The Iowa Yellow Jackets are coming off the greatest season in program history.

Now they want to be numbered among the powerhouse basketball programs in the state, and take a few of them down.

Head coach Rob Melanson said he believes the Yellow Jackets have the talent to make another run to the Louisiana High School Athletic Association state tournament.

“Our expectations are high,” Melanson said. “The community’s expectations of us are high.

“Let’s go beat some of these better teams, especially some of these teams that have a lot of tradition. We have Iowa on the front of our jerseys. It is not Peabody, Madison Prep or Newman, but why can’t we be one of those? That is the area we want to improve.

“It was a good job when we lost to (St. Thomas More) by 10, now let’s turn the corner this year. We have this ‘X’ on our back whether you like it or not. I told them you need to step up.”

Iowa went 30-6 last season and reached the state semifinal for the first time in history.

The Yellow Jackets return three starters, including a pair of all-state guards, in seniors Dashawn Ceaser and Desa’Monte Gradney.

“As a coach, it is nice to have your top two guards back,” Melanson said. “They have been playing for me for six years, since middle school ball. I have told them they are coaches on the floor now, and that is how they have to play the game.”

Senior returning forward Luke Guillory leads an improved front court that will include junior Andrew Duhon and sophomore Victor Fisher.

“They have gotten a lot bigger,” Melanson said. “Hopefully they have matured more.

“They have been in the weight room. Luke is a man. He is a real big man. The thing I like about this year’s team is I like our guards, but we have some size inside with Guillory, Duhon and sophomore Victor Fisher, who is every bit of 6-5. He was about 6-3 last year.”

With six players — Guillory, Duhon, Fisher, Josiah Bushnell, Jeremiah Bushnell, Cohen Charles — still competing with the Yellow Jackets’ eighth-ranked football team in the regional round of the state playoffs this week, the Yellow Jackets will not start the season until the Hamilton Christian tournament on Nov. 30.

With an experienced team, Melanson said he’s not concerned with having to start the season later than other schools and expects a deep rotation once everyone returns.

Melanson has loaded the schedule to give his team plenty of opportunities to face tradition-rich programs, including nondistrict games against New Iberia and Isidore Newman plus some quality tournaments.

“Our schedule is probably the toughest one that I have ever played,” he said. “We have Hamilton (Christian), St. Thomas More, Westgate tournaments and Northside,” Melanson said. “We have Newman on the schedule and Silsby (Texas) in the Louisiana/Texas shootout.

“We have NISH, Northside and Madison Prep (tournaments). I hope I didn’t overload it. And what I mean by that is, if we are good enough, we have to go win some of those ballgames. We want to be in the top four at the end of the season. If you want to get to the quarters, you want to have it at home. Our goal this year is to get one game further than last year.”