Over the past two seasons, Gilmer High basketball has depended on a group of upperclassmen who are no longer with the program.
GHS graduated seven seniors off last season’s 17-9 team that was upset at the region tournament after entering the event as the No. 2 seed. Gilmer missed the postseason, and this group is looking for redemption.
“We came off a good regular season last year and jumped in that region tournament and ended up losing in the first round,” said coach Jordan Hice. “We were a No. 2 seed playing a No. 7 seed and kind of choked in that.
“We want kids to know that just because you’re having a good season it doesn’t mean it can’t turn around with one bad game in a region tournament. Consistency is a big thing. We have to follow up a good season with a good region tournament so we can make it to state.”
Despite its losses to graduation, Hice noted the cupboard is not bare as multiple players lettered last season. They will now move into bigger roles on the team.
“We’ve got (senior) Luke Wimpey coming back, and he got a lot of playing time last year,” Hice said. “(Juniors) Braden Jenkins and Carson Pierce got a lot of playing time, too. We’re looking for (sophomore) Cade Carter to fill Kell (Weaver’s) spot so we really didn’t lose a ton, it’s just like we replaced everything. We didn’t have to start from scratch. We have a lot of kids who have practiced with the varsity and have varsity minutes.”
GHS jumped-started the season in the summer by attending three camps before they eased into preseason workouts where coaches could work with four players at a time.
“It doesn’t seem as stressful this year because we’ve had an extra week of practice because we were able to start earlier,” Hice said. “That extra week has helped a lot because it allows us to break everything down better before that first game. I feel like we’re in a better situation than in the past because of it.”
Much like the Lady Cats, the Bobcats are currently dealing with some injuries that will hurt their depth.
“The biggest thing now is we’re battling some injuries,” Hice said. “We lost (junior) Kyle Allison, (who was injured during football season) and he was going to be a big part of our team. Isaiah Hopper hurt his shoulder during the summer and kind of re-injured it in the purple and white game (last Tuesday). If we can keep everybody healthy, I feel like we can have a pretty successful season.”
Preseason conditioning began at the start of last month, mandatory practice got underway Oct. 21 and 31 players reported. Hice discussed what the team has been up to and why he feels good about its progression.
“We’ve been working on individual strengths and what it takes for each player and what they need to bring to each practice and each game,” he said. “We’ve tried to maintain a high-quality practice so we’re ready and prepared for games.
“Mentally, it seems like sometimes in the past, you don’t know if you’re going to have a good season. The players are in that mindset that we’re going to be a good team and we’re going to win some games. That helps out a lot.”
Wimpey, Jenkins, Pierce and Carter all lettered last season and received varsity minutes. Some started at times, and all four will take the floor at the beginning of games this season. Junior Brady Sanford will complete Bobcats’ starting quintet.
GHS will deploy a guard-heavy lineup as Carter is its only starting post player.
“We kind of run a four out and one in offense that will be four guards and one post,” Hice said. “It will help us push the ball speed wise and attack a little more. We can isolate down low and give Cade free range to roam in the paint and do what he needs to do.”
Hopper can play at the guard position or in the post, according to Hice.
Gilmer will play up-tempo offensively and its defensive pressure will be determined by on-court personnel.
“We’re not going to slow it down on offense unless we have to,” Hice said. “We attack the rim, so we’re still big on attacking and trying to find the easy shot and get the ball inside. Once the defense collapses, then we’ll look to kick it outside. We have some guys who can drive and some who can kick it out or finish at the rim. We have a couple players who are good at both shooting and penetrating.”
Hice added, “Defensively, we have a little more speed. Hopefully, we’ll be able to play with a little more pressure and have better reactions. Press wise, we’ll have to see how it goes once we start to make some subs.”
Hice expects Northwest, LaFayette and Heritage to be some of the region’s best teams.
Bobby Teague joined the coaching staff during the offseason, and Jamie Pierce and Brad Jenkins return to their assistant positions.
Purple and white game
The Bobcats played their purple and white scrimmage last Tuesday. Hice used the game to assess the team ahead of its season opener.
“I have an idea of the five or six guys who are going to play, so I wanted to see some of those younger guys who are new to varsity and who is going to be able to help us out,” Hice said. “We saw a lot of good things, and figuring out depth was big.
“I also wanted to see how we executed our offense and defense. I went back and looked at the film to try and figure out what we need to work on. The game is a good way to see where the team is at to make as many adjustments and fixes as you can before you play the first game.”
The teams were divided evenly for three quarters before the varsity took on the rest of the team in the fourth.
Carter led all scorers with 28 points and was followed by Sanford (19), Lewis Mulkey (15), Jenkins (10), Pierce (nine), Bryson Sisson and Britt Taylor (eight), Ethan Banks (seven), Gavin Berger (six), Wimpey (four) and Dylan Abercrombie (one).
GHS began the season at press deadline.