05/13/2026
I was digging through my desk this morning, and man, it is hard to believe we are already a few months removed from that opening round battle at Regionals. Now that we have officially put a bow on things with the banquet, the dust is finally settling, but the pride I have for this group isn't going anywhere.
In this game, the scoreboard tells you the score, but the awards tell you the story of a team’s soul. Look at our Offensive Players of the Year, Darrius Jeffrey Jr. and Courtlon Hobbs. That award could have gone to five different guys since we had a whole stable of players sitting right on the edge of double digits. What really gets me fired up, though, is that both these young men primarily came off the bench. They are true competitors. They wanted those starting spots, and they let me know it, but they understood that to win, you have to box out your ego for the good of the squad. They embraced their roles and gave us a scoring punch that left other teams reeling.
Defense is where you find out who has got real grit, and Cody Deadmon, our Defensive Player of the Year, has it in spades. We put the weight of the world on his shoulders every night, tasking him with locking down the head of the snake and neutralizing the other team's best weapon. He led us in blocks and efficiency, but defense is a team game. Weston Payne stepped up with some massive spot minutes, bringing that hard-nosed toughness exactly when the game was on the line. And I have to give a shout-out to Mason Hambrick. Watching his confidence grow on the defensive end and seeing his jumper start to fall was one of the highlights of my season.
Our MVPs, D’Mareon Eason and Khalon Calhoun, really set the standard for what it means to leave it all on the court. Khalon was a beast on the boards, earned that All-State nod, and basically lived in the paint. D’Mareon was the engine of our offense in assists and a total pest on the perimeter with his steals. He joined Keon McDuffie, Walker Smith, Cody, Darrius, and Courtlon on that All-Conference list, which is a testament to the talent we have in this locker room.
But here is the thing about D’Mareon:
He would be the first to tell you he does not reach those heights without Judah James. Those two are like brothers off the court, but when they step between those lines, it is a war. They went to battle against each other every single day in practice, pushing each other to the limit. It got physical, it got heated, but that is how you forge steel. They would rinse the blood away with laughter the second the whistle blew. Having both of them back as seniors next year to lead our backcourt is a coach's dream.
Keon McDuffie winning Most Improved is what this profession is all about. This young man went from zero starts last year to being the heartbeat of our starting five every single game. He has basically been dragging King Jones and Jaiden Mosley along on this journey to improve. Because of Keon’s leadership, King and Jaiden are making the kind of strides that win games into the postseason.
We are losing a special one in Walker Smith. He is graduating as co-salutatorian this week, and that high-level IQ was our secret weapon on the hardwood. He was 4th in points, 3rd in VPS, and 2nd in minutes played, a true iron man. We are going to miss his shooting and his gritty defense, but honestly, I am going to miss those pre- and post-practice talks just as much. He is a high-character young man who is going to do big things.
A team is only as strong as its foundation, and Jackson Gentry provided that every day. His IQ is off the charts, and he worked his tail off to give our starters quality looks in practice every day. Our managers, Trey Brown, Christian Johnson, Canon Dorsey, and Kamari Cole, were the unsung heroes of this season. Trey really led that group with total authority, making sure every gear was turning behind the scenes so the players and coaches could stay focused on the mission.
Looking ahead, I have big expectations for AJ Thompson. Early in the year, he was a double-digit threat and a defensive disruptor. He is going to be a cornerstone of our senior leadership next season. And then there is Jonathan Hixson, our Jackrabbit Award winner. Jonathan is the definition of sacrifice. He led the way at the charity stripe and in blocks, but his real value is his spirit. I am just glad he is only a junior. Having that kind of culture setter back for one more year is a massive win for us.
From the leadership Trey provided to the dirty work Ja’Koby Jackson and Bryce Lawson put in down in the trenches this was a total team effort. I am just a proud coach who is thankful I got to lace them up with this group.
