The Clarke Central High School boys varsity basketball team scrimmages during Midday Madness on Nov. 13 in the CCHS Competition Gym. Since the beginning of the 2021-22 basketball season on Oct. 25, the team has prepared to play Oconee County High School on Nov. 16 in the team’s first game of the season. “The chemistry (of the team) has been great. We’ve been talking and been real vocal in practice,” boys varsity basketball point guard Roderick Jones, a senior, said. “We see everybody getting better and they’re just trying to do their job and that’s all we can really do (in the game).” Photo by Lucas Donnelly
The CCHS boys varsity basketball team will play Oconee County High School on Nov. 16 for their first official game of the season.
After beginning their 2021-22 basketball season on Oct. 25, the Clarke Central High School boys varsity basketball team has been training for three weeks in preparation for their Nov. 16 game against Oconee County High School.
The CCHS boys varsity basketball team is in AAAAA Region 8 while OCHS is in AAA Region 8, so the game will not contribute toward their region ranking. Through their early season practices, head boys varsity basketball coach Stefan Smith has noticed a lot of progress among the team.
“(Practice has) been going well. (I’m) doing a lot of teaching, and (we) got some new guys in the system that we’re kind of teaching to have a better understanding,” Smith said. “(We’re focusing on) a lot of fundamentals and a lot of defense.”
As the team has been training for the approaching game, the intensity and excitement in practice has been increasing.
“Non-region games are always fun,” Smith said. “We’re just going to see what we got and we’ll come back and see what things we need to work on. That’s how we prepare.”
According to boys varsity basketball point guard Roderick Jones, a senior, the first game is about putting what they’ve been practicing into the game and working together.
“If we don’t have any chemistry out there, it’s not going to work,” Jones said. “We need defense, and being vocal at all times. We need everybody going 100% for the team.”
“We need defense, and being vocal at all times. We need everybody going 100% for the team.”
— Roderick Jones,
Boys varsity basketball point guard and senior
Smith is hoping for the fundamentals that the team has been working on during practice to stand out on the court.
“I’m looking for them to be able to execute some offensive sets (and) I’m looking for us to play defense,” Smith said. “I’m looking for the effort, the hustle and that Gladiator pride.”
