Aiken County basketball teams prepare for tip-off
AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Aiken County basketball teams were under one roof on Wednesday as they talked about in-region competitions, schedule changes and new leadership.
Aiken County basketball is back on the board.
Off-season workouts will soon be put to the test on the hardwood.
“When you run a sprint, do you run all the way to the line when you do a drill? Are you giving every amount of energy that you have? There’s something that’s been holding us back just a little bit. So, we’ve been given extra in everything we do,” said North Augusta Coach Tony Harrell.
In hopes, it pays off in their new Region 4 4A schedule.
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The Hornet’s defense kept Aiken in proximity to the Sharks lead throughout the final three sets.
The Jackets alongside South Aiken, Aiken and Midland Valley will play just about double the number of region games as they’ve grown from five teams to eight.
They’ll also play each team twice.
Celena Grant from North Augusta said: “I’m just happy. It’s like new people, better teams, better teams in there.”
Rashad Butler from Midland Valley said: “You play one team and begin the region. You have got seven more games to play them again. So, even if you lose that first game, that next time you play them, it’s not gonna be the same at all.”
Jasmine Epps from South Aiken said: “Gray Collegiate playing them because they’re new to the region, so it’s gonna be different. And they have a lot of good players. So, we like competition.”
Coaches are on board too.
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“From a coach’s standpoint, with the new region, we don’t have to cram in many games in December. So, we have a lot more region games second half of the year,” said Harrell.
Time away from the winter grind did them good.
North Augusta girls’ basketball coach Al Young said: “I think our work ethic. Then, it was not as well as it is. Now, I think we’ve gotten better with that, and I think because we’ve gotten better with that, then it will build our confidence. I think we hopefully will be a better team.”
Aiken High Head Basketball Coach Robbie McKenzie said: “We don’t have a single returning starter from last year, which most coaches might say, ‘Hey, that’s a bad thing.’ But with this group as hungry and as coachable as they are, it’s not.”
Two new coaches enter the Aiken conversation.
Caralynn Williams takes over a relatively new Silver Bluff team after spending the last six seasons at North Augusta.
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“You know, inheriting a team that all five starters graduated. You know, it’s difficult, but when you have girls that are just hungry and willing to work and push themselves and they motivate themselves, I think, you know you can work. You can always work with,” said Williams.
Dave Corder, who has more than 20 years of experience, takes the helm at Midland Valley.
“To be honest, you’re trying to kind of figure out who wants to get on the bus and who wants to get off the bus. But we think once we get the right chemistry of players and to get a consistent daily routine, a work ethic, then hopefully our program will get off the ground and improve you,” he said.
The general consensus is everyone’s excited to go up against Gray Collegiate.
And from the way the rosters have moved for our Aiken County teams, you’re going to see a ton of new faces on the court.
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