Category Archives: GHSA

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Player Feature

Coffey Ready To Energize Greater Atlanta Christian

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In Class AA, No. 4 Greater Atlanta Christian has seven state titles to its name. After a 19-10 season and a second round exit a year ago, former two-time region champion as a player, David Eaton, steps in to try and capture the school’s eighth championship. Coach Eaton replaces Eddie Martin, the maestro behind numerous state championships, most recently during his tenures at GAC and Norcross.

With a new head coach in place, leading scorer Garrett Covington, Jacob Hoffman, Charlie O’Briant and Brian Coffey Jr. all return. Coffey, a junior, holds offers from North Florida, UNC-Asheville and Presbyterian already. When asked about becoming an upperclassman and playing for a new coach, Coffey said that learning how to play for Eaton has been an easy transition.

“So far everything has been running smooth. He definitely trusts me with the ball, so our relationship can only grow from there,” explained Coffey. “He puts his trust in me and I trust his system so as the year goes on we’ll be fine.”

Going from a veteran coach to a younger coach who has seen success himself while at Wando High School in South Carolina winning a state championship in 2013-14,  there have been some changes in coaching style and philosophy.

Photo By Gwinn Davis/Special to The Post and Courier/File
David Eaton                                                                        Photo By Gwinn Davis/Special to The Post and Courier/File

“It’s not necessarily a big transition but it’s definitely not the same. Last year I usually ran the offense and looked for the open man first. But this season coach wants me to make some of the calls and make some of the decisions on the fly when I’m out there on the court…It’s basically having a lot more freedom to lead the team and have a say.”

With Coffey’s expanded role as a floor general, he feels like his leadership is ready to take the next step.

“They encourage me to talk a lot and I can sense guys looking up to me and turning to me for calls. I feel like they accept me as a leader on the team.”

No Days Off

Coffey and the rest of the Spartans will be challenged each and every night playing in the tough Region 6-AA which features the likes of No. 2 Pace Academy, No. 6 Holy Innocents’ and Lovett. Going up against some of the best talent the classification has to offer brings out the best in the competitive Coffey’s game.

“It’s definitely fun. You want to play against the best, not only to measure yourself against the best but just for the simple fact that it’s fun,” said the point guard who averaged 12.9 points and 5.0 assists per game as a sophomore.

Coffey received an early season litmus test against the defending Class A-Private state champions, St. Francis, on Saturday. The Knights boast five-star senior guard Kobi Simmons and Duluth transfer Anthony Showell, who together form one of the most potent backcourts in the state. In the end, the Spartans rallied from a three point halftime deficit to upend St. Francis 77-69. Covington led GAC with 22 points while Coffey added 21. For the Knights, Simmons poured in 23 and Showell paced all scorers with 24.

Does playing against highly touted prospects motivate Coffey?

“It gives me an extra drive. It should be a personal challenge to everybody because you’re measuring how you are against top competition. You should stand up to the challenge and not be afraid to play,” stated Coffey. “I like playing against top competition. It’s just a chance to make me more focused and more ready to play the game.”

When asked if there is one player that he enjoyed playing against or has his sights on for the upcoming season, Coffey mentioned two players.

“We played McIntosh last year. It got me going playing against [Furman-commit] Jordan Lyons. …This year I have to say Pace and Wendell Carter. We lost to them three times last year and I want to at least get a couple wins under my belt.”

This Is Sparta

Brian Coffey might be the lead ball handler for the Spartans, but he doesn’t power the offense alone. Garrett Covington a 2015-16 Gwinnett Daily Post Super-Six selection (16.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg) and Jacob Hoffman (12.1 ppg) are two of the team’s leading scorers and two guys he loves playing with.

Photo By David Welker | Gwinnett Daily Post
Garrett Covington                           Photo By David Welker | Gwinnett Daily Post

“All of them are great. We are all closer from last year. We all trust each other; we have fun with each other and have a great relationship on and off the court. We are all the leaders of the team. We get practice going and pick up the intensity in practice,” explained Coffey. “It’s never about one person. I can count on Garrett to score if he needs to score or Jacob to hit a big three. We have a lot of people we can depend on so it’s fun playing with those guys.”

