With basketball season about to begin and the varsity assistant coach position needing to be filled, last year’s varsity assistant Jeff MeGown will take on the job.

The position was vacated after Theodore Berry, who was arrested on Sept. 28 and charged with human trafficking by the city police department, was placed on unpaid leave. The charges stemmed from allegations by a former student who was living with Berry in order to play on a select basketball team.

New head coach Gary Collier has not let the previous events of this year shake up his team.

“It’s been okay, it’s been a little trying,” Collier said. “I’ve had a lot of support from the other staff members and coaches. Because of that it’s made it a whole lot easier for me.” 

With only four returning varsity starters from last year and a senior-heavy team, the players do not want to let it set them back from what they hope to accomplish this year.

“Coach Collier stays on top of things,” senior Ryan Bowie said. “He could let it be a setback but he left it in the past and moved on from it. There’s a mission that we have to accomplish this year and that is winning state championship.”

Collier was named the head coach after Henry Thomas retired at the end of last season. Collier had previously been head coach at Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth. Some of the varsity players like senior Malcolm Brown had to get used to the new changes.

“It kind of confused me for the most part,” Brown said. “But so far our coach is pretty good. It felt weird to start off with [a new coach], but once we warmed up to him it felt pretty good”

MeGown, an LHS graduate, said he feels that the team and the parents are pretty happy with him coming back.

“I think the season will go very well,” MeGown said. “We seem like we reload every year.  I love being a Fighting Farmer.” 

With returning state champion Marcus, the district is set to be challenging for the Farmers. The team will also have to face its old coach, as Thomas recently stepped in as interim coach at Flower Mound after head coach Charles Freet was reassigned within the district.