Otis Gilbert, right, meets one of the LaGrange Warriors girls’ basketball teams during practice Tuesday night at LaGrange High. There are four teams in the Warriors’ organization, which was created five years ago.
Sports Editor
Vacher Hammett, head coach for the 15-and-under LaGrange Warriors, felt his team was good enough to win the Youth Basketball of America state tournament in Columbus.
“We should have won state,” Hammett said.
Instead, the team finished third in a tournament with a powerful field that included other elite travel basketball teams in Georgia.
That impresssive finish was good enough to earn the Warriors an invitation to the YBOA national tournament in Orlando that begins on July 26.
The Orlando-bound squad is one of four teams that make up the Warriors’ basketball organization.
There is another 15-and-under boys’ team, a 15-and-under girls’ team, and an 11-and-under girls’ team.
All four teams have had busy summers competing in various travel tournaments.
“We have some pretty good players that are going to make the high schools around here pretty good,” Gilbert said.
The most successful of those teams is the one coach by Hammett.
The team is made up mostly of players who will be sophomores in high school next season.
Each of the county’s high schools is represented on the team, as well as other schools from across the area.
“We’ll get a chance to see these guys at the local high schools,” said Hammett, who has been coaching the same group of players for four years. “A lot of them will be playing at LaGrange. Some of them will be playing a little varsity.”
Hammett also coaches the 15-and-under girls’ team, which includes some players who are already contributing on their varsity teams.
Arneshia Williams and Terryuana Godwin were standouts for LaGrange High last season, and Tanisha Jackson and Ashley Thornton helped Troup enjoy a turnaround season.
Local players have plenty of options when it comes to choosing a travel basketball team.
In addition to the Warriors, the Wolverines and Bulldogs are also based in LaGrange.
Gilbert figures the more options local players have, the better the high-school programs will be.
“With all these organizations, it’s a good thing for the high schools,” he said. “We cater to them. I have good communication with the high-school coaches.”
Gilbert said he would like to add more teams and more age groups next year.
“We’re looking for other age groups for next year,” he said. “We will be interested in looking at the smaller age groups next year. We’re growing.”
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