Coffey touched on some of the Spartans’ key pieces further in depth.

“Jacob is someone who can knock down the open three whenever you need him. He doesn’t shy away from big shots when we need it. We can depend on him.

“G [Covington], he’s our toughest player on the team. He brings a lot of toughness and intensity in rebounding and on defense. He brings out our competitive spirit.

“Charlie [O’Briant] competes too. He’s going to bring us a lot of rebounds and he’s going to set good screens. On defense he is going to play hard; everyone plays hard.”

After finding out what three of GAC’s biggest pieces bring to the table, I asked Brian to assess himself and let fans know what to expect out of the talented junior.

“I don’t want a main emphasis on one certain thing, I want to able to do all things,” he explained. “I want to be able to facilitate with my guys and score when I need to. But I really want to bring leadership and confidence to the team.”

Learning From Last Year

Crawford County, the defending state runner-up, downed the Spartans 88-81 in overtime to end GAC’s season in the second round. This year, Coffey feels that the Spartans are ready to take a step further and challenge for another state championship.

“This year it’s not just about one person. I feel like just our comradery alone can help us get over that hump, because when you play for each other and not for yourself you tend to play harder.”

Brian’s unselfish play has not only gained respect from his coaches and teammates, but has also piqued the interest of college scouts. His recruiting has heated up and with a few offers already in hand, I wanted to find out exactly what the recruiting process of a high school basketball player is like. I asked Brian whether the process was what he imagined growing up or a whole different animal.

“It’s definitely different. I remember when I was a kid I was just hoping to get a letter, but now I know that letters don’t really mean anything,” explained Coffey.

“The recruiting process is something cool to go through but it can be stressful sometimes. At the end of the day you do enjoy it. I never knew it would end up like this but I’m happy with my progress so far and so far it seems to be picking up a lot and I just hope to continue to get better and earn more looks.”

As a player with realistic goals of playing Division-I basketball, does it ever get overwhelming or add an extra pressure to perform? Coffey doesn’t think so.

“When I play in the games I don’t think about colleges or anything like that. I just focus on playing for my team and getting the W. That’s all I care about: winning and playing for my teammates. It’s never just about me, it’s about the team.”

Speaking about winning, Coffey thinks the Spartans have as good a chance as anyone to make a deep run into the postseason and challenge for a Region 6 title.

“We are capable of doing it this year. If we win our region it’s going to motivate us and start us going towards the playoffs. I think we have a good shot.”

Feature Photo By Ty Freeman

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Schedules

3A Must See Games

Here is a quick rundown on some of the best 3A matchups between GHSA teams this season:

