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DEL.ICIO.USDacula boys could be the next to join state’s elite
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What if I told you that Gwinnett County plays the best basketball in the state? Is that something that would surprise you?
All over Georgia, however begrudgingly, people acknowledge the power of football here. Folks from Middle and South Georgia have made their case for gridiron superiority, but it is not debatable what county has achieved more in recent years.
Evidence: Since 2000, Gwinnett County has claimed eight state championships in the eight football seasons — three by Parkview (2000, ‘01, ‘02), four by Buford (‘01, ‘02, ‘03, ‘07) and one shared by Peachtree Ridge and Roswell (‘06).
No county can claim similar success in football.
But here’s the thing: The same can be said about basketball. Some history: Since 2000, basketball teams, boys and girls, in Gwinnett County have captured — get this — 18 state titles. It’s a phenomenal total, one that is unmatched in the state.
Check out the breakdown:
In boys, Berkmar (2000, ‘01), South Gwinnett (‘04) and Norcross (‘06 and ‘07) took championships. In girls, Collins Hill has five (‘01, ‘02, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07), Parkview (‘03) and Central (‘01) one apiece, Greater Atlanta Christian three (‘01, ‘02, ‘07) and Wesleyan three (‘04, ‘05, ‘06).
Eighteen in eight seasons.
And here’s another thing: The next boys AAAA just might be a first-timer, for Dacula has the look of a champion.
At 17-1 and with the top six players returning from last year, the Falcons have impressed even coach Justin Grant. And not just by the record, although he did not anticipate such a stellar ledger.
More meaningful to Grant is that his players have functioned as a team. They share the basketball without hesitation and play with an energy that a coach craves.
“You want your scorers to score, but to not be selfish. It’s one of the toughest things,” said Grant, in his sixth year at Dacula. “We mark down what I consider selfish plays and point them out.
“But this group has been good about being unselfish. And it has worked harder and wanted it more than any group I’ve ever had. We don’t really have a key player. We have depth, kids who can put the ball in the hole and kids who just worry about doing the dirty work — rebounding, taking charges.”
Storm Richardson and Trent Krammerer lead the team in floor burns and hustle plays. Six-foot-9 Brian Cole, averaging close to 20 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, has a big inside presence on both ends of the floor. Team him with the 6-foot-7 Krammerer and they represent a frontline that is the focal point of the offense.
And then there are Justin Rush and Clay Wages, who shoot it from the perimeter with accuracy.
More than anything, however, Dacula has experience and talent. “It’s the first time I’ve had a nice nucleus of players returning,” Grant said. “And they play so hard because they know if they don’t, they’re coming out.”
With success has come confidence — and the potential for overconfidence. That’s why Grant spends a fair amount of time working on his players’ psyche.
“Every day I humble them,” he said. “I stay on them as hard as I can. We watch a tremendous amount of film to show them their mistakes. … Then before we play again, I build them back up, let them know how good they are.”
And the Falcons are really good, another Gwinnett team with championship potential.
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