Clarke Central High School head boys varsity basketball coach Dr. Stefan Smith stands with CCHS boys varsity basketball players Andrea Cox, Matthew Collins and Quentin Huff (left to right). The Gladiators started the 2024-2025 season off with a 0-18 stretch. “They are the most confident (0-18) team I have ever seen,” Smith said. “They definitely have a great attitude about it. They’re not rattled or stressed about it.” Photo by Ma’Kiyah Thrasher
Despite losing star players and playing a rigorous schedule to a winless record, CCHS won’t let a winless season define the outlook of the boys varsity basketball program.
Eighteen games played, 18 games lost: the Clarke Central High School boys varsity basketball team is on a historic losing streak.
After winning the 2023-24 GHSA Region 8-AAAAA championship, the CCHS varsity boys basketball team lost eight seniors and 3-star recruit Marcus Gillespie to Overtime Elite, a professional league for young athletes bypassing traditional high school or college paths. As such, the Gladiators’ lineup is drastically different from just one year ago.
“We’re young right now, and we’ve got a lot of inexperience with the older guys. We lost eight seniors, so that was like losing five starters. We started over, a real rebuild,” CCHS varsity boys basketball head coach Dr. Stefan Smith said.
The Clarke Central High School boys varsity basketball team lost to Cedar Shoals High School with a final score of 50-62 in the annual Classic City Championship on Dec. 20 in Akins Ford Arena. After last year’s GHSA Region 8-AAAAA championship, boys varsity head coach Dr. Stefan Smith created a challenging schedule for 2024-2025, which has yeilded an 0-18 record. “We’re young right now, and we’ve got a lot of inexperience with the older guys. We lost eight seniors, so that was like losing five starters. We started over, a real rebuild,” Smith said. Photo by Grady Dunston
In the pre-season, the Gladiators had planned to pair Gillespie with star transfer Hezekiah Millender, but lost both players due to professional commitments to other athletic opportunities – Millender to the University of Georgia football program and Gillespie to the aforementioned Overtime Elite. However, Smith had already built a challenging schedule under the assumption that both players would turn out for the Gladiators.
“I wanted to make sure we were battle-tested. My pride didn’t let me run away from that schedule (once we lost them),” Smith said.
With new faces stepping into major roles, the Gladiators’ young roster has struggled to master fundamentals at the varsity level. These lapses proved detrimental in their closest game of the season, a 61-59 overtime loss to Jackson County High School on Dec. 13.
“(Asher Shepherd) is starting to understand the importance of making contact and boxing out. We weren’t taking advantage of Andrea Cox (who is) 6’8. You can see it from where he was last year to now is amazing.”
— Dr. Stefan Smith, varsity boys basketball head coach
“Going into overtime, we had about a six-point lead, (but) we started lacking rebounds and were fouling,” varsity guard Kendarius Butts, a senior, said. “(That) allowed the other team to score.”
But, the Gladiators aren’t giving up on their season just yet. There is optimism for the future of the program because of younger players like 6’8 underclassmen Andrea Cox, a sophomore, and Asher Shepherd, a freshman.
“(Asher Shepherd) is starting to understand the importance of making contact and boxing out. We weren’t taking advantage of Andrea Cox (who is) 6’8. You can see it from where he was last year to now is amazing,” Smith said. “With those two young guys, we can build around that.”
With two towering freshmen and a team beginning to gel with six games left, Smith remains focused on the things within his control.
“If you got a vision and know what you’re trying to do, you can’t worry about the outside noise. Smith said. “We know what’s going on in our gym and program, so that’s why I’m positive (about the future).”