Class AAA
11/20 – North Atlanta5A at No. 10 South Atlanta
11/21 –Westminster vs. No. 5 Sandy Creek4A
11/24 – No. 4 East Jackson at No. 3 Westlake6A
11/28 – No. 3 Morgan County vs. No. 1 Lithonia4A (Hardwood Jam Fest)
11/28 – No. 4 East Jackson vs. Grayson6A (On the Radar Hoops)
11/28 – Riverwood5A at No. 6 Blessed Trinity
12/4 – No. 3 Morgan County at No. 1 Laney
12/4 – No. 6 Blessed Trinity at No. 10 South Atlanta
12/4 – No. 7 Callaway at No. 7 Greenville1A
12/4 – No. 9 Central-Macon at Westside-Macon
12/5 – Buford4A at No. 3 Morgan County
12/8 – No. 3 Morgan County at No. 4 East Jackson
12/8 – Dawson County at No. 8 East Hall
12/8 – Cedar Grove at No. 10 South Atlanta
12/11 – Banks County at No. 8 East Hall
12/11 – Northside-Warner Robins5A at No. 9 Central Macon
12/12 – No. 8 Henry County4A at No. 8 East Hall
12/12 – No. 2 Jenkins vs. No. 8 Berkmar6A (Valhalla Classic)
12/12 – No. 6 LaGrange5A at No. 7 Callaway
12/15 – No. 7 Callaway at No. 6 LaGrange5A
12/19 – No. 6 Blessed Trinity vs. South Paulding5A
12/21 – No. 10 South Atlanta vs. No. 6 LaGrange5A (War Eagle Classic)
12/22 – No. 10 South Atlanta vs. Buford4A (War Eagles Classic)
12/28 – No. 2 Jenkins vs. Buford4A (Grayson Ram Classic)
12/29 – Thomson at No. 1 Laney
12/30 – No. 2 Jenkins vs. Kennesaw Mountain6A (Grayson Ram Classic)
1/2 – No. 7 Callaway at Harris County
1/8 – Westminster at No. 6 Blessed Trinity
1/9 – No. 1 Laney at No. 3 Morgan County
1/12 – Cedar Grove at No. 6 Blessed Trinity
1/12 – Westside-Macon at No. 9 Central-Macon
1/15 – No. 4 East Jackson at No. 3 Morgan County
1/16 – No. 6 Blessed Trinity at No. 6 St. Pius4A
1/18 – No. 5 Calhoun vs. Buford4A (BCB MLK Showcase)
1/18 – No. 10 South Atlanta vs. No. 1 Greenforest1A (BCB MLK Showcase)
1/19 – No. 7 Callaway at Rockmart
1/19 – No. 8 East Hall at Banks County
1/22 – No. 2 Jenkins at Johnson-Savannah
1/23 – No. 3 Morgan County at Buford4A
1/26 – No. 3 Morgan County at Jefferson
2/2 – No. 6 Blessed Trinity at Westminster
2/2 – No. 7 Callaway at Pepperell
GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Player Feature

Team-First Mentality Expected to Lift Jordan Lyons and McIntosh to New Heights

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Entering the 2015-16 high school basketball season, there are many teams with dreams and aspirations of capturing a title. But there is one school that seems to be on a mission and has a hunger that has been growing since an unfortunate early ending a year ago after an unblemished 28-0 regular season.

The McIntosh Chiefs were in cruise control entering the second round of the Class AAAAA state playoffs before starting point guard Will Washington (12.7 ppg, 9.3 apg) went down with a broken wrist on a layup attempt against M.L. King. The Chiefs would fall 66-65, ending their shot at the dream season.

Photo By Jason Mussell | The Crescent Buzz
Photo By Jason Mussell | The Crescent Buzz

With a loaded senior class returning, the Chiefs have one last shot at making history. Jordan Lyons (24.7 ppg) is one of the stars on this balanced team. The guard has committed to Furman and thinks that fun things are in store for McIntosh fans and fans of basketball in general.

“This year fans can definitely expect to see a very mature and organized team, a team that executes well. A team that can get up and down but can also run plays in the half court. Very exciting. A team that is going to play good defense; a veteran team,” explained Lyons.

And Lyons ain’t lyin’. Eight seniors are all expected to contribute heavily and have the experience to do so. Lyons described Washington as “one of the best true point guards in the state.” He continued on to say, “He’s always looking to make the right pass. …He’s our floor general.”

A missing piece to last year’s puzzle might have been found in Isaac Kellum (13.8 ppg), a 6-foot-4 swingman who transferred over from Fayette County this summer.

“Isaac brings us the length and athleticism at the three spot that we never really had,” said Lyons.

Kellum will also help out rebounding on the interior alongside the likes of recent Wofford-commit Dishon Lowery (10.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.3 bpg) and Chase Walter (10.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.8 bpg).

“They are both going to rebound. They both love contact, they both bang, they both block shots and alter shots and do things out of bigs that we need.”

As balanced as the starting five is, Lyons is quick to remind us not to forget about the depth on the bench. Braxton Shaw, who finished second on the team in three-pointers made last season as a junior, is back to bring a lethal deep threat. Lyons tabbed him as “one of the best sharpshooters out there.”

