Eric Ferguson has become Statesboro’s go-to guy.
    The senior guard and shooting forward leads the Blue Devils in points and is emerging as a team leader for the 2007-2008 squad.
    Last Friday, Ferguson pumped in 16 points, including five key free throws down the stretch in Statesboro’s 58-54 win. He finished 8 of 12 on the night from the line.
    “I’ve been working a lot,” said Ferguson. “I’ve been to mini-camps and been working hard in the gym.”
    Ferguson has also gladly accepted his leadership role.
    “I just try to do what I can do to help the team,” he said. “It’s on me, really, because I’m a senior and a leader and I should be setting an example. If I play hard they should play hard.”
    The tallest member of the Blue Devils’ squad, Ferguson stand at 6-foot-7. But his ability to hand the ball and shoot from the perimeter makes him a duel threat both offensively and defensively.
    Ferguson and the Blue Devils (3-2) return to action on Saturday when they travel to Savannah for a rematch with  Jenkins at 8 p.m.

Jones helps SEB start streak
    With guards Olivia Melvin and Crystal Mikell emerging as scorers and the Southeast Bulloch Lady Yellow Jackets finding an identity on both sides of the ball, somebody has to step up and be a leader.
    That’s where senior Kacey Jones steps in.
    The Jackets got off to a rocky start dropping the first four games of the season. Now, they are riding a three-game winning streak in which Jones has lead the team in blocks, rebounding, steals and total minutes.
    “A lot of people don’t notice this,” said first-year SEB coach Mark Smith, “but Kacey does all of the little things. She never comes off the floor, and she kind of holds the whole team together. She’s a floor leader, and I look at her as just another one of my assistant coaches. We wouldn’t have made the progress we have if it weren’t for her out there.”
    A team with a new coach and a new system that is just starting to reach its potential needs a leader.
    “There’s only two of us seniors,” said Jones. “We’ve got to kind of hold the team together.”
    Jones tries to contribute any way she can, and her presence on the defensive side of the court has made the difference during the winning streak.
    “Since I’ve seen that my shot’s been off lately,” Jones said, “I just might as well put my two cents in on defense.”