Two local recreational basketball teams were recently crowned champions of their age groups, with the Savannah Royal Lions 17U team winning the city of Savannah and later the Georgia state championship for the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association and the Frank Callen 10U team winning the city and county championships.
To cap off an undefeated season, which included a Savannah City Championship, the Savannah Royal Lions traveled to Atlanta for the Georgia Parks and Recreation Association (GRPA) State Championship, which they won by a score of 51-40 over South Fulton.
PHOTO: Savannah’s Royal Lions 17U bring home the GRPA State Championship!
"The team was just beyond excited. Just to see the happiness, the joy, some of them even had tears in their eyes, because, since day one, before the season even started, the group of guys was focused, and they said 'Coach, we got you,'" said Savannah Royal Lions Coach Todd Rhodes. "They're all leaders. Everyone on our team was a leader, and when you have a team full of leaders, people that are dedicated, focused, and disciplined on and off the court, it makes a major difference, especially when you leave Savannah."
This state championship for the Savannah Royal Lions came after two years of heartbreak after they lost in the state finals in 2023 and the state semi-finals in 2024.
"We didn't give up. We didn't hold our heads down. We didn't throw a pity party. What we did is we got to work and got better," Rhodes said. "We pretty much had the same group of guys, so from when we lost in the semi-finals last year, we already were focused and said you know what, we're coming back and we're going to win it all."
The Savannah Royal Lions focus on teaching their players about more than just sports, and even have players that are playing college football in the fall (Trenton Rhodes - Central Georgia Tech, Deshawn Green - uncommitted)
"Our goal is beyond sports. We view sports as a tool, but it's about mentoring. It's about making sure that these kids are not just champions on the court, but champions in life," Rhodes said.
| 17U Savannah Royal Lions Roster |
| Nysir Anderson |
| Daquan Austin |
| Brandon Brown |
| Joseph Cooper |
| Deshawn Green |
| Clinton Rhodes |
| Tasean Rhodes |
| Trenton Rhodes |
| Tyler Rhodes |
| Jayden Thomas |
| Coach Todd Rhodes Jr |
| Coach Cooper |
| Coach Jordan |
| Coach Keitt |
10U Frank Callen Captures Two "SHIPS"
The 10U Frank Callen basketball team also captured two championships in one day, winning the City of Savannah and Chatham County championships. They went 6-1 in the regular season, and their only loss came at the hands of the Seaport Steelers, who ended up being their opponent in both the city and county championship games. Frank Callen's team beat the Steelers first in the county championship by a score of 38-35, then later the same day in the city championship by 28-20.
PHOTO: The Frank Callen 10U basketball team celebrates a championship victory
"They were very very happy [to win the championships], because we had lost to the Steelers in the championship the last two or three times that we played them," said Frank Callen's Head Coach John McClain Jr. "From 8U they beat us in the county championship, and the next year they beat us in the district championship. The kids had made the comment that they were tired of losing to the Steelers, so it was a major accomplishment for them."
| 10U Frank Callen Roster |
| Al-Malik Babbs |
| Eric Blackshear |
| Markeith Cummings Jr. |
| Ethan Jackson |
| Cormarion Jones |
| Jayceon Lawrence |
| Raylan Leach |
| John McClain III |
| Octavian Stuckey Jr. |
| Orlance Wilson |
PHOTO CREDITS: Courtesy of the 10U Frank Callen Team and the Savannah Royal Lions 17U team
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