Inside the Huddle: Hoops Dreams of county coaches
Advertisement
Basketball is in the air! Coaches of Davidson County men's high school basketball teams have exciting dreams of the upcoming season. Several of the coaches this week shared their thoughts as to the outlook for area schools. Excitement is indeed in the air and the outlook is favorable. Here is what the coaches had to say:
North Davidson – Coach Brian Hege looks to have a talent-laden team returning. He said, “This year's team has loads of potential and experience returning, and we feel we can compete for a conference championship in a highly competitive league.”
Key returners are: Drew Hege, Justin Mabe, Payton Eccles, Caiden Bean, Ryoan Forrest, Payton McMillan, Coen Miller and Amir Dalton. Hege stated, “We have a variety of players who can shoot the three as well as score consistently in the post. Our defense is much improved and we have a good mix of inside and outside scoring. We hope to compete for a conference championship and make the state playoffs.”
Lexington – For the past several years, Coach Adrian Lee has been building the team. They look to be much improved this year. Lee said, “The overall outlook for our team this season is to compete every day at the highest level. We want to contend for the conference title and make a playoff run.”
Lexington has important standouts in Rahzel Ewart, Jaylen Henderson, Tyliek Henry, Andre Gyabaah, Aaron Holmes and Valliance Luketa. Lee complimented his athletes by saying, “Our basketball team is made up of student athletes who work very hard in and outside the classroom. They strive to be the best versions of themselves every day. As for basketball, this team is looking to contend for the Central Carolina Conference title and make a playoff run.”
West Davidson – Coach Nic Priddy is looking for the Green Dragons to bounce back after last year's injury-plagued season. The Dragons will play this season in honor of their Senior Captain Jake Swicegood who was injured this summer and is unable to join his teammates on the court.
Two key starters, Joseph Baker and Korben Estep, will be returning for their senior season after missing all of last season with knee injuries. Sophomores Caleb Broom and Daylin Grady will have opportunities for breakout games as their confidence rises. Colson Priddy, who is a four-year varsity player and is considered an effective shooter, will be counted on early to lead the offense. Priddy said, “We will be a guard-heavy team that has shown great chemistry and camaraderie in the early going. We will be competitive and give ourselves opportunities to win basketball games focused on the defensive end of the court.”
Oak Grove – First year varsity coach William Essick is super excited about this year. There is a strong JV group that has moved up to varsity and early season indications of strength are promising. The Grizzlies have been playing a strong non-conference schedule that they believe will make them more prepared for conference play.
Returning for the Grizzlies is highly recruited (football) JB Shabazz and point guard Loucas Shoaf. Much of the game plan will run through those two guys with many contributions on offense and defense from Jyden Barnes, Tristan Nunez, Max Hurt and several others. There are only three seniors, but they are excited about the opportunity to be a young but competitive team. Essick commented, “Everyone is buying in and we are excited about the future of our men’s basketball program.”
From the viewpoint of the aforementioned coaches, it appears there is a lot to be excited about for Davidson County basketball. At Davidson Local, they are wished the very best and encouraged to make a run deep into the state playoffs. Good luck, guys.
