AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The school year might be over, but that’s not stopping our local high school basketball teams from getting some work in.
Summer ball is now in session across the CSRA.
For the last 16 years, every Tuesday in the month of June, North Augusta Head Coach Tony Harrell has held a summer league and invited seven other schools to hit the court for some fun head-to-head matchups.
All eight teams in attendance played two games each, including the Jackets, who will be led by the explosive duo of Daron Dunbar and Jordan Rouse moving forward, and that’s likely to be a problem for opposing teams.
“I tell my kids around here all the time, your work is going to show. So what you put in during the offseason, everybody comes in November and December is going to see what you’ve done. So, our motto around here is getting better every day and we do that throughout the summer,” said Harrell.
If you’re a smaller school like Butler facing off against bigger schools like Evans is a great way to build your chemistry and test your skills so you can be better as a unit when the season comes.
Marcus Scurry Jr. and the Bulldogs passed their test with flying colors.
Their ability to crash the boards, get out on the break and create transition points both in the paint and behind the three-point line proves they’ll be as dangerous as anyone in the area.
We even had a few interstate battles like Cross Creek taking on Aiken.
When it comes to the old iron sharpens iron approach, this is as good as it gets.
The Hornets are building something over there in Aiken and they gave the Razorbacks a run for their money.
Responding every time, Jayden Priester tried to help the Creek pull away.
When it comes to taking your game to the next level, these are the types of reps you can’t get in regular practice.
Cross Creek Head Coach Lawrence Kelly said: “If you look at the last five senior classes that we’ve had every senior done going to school to play basketball, and I think a large part comes from everything that we do during the summer getting the kids college exposure.”
Strom Thurmond Head Coach Owen Jacobs said: “These are the best teams we’ll see all year. Getting that experience and that pressure up close and personal over the summer gives us the necessary info that we need and experience we need to be able to handle it come basketball season.”
Another reason this whole thing is cool is that you get to see a lot of matchups we don’t normally see like Burke County and South Aiken putting their skills to the test.
The Bears drove the hour to North Augusta, performed well and gave the T-Breds all they could handle.
South Aiken Head Coach Sam McDowell says it’s not always about the X’s and the O’s when playing in events like this.
He wants his players to learn through the struggle and feel comfortable thinking on their feet so they can get the most out of playing against this state champions level competing for the CSRA continues to produce year in and year out.
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