Championships are the name of the game in Savannah High School basketball. Good seasons, solid performances and individual milestones are all fine and well. But titles — preferably of the state variety — are what most any team is after.
Already with a 2021 region title to its name, a small Savannah private school begins that quest for a state championship this week.
The Habersham School will host Highland Christian Academy (of Valdosta) on Tuesday, February 16 in the first round of the Georgia Association of Private & Parochial Schools (GAPPS) Division 1-AA State Tournament. On February 12, the Patriots knocked off Nathanael Greene Academy to win the GAPPS 1-AA Region 3 Championship.
First year head coach Antonio Scott and his veteran team need four consecutive victories in state tournament play if they hope to hoist a title trophy come February 27 (GAPPS 1-AA State Championship). THS (11-6, 6-0) is one of the four 1-seeds in the 16-team bracket and seven of its 11 rostered players are seniors.
“I’d say our strength is in our guard play,” said Scott in an email exchange with PSR discussing his team this week. “We play a good mix of up-tempo and half-court (offense), but we are best in the half-court setting.”
The rotation for Scott, who previously coached the middle school team for two years at Habersham before taking over the varsity role this season, is led by a trio of seniors: Thomas Tift, Wils Childress and Ed Beck Yannett. They are three in a group of anxious upperclassmen ready to leave their mark.
“The team really follows the lead of these guys and the energy they bring to the game,” Scott said of his terrific trifecta. “We have some really smart players.”
Should it handle Highland Christian (9-6) on Tuesday, Habersham would then face the winner of Grace Christian (3-seed) and Harvester Christian (2-seed) on February 20 in the quarterfinals (played at Tattnall Square Academy). In the program’s relatively short history, no Patriot boys basketball team has advanced past the second round of the state tournament.
“This is my first year as coach, so for me, it isn’t ‘championship-or-bust,’” said Scott. “But, for the seven seniors I have, I’d say it is.
“These guys have been playing together for so long. I’d love to send them off with a championship.”
Tip-time for the first round contest with Highland Christian is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at The Habersham School.
Follow Travis on Twitter @JaudonSports & contact him at travisLjaudon@gmail.com.
