Farmer's Insurance brings us the second installment of 4 The Record, four questions asked of one of Aurora's coaches with their candid answers.

1) A quick evaluation of your team's regular season? This has been a season of ups and downs. We have a very tough schedule, but which also helps us prepare for the post season. Our first tough task is the Lady Houn tournament, after our regular season opener with Carthage. This has been, for quite sometime, one of the strongest HS girls basketball tournaments in the area. Republic, Mt. Vernon, Bolivar, Walnut Grove along with Aurora for this season makes a pretty competitve start. We have teams like Parkview, Hillcrest, Webb City along with the tough conference teams like East Newton, Carl Junction, Mt Vernon and so on in the regular season. Then we have the Pink and White, and Bolivar tournaments that we participate in each year. So with that being said, we have improved, matured, and learned how to compete whether it be through our mistakes and losses or through our victories. We are still young, but we have a team that know the game of basketball and are students of the game.

2) What is the most difficult part of coaching high school girl's basketball? I don't know if coaching girl's basketball is difficult. I do know that these young ladies will work hard, and have developed a winning attitude which make it easier to coach. My toughest thing right now with this group is the balancing part. We have around 8 ladies that can start at any given time. That's a good problem though. Another good thing about this bunch is they've played together on teams at their younger age on traveling teams together and had success. So I guess the difficult part is getting everyone in the game that's able to contribute, because we have that ability to do that.

3) What has been the biggest advantage of having your wife as your assistant coach? Having my wife coach has been a blessing in more ways than one. First, our schedules are the same for that 3-4 month period so we're together more. She obviously knows basketball from her experience as a player in high school and college, and coaching both as an assistant and having the head position too. With that experience, she knows exactly what I go through during the season, practices and in-game situations. I count on her for advice on game planning and personal decisions. We both have the same philosophy with the game, but different approaches and how we handle things. I know the girls can lean on her sometimes when I get impatient with them. That's the mom part that comes out and helps too. Having her as an assistant reassures me that I have someone that could take over in a practice or game if needed. I like knowing that.

4) A quick evaluation of the future of Lady Houn' basketball? The future of this team is bright. Like I said earlier, we have a young team. We should return everyone back for next year. We have a group of girls that will work hard in the off-season and they know that we will have a shot to be better, even to the point of competing for conference and districts. Our jr high program has improved with coach Candy Blevins helping with that. She has put in the philosophy, plays, terminology and the type of practices that we do at the HS. Blevins is doing a great job, and that's where it starts. Saying that, the 8th grade should be able to jump in next year and help with running scout teams, playing JV and if they work hard enough, even the varsity level. Knowing who's a part of this team for the future makes things exciting for Lady Houn basketball. I'm excited about this teams future.