Ulysses Brown brings sticky defense on the perimeter and Brendon Rowan is the consummate glue-guy that helps Coach Jason Eisele’s team out in a plethora of different ways.

The Lead Lyon

With all the perfect components in place, there still has to be a centerpiece to complete the work of art that is the McIntosh Chiefs. That centerpiece is none other than Mr. Jordan Lyons himself. Efficiency is the name of the game for Lyons with his astronomical shooting numbers (66% 2PT, 87% FT, 45% 3PT). But by being the top-scoring option on one of the best teams in the state, does that bring an extra burden or pressure applied to Lyons’ shoulders? He doesn’t think so.

“I wouldn’t say that it’s pressure on me. Scoring is really just what I do. It’s my big time role and the team needs me to score points. I’ve been the leading scorer on the team since my freshman year so I think Coach Eisele has put a lot of confidence in me over these past four years which has really helped my play on the court because I know he believes in me.”

Even though Lyons might fill up the box score nightly, he knows he can’t do it alone.

“I can’t do it by myself. I need the help of my great teammates and I know I’ll get the help from them.”

Lyons mentioned Coach Eisele and the confidence he has instilled in him and touched on it further.

Photo By Fayette-News.com
Photo By Fayette-News.com

“I have a lot of respect for Coach Eisele, I love him to death. He brought me into the varsity program as a 14-year-old,” explained the senior shooting guard who has scored 1,737 points over his career and is now chasing Gabby Seiler’s all-time record of 2,003. “He gave me the confidence to be a very good player at the varsity level at 14 years old…He’s always believed in me. He’s stuck with me through everything.”

Steady Growth

It’s not only an exciting time for the players and fans, but for the coaching staff as well. Eisele has a loaded group and him and his staff have matured through the years along with the Class of 2016. Attention to detail has been more and more pronounced and a tight and clean style of play has been the result. Before this year’s senior class arrived at McIntosh, the Chiefs had been a middle of the road team, going 12-11, 16-12 and 12-12 before the program and culture changing class arrived for the 2012-13 season.

Year-one saw the Chiefs finish 17-8. Year-two, 19-10 before nearly putting it all together last season at 29-1. It has been a constant growing process and the fruits of McIntosh’s labor are finally ready to come to fruition, but for that to happen, there is only one fitting ending to this storybook tale: a state championship.

“The ring is really the most important thing to all of us,” stated Lyons. “Last year we won the first region championship in our school’s history. Our whole year that was our goal.”

McIntosh, Lyons, Lowery, Washington, Coach Eisele, the entire group, understands that it’s now or never.

“This year, there’s no second chance. We all understand there is no next year, no tomorrow. This is the last time, the last opportunity. We really got to go get it,” said Lyons. “We got to be focused day in and day out. We got to be on a straight line and eliminate everyone else that’s not in a straight line, so we can get to where we want to be. We just got to focus on what we have to do every day and just get better every day and we’ll know that we’ll be okay.”

Extra motivation to accomplish the dream of winning a state title stems from last year’s heartbreaking loss after the injury to Washington.

“It’s personal to him and it’s personal to all of us. We’ve been waiting for this for four years. We know this is our year; we got to go do it. We know we can. We all know we can.”

Final Destination

It is no doubt it’s state championship or bust, but when asked what this group of seniors and he personally would like to leave as a lasting legacy, Lyons said, “I definitely want people to remember that I always wanted to be a good teammate. I always wanted to lift my teammates up.”

“I just wanted to put McIntosh on the map. McIntosh has never been known for basketball and I know when Will, myself and Dishon came into the varsity program, especially when we told ourselves we wanted to make an impact on this program, we wanted to take this program to heights and levels that they’ve never seen before and we’ve just been doing great things since our freshmen year. We’ve been blessed with many opportunities, records broken, we’ve done many things in our career at McIntosh and we are very blessed and fortunate to have those opportunities. …We want to be known as great humble players that never took anything for granted.”

With one solitary goal in mind and a group of men with a respected leader in charge, Jordan Lyons and McIntosh should not have to worry about ever taking things for granted.

