Bill Bullock may have a sort of dilemma on his hands tonight.

When the Pike Liberal Arts School girls' junior high team plays against Fort Dale in Greenville, the coach may want to hold some of his starters out.

"This won't be a huge game for either one of us," Bullock said. "I want to win, but since we are playing Saturday, and they are too, if I can get away with resting my starters, I might do it."

With an 11-1 record heading into tonight's game, the Pike Lib. girls' junior high team has already clinched a spot in Saturday's junior high state championship tournament. The tournament is a single-elimination, six-team tournament in Camden.

"This is my first year doing this, and it was my first year here," Bullock said. "A lot of people have been very vocal about this being the best team in the history of Pike Lib., as far as junior high goes."

Pike Lib. plays Tuscaloosa Academy at 2 p.m. Saturday. Should the Lady Patriots win, they would play Faith Academy at 6 p.m.

Fort Dale will be in the other bracket, so the teams will not face each other before the championship game.

Pike Liberal Arts School may have a disadvantage from fatigue Saturday even if Bullock does rest his starters.

Varsity girls' coach Robert Hawkins might make them tired anyway.

Eden Harris and Whitney Johnson are starters on the junior high team, but also play significant minutes for the varsity team. Although that has made them better players, it has also made them tired.

"There's no question it has made them better," Bullock said. "They experience a lot more basketball playing twice every night."

"They always want to play more minutes in the games and say they aren't tired. But when you see them in school the next day, you see how tired they are."