily sweep the season series.

“Anybody can beat us any given night if we don’t play complete and if we don’t play well,” Williams said.

Selma girls’ basketball head coach Anthony Harris admitted the players on both teams might come out with some extra energy because of who’s on the other side.

“I know they respect us, and it’s a good rivalry between us,” Harris said. “They bring the best out of [us], and I know we bring the best out of them, but we’re going to be up for the challenge.”