The St. James Coastal Crew Rebels 16U squad open their AAU season this weekend at the 2009 Super Regional at First Presbyterian Day School in Macon.

Head coach Ernie Walthour said they plan to head out today to prepare for their first game at 11:40 a.m. Saturday against a team, Run-N-Shoot, from Atlanta. The tournament is a qualifier for the 2009 AAU National Tournament scheduled for July in Florida.

"We are taking a lot of quality ball players and we are really excited to start our AAU season," Walthour said. "We have a number of kids competing that are from Liberty County. Our main goal is to make it to the finals and win the whole thing and then go on to the nationals in July. This is one of the biggest stages right now as far as qualifying for the nationals."

The Rebels have a history of placing well, making the nationals. Walthour said he has several returning players, but was happy about a new face on the squad.

"His name is Alex Reid and he is a real good ball player," Walthour said about the Effingham County residents who played at South Effingham High School. "He is a smart player on the floor. And we are excited about the way he shoots the ball and the way he plays defense."

Walthour said Reid comes from a family of basketball players. His father played for Perdue University.

Follow the Rebels progress over the weekend by visiting their Web site www.coastalcrewrebels.com.