Tri-Cities fields one of the more experienced teams in Class 5A. That has never been more important than this season, when COVID has caused so many unexpected changes. But the Bulldogs, who didn’t see each other from the spring sports cancellation in March until the October restart, had to do less damage control because of the veteran nature of their team.
Tri-Cities has eight seniors on the roster who have played together since they were sophomores. Much of that group were key components to the team that went 26-6 and beat Tucker 46-43 for the Class 6A title in 2019. They were all around last year when the Bulldogs went 26-6 and reached the Final Four, losing to Chattahoochee. And they’re back this season, in a lower classification, in pursuit of another championship.
“We lost that Final Four game and we didn’t work out again until October,” said coach Omari Forts, in his 15th season as head coach. “We went seven months … no summer workouts … no camps … nothing.”
But the result has been positive. No. 3-ranked Tri-Cities is 15-4 and is on the cusp of winning the title in Region 3, perhaps the toughest league in Class 5A.
“And we’re just starting to peak now,” Forts said. “That has been a benefit for us.”
They already have two wins against No. 7 Jonesboro and No. 5 Woodward Academy, along with a win over No. 8 Forest Park, the team they close the season against on Saturday. The Bulldogs took an eight-game winning streak into Tuesday’s region contest against Drew and play a makeup game against Creekside on Wednesday.
The team is led by 6-foot-2 guard Peyton Daniels, who has signed to play point guard at Vanderbilt. Daniels averaged 23 points, 5.5 rebounds, four assists and two steals as a junior and is posting similar numbers again this season. Daniels played 29 minutes and scored 12 in the state title game as a sophomore.
Tri-Cities has the luxury of starting Daniels at shooting guard because of the presence of junior Simeon Cottle, who averages 17 points. Cottle, a 6-2 junior, is a college prospect who has started to get attention from big-time programs, including Georgia.
The other starters are four-year starter Mario McIntosh, a 6-5 senior; Davorian Rudolph, a 6-9 wing; and Jackson Watson, a 6-1 multi-position player who has started since the tenth grade.
The Bulldogs have a deep bench in 6-6 wing Eli’Sha King, 6-2 senior Dwayne Cottle and Chancellor Johnson, who transferred in from the Las Vegas area.
“Any of those three guys could start for any other team in region,” Forts said.
Tri-Cities continues to play a fast-paced brand of basketball team. The Bulldogs average 75 points and love to run the floor.
“We’re proficient in the half-court, but we love getting up and down the court,” Forts said.
Since Region 3 has opted to take the top four teams to the state playoffs rather than host a region tournament, Tri-Cities won’t have a game after this weekend. The Bulldogs will have a week off before they open the state playoffs against an opponent from Region 2.
When asked what he plans to do with the extra time off, Forts said, “Health, rest and execution.”
About the Author
