[01/26/01] St. Aloysius coach Paul Hayden won’t have to scramble to find a tape to scout Wesson’s teams. All he has to do is pop in the one in his library labeled Jan. 23.

Hayden, who coaches St. Al’s boys and girls, pulled off a double win at Wesson Tuesday, something that has happened only a handful of times this season.

But he doesn’t see that familiarity as an advantage when he faces Wesson again in Saturday’s openers of the Red Carpet Classic.

After all, Wesson’s coaches got to St. Al’s teams too. And it can be difficult to beat any team twice, Hayden pointed out.

“It’s always a concern playing someone you beat again that quickly,” Hayden said.

But if the Flashes and Lady Flashes can shoot as well from the perimeter as they did Tuesday, they should be OK, he said.

St. Al’s leaders are post players Mollie Richards (6-foot-1) and Clay Simmons (6-3). Both had big games at Wesson, Richards getting 15 points and 11 rebounds in a 43-36 win and Simmons scoring 17 in a 70-69 squeaker.

“We give them some matchup problems,” Hayden said of the girls. “They did a good job of packing it in on Mollie … she had four girls on her some of the time. Leslie (Dyess) and Jen (Barnes) need to hit from outside again, and we should be OK.”

Wesson coach Lane Young said he will stick with the same strategy and hope St. Al doesn’t shoot as well from the outside this time.

“We don’t have anybody to match up with (Richards),” he said, adding that his tallest player is 5-9. “We just didn’t shoot well.”

The Lady Cobras (6-12) don’t have a dominant player, he said.

“All of my starters average six or seven points per game,” said Young, who has just one senior, point guard Jessica Phillips.

Young’s biggest concern is playing a tough division game against archrival Loyd Star Friday night, then getting on the bus early Saturday.

The key for the Flashes will be stopping point guard Richie Miller, who had 28 Tuesday.

“He shoots well and really pushes the ball,” Hayden said.

Hayden is eager to coach in his first RCC.

“It’s a great organization,” he said. “We have a good program and this gives a chance to show that we can play.”