The end of every basketball season always leaves something behind. Whether it’s players, memories, or goals, a chapter is closed on the program’s history. But with the closing of one chapter comes the opening of a new one.
The Paideia Pythons boys basketball season was cut short of their state championship goal last year in the Sweet 16 round of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) playoffs at the hands of Christian Heritage High School in a 68-64 loss. With the season coming to an end, the program had to say its goodbyes to graduating seniors: CJ Harper, Kaden Eldridge, David Oglesby-Smith, and Blakie Goodwin. With the departure of several key players, it now falls on Captains Tristan Mitchell ’27, Stevie Shields ’28 and the rest of the varsity basketball team to continue to build on the strong foundation set by players before them.
“I just want to win, and I feel like the team will step up,” Shields says. Both captains share similar sentiments that the team has what it takes but just needs to improve on execution. Mitchell stated that accountability, hard work, and leadership are the key to success, and Shields added that good off-court connection is also crucial. Both captains agree that the biggest hurdle the team has to face is themselves, with Mitchell stating, “Sometimes people are too playful, and don’t pick up concepts fast enough.”
“The hardest part is keeping the young guys in order,” Shields says. To help with the execution side of the sport, the basketball team has been conditioning and weightlifting since the second week of school, and the team has started practicing as a whole to run through drills, plays, and defenses. Furthermore, the team just completed their week of 5:00 am practices, and since September., the team has been participating in a fall league with other high schools to help test plays and prepare players for opportunities in real game scenarios.
The team is ready and excited to start the season, and they have one goal in mind: the state championship. What may seem like a lofty hope to some is the bullseye for the Pythons, and under the leadership of Head Coach Eddie Johnson and Captains Mitchell and Shields, the team feels anything is possible. The season starts Nov. 7th with an away game against the Columbia Eagles, and it is safe to say that this season will definitely be one to watch.
