Passing, Shooting, and Scoring into a New Season

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December 1, 2009 • Amanda Turner  
Filed under Uncategorized

The arrival of the last week in October brought fresh excitement and high expectations for the Allatoona’s boys new basketball season. From the return of experienced players to the income of new talent, forty-eight Buccaneers showed up to prove what they are made of. Head boy’s basketball coach, Markus Hood, describes last year’s season as a, “learning experience,” with seven freshmen earning the opportunity to play varsity ball. “We were young,” says Coach Hood, but make no mistake that these buccaneers are ready for some serious action this time around. “The team has really improved as a whole and has really made strides of progress in the off season,” reports the coach. The teammates stay fit and in prime shape during all 365 days of the year. Pre-season conditioning consists of mostly core strengthening, sprint drills, and distance training. Constantly lifting weights throughout the summer and school year helps to keep the players’ muscles fine-tuned. These dedicated players have a total of nine practices a week, early in the morning and then later after school. Morning practices last for about an hour, while the guys get straight to business for up to two hours at the end of the day. Although the students leave the gym worn-out and exhausted, their hard work is worth every drop of sweat that rolls off their foreheads. Allatoona’s new team is working on improving their guard play and reducing turn-overs during these intense practices, as well as developing their physical presence on and off the court. The team’s determination, courage, hard work, and effort will truly be put to the test when games officially begin on November 24^th. Red and black will wrap the high school’s gym in a whirlwind of school spirit when the team has their first home opener on December 1^st. When asked about any rival games, Coach Hood simply remarks, “We’re looking to avenge any losses.” As far as goals for this season. These talented bucs have three essentials in mind. First and foremost, they desire to double their wins from last year. Secondly, the teammates are determined to be a part of the top four teams to qualify for state playoffs. From there, the Allatoona boys want to go all the way unto the second round of state playoffs. If the team fulfills their personal standards, then the 2009-2010 season will officially come to a close on the last day of the region tournament, February 20^th.  A sophomore on the varsity team, Clate Schmidt, states that, “Last year, we didn’t know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, so we didn’t have that chemistry. Now we know our strengths and weaknesses so we’ll be a lot better.” Clate, who is a returning player, says that they will be a lot more careful this year because, “Last year we didn’t take some teams seriously and it came back and bit us.” “Being able to face challenges and get through them together,” was this player’s response to his favorite part of the stimulating sport we call basketball. “It’s pretty much like another family,” he adds. Whoever you ask, it’s clear that Allatoona’s boy’s basketball is not going to settle for anything less than success this season. Once their jerseys are on, there’s no stopping the unmistakable presence of these players. With their drive and perseverance, one can only expect remarkable things from this beginning team.