Clarke Central High School basketball players play in a scrimmage during Midday Madness on Nov. 13, 2021. Varsity boys basketball head coach Stefan Smith has had many goals for the 2021-22 season. “Our goals are the same every year, pretty much. You want to win the (Classic City Championship), you want to win both games against Cedar Shoals, you want to win the region, and you also want to make a good showing in the state and possibly win state,” Smith said. “I think every one of our goals is right there in front of us.” Photo by Lucas Donnelly
The CCHS varsity boys basketball team is playing Loganville High School today at 8:30 p.m. and Cedar Shoals High School on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
With a record of 9-9 so far this season and only six games left in the regular season, the Clarke Central High School boys varsity basketball team is working to defend their title as Region Champions and Classic City Champions in the 2022 season.
Currently 6-3 in region play, CCHS will play a region game against Loganville High School today at 8:30 p.m. According to boys varsity basketball coach Stefan Smith, the team has had to work harder this season in order to hopefully repeat their Region Championship win.
“I think early on my kids didn’t understand that (other teams are) gonna give you their best effort, their best scouting reports, their best everything, and my kids had to learn that. Last year, we were kind of the team that was hunting to be great. This year, we were the team that was being hunted,” Smith said. “I think (the team’s) starting to understand that now, and they’re starting to take everybody serious.”
Looking forward to Saturday at 3:30 p.m., CCHS will play against Cedar Shoals High School in order to secure the Classic City Championship title.
“Last year, we were kind of the team that was hunting to be great. This year, we were the team that was being hunted.”
— Stefan Smith,
CCHS boys varsity basketball coach
“All of their lives, (the players) kind of seen that game as that’s the one they want to play. So, I really don’t say much on the Cedar game,” Smith said. “We got to prove to ourselves that we are true City Champions.”
While the Cedar game is important to Smith, he hopes that it does not cause the team to lose focus for the Loganville game, as happened when they played Jackson County High School on Jan. 7, losing 62-58 before the first CSHS matchup this season on Jan. 8.
“We played Jackson County on a Friday, and on that Friday, we lost because we were overlooking them to play Cedar. I think our guys understand that now. For the Cedar game, I think they know they want to be City Champs, bragging rights,” Smith said.
Varsity boys basketball player Tyson Jones, a junior, is excited for the games against both LHS and CSHS and feels that the team’s bond has improved from the beginning of the season, allowing for more success.
“When we started off we had to get our chemistry right. We good now though. We’re going to win straight to state,” Jones said. “We are gonna go out there, do what we do, get the dub (today against LHS), come back home, (and) get ready for Cedar tomorrow.”
“We are gonna go out there, do what we do, get the dub (today against LHS), come back home, (and) get ready for Cedar tomorrow.”
— Tyson Jones,
junior and varsity boys basketball player
In order for the team to gain two more wins after this weekend, Smith believes that they need to continue utilizing the skills and chemistry they have grown throughout the season.
“I think the last game (against Apalachee High School) our defense (was) showing up. We were giving up in the 60s and 70 points a game and now we’re down to 50, 40,” Smith said. “We’re starting to gel defensively. We put more emphasis on it in practice, put more emphasis on it in the locker room. So, I think they’re starting to buy into that.”
For Smith, the most important thing for the team to do going into these next two games is focus on their own gameplay instead of their opponents.
“It’s just all about us. Right now, I tell my kids all the time, Clarke Central is beating Clarke Central,” Smith said. “It’s not the other teams, it’s about us, how we play. I think our play dictates what happens with us, because that’s what’s been happening with us, Clarke Central has been beating Clarke Central.”
