Hoops hopes: What to watch for as local high school basketball season begins

Nov. 8—With the high school softball and volleyball seasons wrapped up and the high school football season entering the state playoffs, high school hoops will soon take center stage on the sporting calendar.

There are storylines aplenty surrounding the upcoming girls and boys basketball seasons, and a handful of local squads that have state playoff aspirations.

Here's what to watch for as the local high school basketball season begins:

Can last year's 20-win squads do it again?

In 2022-23, four squads from either Whitfield County or Murray County won at least 20 games: The Christian Heritage boys, North Murray boys, Dalton girls and Murray County girls.

All four come into 2023-24 with some returning talent and with hopes to compete again for a region title and playoff berth.

Christian Heritage's boys won 21 games in a row to start the year last season and bring back two-time Dalton Daily Citizen All-Area Player of the Year Jax Abernathy as well as standout forward Cash Hare and guards Dontae Crowder and Isaac Plavich. It's the last season for Hare and Abernathy, who have been instrumental for the Lions since their freshman seasons. Abernathy recently committed to play college basketball at Trevecca Nazarene in Nashville, Tennessee.

The North Murray boys rode a fast-paced, rotation-heavy style of play to a 23-4 record and a spot in the 2A Sweet 16 last season. North Murray loses a few of pieces of that depth like Seth Griffin and Zavon McDade, but bring back Region 7-2A first-teamers Skyler Williams and Judson Petty.

The Dalton girls reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011 a year ago, and it'll be the last go-around with the Lady Catamounts with two-time Dalton Daily Citizen Player of the Year Gracie Ridley. The standout guard duo of Emma Hefner and Kemara Washington will also be seniors.

The Murray County Lady Indians broke through last season for the program's first region title since 1967, but Murray will have to move on to life without the star duo that helped push the Lady Indians' resurgence in recent years: Mattie Nuckolls and Ella Dotson. Bayleigh Winkler, a Region 7-2A first teamer last season, returns for the Lady Indians.

New coaches try to build success — or keep it going

A handful of new faces join the ranks of local high school basketball.

Northwest Whitfield in 4A playoffs vs. Westminster

Northwest Whitfield High School's Kennedy Baker drives against Westminster.

Daniel Mayes/Dalton Daily Citizen

Tori Clemmons takes on the monumental task of keeping the Lady Bruin program going at Northwest Whitfield after former head coach "Big Game" Bob Williams passed away over the summer after a battle with cancer. Clemmons was an assistant under Williams as the Lady Bruins made a run to the 4A Elite 8 last season. Northwest returns a pair of junior standouts in Kennedy Baker, the Region 7-4A player of the year last season, and Sloan Pender, an all-region first-teamer.

"This season will definitely be dedicated to coach Williams," Clemmons said in an August interview.

The Northwest boys program also has a new coach. Ryan Richards left after his 20th season to become the athletics director at Dalton, and in steps Matthew Smith, the former coach at Gordon Lee. He'll have several pieces back from a Bruin squad that made the playoffs as a young team a year ago.

Southeast Whitfield has a new coach after making back-to-back state playoff appearances in 2022 and 2023. Ben Oliver stepped down and former Southeast assistant Mark Oliver (no relation) stepped in. The Raiders will play without Cal Rich, who became the school's all-time points and rebounds leader prior to his 2023 graduation.

The Christian Heritage girls program is on its third coach in three years. Josh Hembree takes over a rising program that went 12-14 last season after a winless campaign the year before.

Kirk Prince takes over the girls team at The Dalton Academy from Debra Pourquoi, who is now the athletics director at TDA. The Lady Pumas are searching for their program's first win after beginning play in 2021.

Coaching continuity for playoff-hopeful programs

One of the best stories of the 2022-23 season was the rise of Dalton boys basketball, which went 1-24 the year before and improved to a 16-9 record. Dalton missed out on a playoff appearance with a loss in the Region 7-5A tournament, but the Catamounts hope last year's resurgence is here to stay. One of the central pieces for Ryan Scoggins' team last year, Chaz Ramsey, has departed, but the Catamounts bring back a pair of Region 7-5A honorable mention players in Eli Burt and Kobi Cooper.

A very young Coahulla Creek boys squad finished strong with four wins in their last five games a season ago to get to 8-17. Chase Ward, an all-region first teamer, will return to lead Matthew Legg's Colts team.

Coach Greg Linder's Murray County Indians finished with a 12-14 record overall, but went 8-4 in Region 7-2A and made a playoff appearance last season. Murray will be without Tad Stone and Landon Bennett, but standout point guard Avery Jones returns.

The Dalton Academy Pumas are still looking to build in the program's third season. Several players that saw lots of playing time as freshman and sophomores in the first, winless season are now juniors and seniors. The Pumas got the program's first win last season under head coach Jeff Hutchinson.

The Coahulla Creek Lady Colts come into the 2023-24 season without the services of Brinkley Reed, who finished as the school's all-time leading scorer and is now playing collegiately at Truett-McConnell. Shea Poe, a Region 6-3A first teamer last season, figures to fill some of the void for coach Jody Bacchus.

The North Murray girls made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2019. Region 7-2A first teamer Ava Robinette is back to lead coach Randy Watson's team.

The Southeast Whitfield girls, led by coach Tom Hammond, are looking for their own return to the playoffs after not reaching the postseason in any season since 2016.