Featured Image Photo By Michael Clifton / www.kombatkamera.com

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Schedules

4A Must See Games

Here is a quick rundown on some of the best 4A matchups between GHSA teams this season:
Class AAAA
11/14 – No. 8 Henry County vs No. 9 Jones County5A (SWD Showdown II)
11/20 – No. 10 Columbia at No. 1 Lithonia
11/20 – No. 7 Worth County at Tift County6A
11/21 – Buford at Tift County6A
11/21 – No. 8 Henry County at No. 9 Newton
11/21 – No. 5 Sandy Creek vs. Westminster3A
11/23 – Buford vs. Sequoyah5A (Jared Cook Classic)
11/24 – No. 7 Warner Robins5A at Perry
11/24 – Americus-Sumter at No. 4 Allatoona5A
11/27 – No. 2 Jonesboro vs. No. 2 Norcross6A

11/27 – No. 5 Sandy Creek vs. No. 9 Grady (Hardwood Jam Fest)
11/28 – No. 1 Lithonia vs. No. 3 Morgan County3A (Hardwood Jam Fest)
12/1 – No. 6 St. Pius at No. 9 Grady
12/1 – Richmond Hill5A at No. 3 Liberty County
12/4 – No. 10 Columbia at No. 6 St. Pius
12/4 – No. 4 Bainbridge at No. 1 Seminole County2A

12/5 – Buford at No. 3 Morgan County3A

12/8 – Buford at No. 2 St. Francis1A
12/11 – No. 4 Bainbridge at Westover
12/11 – No. 9 Grady at No. 1 Lithonia
12/12 – No. 1 Lithonia at No. 6 St. Pius
12/12 – No. 7 Worth County at No. 4 Bainbridge
12/12 – No. 8 Henry County at No. 8 East Hall3A
12/19 – No. 2 McIntosh5A at No. 5 Sandy Creek
12/22 – No. 4 GAC2A at No. 6 St. Pius

12/22 –Buford vs. No. 10 South Atlanta3A (War Eagles Classic)

12/28 – No. 2 Jenkins3A vs. Buford (Grayson Ram Classic)

12/30 – Buford vs. Grayson6A (Grayson Ram Classic)
1/5 – No. 5 Thomasville2A at No. 4 Bainbridge
1/5 – Westover at No. 7 Worth County
1/9 – No. 2 Jonesboro at No. 8 Henry County
1/9 – North Atlanta5A at No. 9 Grady
1/12 – No. 1 Lithonia at. No. 10 Columbia
1/12 – No. 1 Seminole County2A at No. 4 Bainbridge
1/12 – No. 3 Liberty County at Richmond Hill5A
1/15 – No. 9 Grady at No. 6 St. Pius
1/16 – No. 6 Blessed Trinity3A at No. 6 St. Pius
1/16 – Tift County6A at Buford
1/18 – No. 3 Westlake6A vs. No. 10 Columbia (MLK Classic)

1/18 –Buford vs. No. 5 Calhoun3A   (MLK Classic)
1/18 – No. 9 Grady vs. North Atlanta5A
1/19 – No. 6 St. Pius at No. 10 Columbia
1/19 – No. 7 Worth County at Westover
1/23 – No. 1 Lithonia at No. 1 Miller Grove5A
1/23 – No. 3 Liberty County at Burke County

1/23 – No. 3 Morgan County3A at Buford
1/26 – No. 1 Lithonia at No. 9 Grady
1/29 – No. 3 Liberty County at Thomson
1/29 – No. 4 Bainbridge at No. 7 Worth County
1/29 – No. 6 St. Pius at No. 1 Lithonia
2/5 – Perry at No. 7 Warner Robins5A
GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Predictions

Sandy’s Spiel Super Sleepers

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There is no hiding it. My favorite time of year, basketball season, is finally here. To get ready for the season, I have narrowed down a few teams that I would classify as Super Sleepers. Not just sleepers, but teams that haven’t eclipsed the .500 mark in a few years and are finally ready to do so.

