Basketball season has officially come to a halt, and the players and coaches are very proud of the work the boys put in. With brand new coaches and only three returning varsity players, the team was in a bit of a tough situation. However, the boys adequately assessed their situation and pulled through to create a great season. They were even able to accomplish things that the team has not been able to in years.

“This season in our district, we finished fifth. Fifth place allowed us to host a post-season district game to play East Ridge here. We were able to get a win in that game and it was the first post-season district win in about three years,” explained first-year coach, Kantonio Davis.

Davis took the place as head coach after 29-year coach, Rick Rodgers, stepped down from the title. Davis was not alone in his experience, however. Tray Martin, a CDC assistant, was able to assist Davis tremendously throughout the season, with the freshman, junior-varsity, and the varsity team.

Though the team possessed many juniors and seniors, for many, it was their first year either playing in general or playing varsity. Varsity is a whole different experience from junior-varsity, according to Davis. However, all the players handled the changes well. Davis is very proud of the amount of effort put in.

“With my first year coaching, it is a lot of the guys’ first years playing as well. So, we were able to adapt and learn through the situations together. That was great for everyone involved,” Davis said.

Though Davis is very happy with the season, he wants to focus time in the weight room next year, physically getting stronger. Even though there is always room for improvement, the seniors will not be able to experience of growth with the team any longer. With their last season of high school basketball behind them, the senior boys are experiencing bitter-sweet moments.

“In the beginning [of the season], everyone cared about themselves, but Coach Davis taught us to turn those [thoughts] into team goals. We grew from individuals on a team into a team that cared about one another. The season was better than any years I’ve been playing,” Senior Isaiah Hayes stated.

Overall, the boys had many changes regarding the 2019-2020 basketball season, but this did not deter them. The boys refused to back down, but rather strove to work harder than ever before. While focusing on growth from their rough beginning, the team became a strong, connected group.

“I think the boys did great this season. We had a lot of growth from start to finish. I told them [the boys] from the beginning, which they knew, we didn’t have a lot of experience. As the year went on, we started really understanding what we were doing. We got a little bit better and better each game. When we speak about the season, we speak about growth. Within a season, you can see an athlete grow as both an athlete and a young man,” concluded Davis.