By KEVIN MOBLEY – Web Writer
Clarke Central High School head varsity boys basketball coach Andre McIntyre believes experience and camaraderie will be the keys to a successful 2013-14 campaign.
On March 6, 2014, four basketball teams from the AAAAA classification will arrive at the Macon Coliseum in Macon, Ga., each hoping to leave with the 2014 Georgia High School Association AAAAA title.
Clarke Central High School head varsity boys basketball coach Andre McIntyre believes his 2013-14 squad has the potential to be one of those teams.
CCHS senior Leroy Legette shoots in the team’s pre-season “Midnight Madness” event. Photo by Chad Rhym.
“We can be as good as we want to be,” McIntyre said. “If we stay focused, stay as a family and take care of each other, Macon is the limit.”
Last season, CCHS finished with a 20-6 overall record, but lost its first round matchup in the Region Eight-AAAAA tournament against Loganville High School. The loss resulted in the Gladiators finishing No. 5 in their region, denying the team a state playoff berth.
“A couple of times the ball didn’t bounce our way,” McIntyre said. “We played a good team in Loganville and we had our chances. We just didn’t get the job done. There’s no excuses. It’s a team we should’ve beat.”
The motivation to correct last season’s mistakes fueled off-season workouts.
“We didn’t reach some of the goals we set – winning the region and advancing to the playoffs,” McIntyre said. “We had a good summer working out and our focus is unfinished business. We knew we left some games out there that we should have taken care of. Now we have a chance to redeem ourselves.”
In the summer, the team travelled down to Gainesville, Fla., to compete at a camp hosted by the University of Florida.
“A lot of people doubted us when we played against these big teams because they had a lot of Division I players, and we didn’t really have any D-I players,” CCHS senior forward Leroy Legette said. “They were like, ‘Well, they’re going to get blown out. They can’t play with these boys.’”
Against a field of 72 teams, the CCHS squad advanced all the way to the “Elite Eight” in the tournament at UF.
“Playing against that level of competition and making it to the Elite Eight, that really says something, ” CCHS senior forward Cameron Johnson said. “Especially since we’ve had the same team for the last three or four years. It means we’re getting better.”
Last season, Johnson led the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.3 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game.
“I could’ve done better,” Johnson said. “I haven’t reached my potential yet, and this year I think it’s the year where I go all out.”
Legette also posted double digit scoring, finishing the season at 13.4 points per game, as well as 5.8 rebounds per game. At 6’3”, Legette often plays out of position.
“It’s tough because forward is not the spot that I want to play, but it’s the spot I have to play in order for my teammates to win,” Legette said. “I think about my team before I think of myself.”
The Gladiators were also aided last season by a pair of freshman guards, Rayshawn McCall and Desmond Sorrells.
“A motto that we have is ‘We don’t have any backup players.’ When you get in the game, you’re a starter. It’s your time to contribute,” McIntyre said. “(McCall) and (Sorrells) got a lot of experience last year as freshmen. Right now, when they come in the game, they just need to keep it rolling.”
The Gladiators return seven seniors this season – guards Austin Johnson, Jaquan Dowdy, Jahkeim Ellison, Jamonte Smith and Donavin Thompson, and forwards Legette and Cameron Johnson.
“We have a great senior group, and those kids are motivated to make it to the playoffs,” McIntyre said. “We have a lot of maturity on the team, a lot of veterans. They know this is their last shot.”
McIntyre believes that the senior leadership will result in a better performance this season.
Clarke Central High School squares off against rival Cedar Shoals High School on Jan. 19, 2012. Photo by Chad Rhym.
“The experience is invaluable,” McIntyre said. “(The seniors) have seen everything. They’ve been through the war, so they know what to expect. They’re not going in wide-eyed. They’re veterans, they know what to do, and I expect them to perform like the best team in the region.”
Cameron feels that region play will be difficult with foes such as 2012-13 GHSA AAAAA runner-up Gainesville, Salem and cross-town rival Cedar Shoals.
“(Our region opponents) will put up a fight,” Cameron said. “They might not be the biggest, they might not be the fastest but they definitely play hard every time they see Clarke Central.”
McIntyre feels that selflessness within the team will be the key to a successful season.
“On the court, we have to share the wealth, play as a unit,” McIntyre said. “No one is bigger than the team. As long as we’re playing for each other and not individually, we should have success.”
Legette believes that execution will determine the Gladiators’ fate.
“We’ve been with each other for so long, we have that chemistry,” Legette said. “I know this year, all the seniors want it. It’s up to us to do what we’ve got to do.”
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