After several successful years with the program, which included multiple region titles and playoff runs, Lake Oconee Academy head girls basketball coach Savannah Soles decided not to return for the 2025-26 season.
Soles was replaced by Josh Seymour, who said he’s excited to take over and lead the Lady Titans. However, he and the team will face challenges this season, as the roster is young and inexperienced.
“Savannah and her predecessors before her laid the foundation, and I certainly have big shoes to fill,” Seymour recently told the Lake Oconee News. “Unfortunately, it’s a down year. We’ve only got one senior, we’ve got a young team, but they’re focused. They’re hardworking, and they have a hunger to get better every day. And we focus on, and I preach progress, not perfection. We’re not gonna do everything correct all the time. So as long as we’re building on those mistakes and making progress every day, I’m a happy coach.”
Lake Oconee Academy only has one senior this season in Ansleigh Padgett, who was the team’s leading scorer last season. She averaged 15.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per game in her junior year.
Seymour is impressed with how Padgett carries herself on and off the court.
“She’s our captain, she’s our leader, and she’s doing a great job,” he said.
The Lady Titans can’t rely on Padgett to carry them, so younger players must step up for them to succeed.
Seymour said players like sophomores Melly Cheeley and Kaitlyn Mamay, along with freshman Shelby Robinson, have given the team a boost. He mentioned again, though, that the team’s weakness is still its age.
“We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores this season,” LOA’s head coach said. “So we’re working on it. Not to say they lack maturity, but they are a little behind the eight ball, especially the underclassmen.
Since the juniors and seniors have been with Savannah for a few years — about three years — these younger girls are just now starting to get into the high school program and find their rhythm with the upperclassmen.”
However, Seymour believes this group can succeed if it continues to take the right steps. He knows he has a good group of players who enjoy spending time together and are committed to continually improving.
“I really believe we enjoy sitting down and sort of quarterbacking things out,” Seymour said. “Our dilemmas and teams that we play. We do a lot of scouting. We watch a lot of film. The girls are really engaged in that. We watch film a couple of times a week before each game, definitely the day of. And the girls watch a lot of film on their own time. So I’d say our preparation is really good.
“My assistant and I are always trying to communicate with our plays, but it’s the first year, and it’s tough. Everybody is used to Coach Soles, but we’re getting there. Preparation is one of the biggest strengths, though.”