Class AAAAAA

allIn the most competitive classification in the state, the perennial powers remain the same, but Harrison (10-17, 4-10) may be in line to capture its first winning season since 2011-12 and fight for a playoff seed out of Region 4. Hillgrove has lost a ton via graduation and transfers from last year’s 23-6 team and are expected to take a step back while 21-8 McEachern could be the favorite to win the region. North Cobb and Kennesaw Mountain both made it as the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, but nothing is set in stone for 2015-16. Harrison proved last season that they can play with some tough competition, losing to 5A semifinalist Cedar Shoals 54-53, beating Hillgrove 51-41, beating McEachern 69-61 and losing to 4A runner-up Carrollton 54-47. Seniors Austin York and DJ Rowe give coach Clay Crump a nice one-two punch and solid leadership on the floor. Junior guard Tate Coston is also expected to make a big impact on the Hoyas. They will face some good tests throughout the season (Sequoyah, Berkmar, Houston County) and should be a tough out once region tournament play comes along.

Class AAAAA

1428092996_houston_county_bearsHouston County (10-16, 0-7) plays in the difficult Region 2B with the likes of No. 7 Warner Robins and No. 9 Jones County, but coach Stephen Walls has a nice group back that is in search of its first winning season in over five years. The Bears actually snuck into the playoffs after a winless regular season in region play and fell to LaGrange 60-41.Strong guard play will carry the Bears. Leading scorer junior Amari Colbert averaged 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game as a talented do-everything guard. Senior forward Javion Johnson is an elite leaper and chipped in 8 points and 8 rebounds a night last season. Jaylon Golds pitched in 10 points and 5 assists as a junior and brings quickness to the Bear backcourt. Marquis Traylor from Missouri brings over some size and athleticism inside. As a junior he averaged 7.7 points and 6.3 rebounds while showing off his hops, blocking 1.3 shots per game.

Class AAAA

imgresThough they haven’t enjoyed a winning record since 2012-13, Stephens County (8-19, 3-7) could find themselves playing meaningful basketball into the months of January and February. After a slow start to the season, the Indians under coach Chad Bridges began to play better and will try to carry that momentum over to 2015-16. Junior guard Nunu Walker is a talented scorer. Senior Tay Jones will play another big role along with sophomore Deandre Singleton, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound center. The Indians played Region 8 opponents hard, losing to Johnson-Gainesville (29-1) 54-46 in overtime and to Monroe Area (18-12) 47-45. With the graduation of some key pieces along the region, Region 8 should be a dog fight for the top four seeds.

Class AAA

imgresIt has been a while since Pepperell (11-15, 5-5) has been over .500, but that still didn’t stop the Dragons from making an appearance in the state tournament, sneaking in as a No. 4 seed. Coach Skip Matherly returns seniors Thomas Eddy, Austin Strickland and Rickey Campbell along with sophomore Malech Wilson, giving the Dragons some nice experience. They will need to replace high-scorer DeSean Ware, but Pepperell won’t be the only team in Region 5 losing talent. Rockmart and Callaway have lost some important players as well.

Class AA

homelogoSocial Circle (8-14, 4-8) has slowly begun to improve under head coach Ken Aldridge. He took over a 1-22 program after the 2012-13 season and improved to 3-23 before finishing 8-14 last season. The Redskins narrowly missed out on a playoff berth, but proved they could play with the competition. No. 3 seed Union County (17-12, 8-4) struggled with the up and coming Skins, actually splitting the series with Social Circle taking game one 49-48, before the Panthers won game two 68-67. Junior guard Deion Head is a big time player and averaged 16.8 points and 5.3 assists last year.

Class A

Trapped in thelarge_text158141_80739 devastatingly tough Region 6, Pinecrest Academy (10-15, 4-8) still stands a chance of reaching the elusive .500 mark. Ryan McCarthy and John Crone are a duo of highly experienced juniors that give coach Jay Lynch solid options. The playoffs aren’t likely in the cards, but expect the Paladins to be very competitive.