Lake Oconee Academy basketball is off to its best start in program history.
On Tuesday, the Titans easily defeated Taliaferro County, matching their win total from last season at eight victories, also a program record.
Head coach Josiah Rechenbach acknowledged a friend referred him to a Bible verse when he got the job at Lake Oconee Academy.
“In my first year, one of my good friends encouraged me with a verse from Galatians that says, ‘You will reap what you sow when you don’t give up,’” Rechenbach said. “That summarizes how these guys have been working hard. We’re senior-led, and they’re enjoying the benefits of the hard work they’ve put in for years.”
In the first two months of the 2024-25 season, Rechenbach has seen his team vastly improve from last season. He’s taught his players to perform well under pressure, persevere through adversity, and win close games.
“I think that our program has taken a turn from learning how to win, and now we’re trying to expect to win,” Rechenbach said. “We’re trying to do that day in and day out, whether it be in drills, practice, or games.”
Lake Oconee Academy has narrowly defeated Westminster Christian, Elite Scholars Academy, John Milledge Academy, and Towns County. The Titans won each of these contests by seven points or less.
Rechenbach has kept his players composed and humble.
“They’re excited. They’re enjoying it and are loving the journey,” he said. “As a coaching staff, we just try to teach them to take it one game at a time. You don’t want to overlook anybody. We are on them about staying humble and locked in. So far, we’ve played and won a few games in the regular season. That’s all we’ve accomplished. We want to accomplish much more than that, and our team has embraced that.”
LOA’s boys have benefited from the return of seniors James Wright and Torin Maddox. After struggling as a team for the past few years, Wright and Maddox have helped the Titans to a perfect start. Sophomores Kam Geter, Keenah Parham, Jaden Hillsman, and freshman Canon Mullen have also greatly contributed this year. The Titans have others, including junior Henry Hynes and freshman CJ Stembridge, who provide depth.
“We’ve got depth this year, especially off the bench,” Rechenbach said. “It’s something we haven’t had before.”
In his third season, Rechenbach hopes his team can keep rolling as region play heats up. The Titans aim to secure a postseason berth for the first time in program history and make a run in the Class A Division II playoffs.
“We don’t want to bite off too much before we chew it,” Rechenbach said, adding that the team is still taking a “one-game-at-a-time” approach with his players since the success is still new to them.
“Our ultimate team goal is to make the state tournament and then try to make a run. It will be difficult, though,” he acknowledged. “We have a difficult region schedule with a lot of team talent on those teams. They also have good coaches … I’m excited to see how it all plays out.”