After a 3-2 start, the Mays girls basketball team is optimistic about the upcoming season with hopes of advancing into the state tournament by season’s end.

Coach Natasha Harrigan is confident the Lady Raiders can be successful if the team doesn’t hurt itself.

``When we don’t do what we are supposed to do, we are letting ourselves down, and we end up losing the game,” Harrigan said of the reason why she tries to keep mistakes in a game to a minimum.

Like all athletic teams at Mays, the Lady Raiders switched this season from Region 5AAAA, which consisted primarily of Douglas and Fayette County teams to Region 6AAAA whose teams are more challenging.

This year’s region opponents include teams like Redan and Southwest Dekalb, two opponents that have four recent state titles between them. Southwest DeKalb has won the past three state championships in Class AAAA. Redan won the Class AAAAA championship in 2009. The Lady Raiders won a state title in 2003.

``The region doesn’t really have some of the less athletic or less talented teams,” Harrigan said.

One of the early season goals has been to establish team unity.

``You just have to find the chemistry between the players on the team, but the team has been doing well right now. We have work to do as always.”

Last year’s team, which was eliminated in the state playoffs by Northwest Whitfield, lost some valuable leadership.

This year’s leaders include Mariah Dean, Kristi Ware, who averages 20 points, and Charnay Sanford, who has rejoined the team after an early season injury.

“We are looking for these three players to lead our team, but at every game, any player can have their night and be a scorer,” Harrigan said.

The team is optimistic the season will be successful.

“We run too much to not be,” Harrigan joked. The team expects a long playoff run.

In a recent region contest, the Lady Raiders defeated region foe Miller Grove. Other victories have come over Lithonia and Shiloh while the Lady Raiders fell in their first game of the season against Collins Hill.