Lake Oconee Academy boys basketball heads down the season’s final stretch in a good place.
The Titans, who are 13-5 overall and 5-1 in the region, are gearing up for an action-packed finish.
LOA coach Josiah Rechenbach is happy his team is seeing success but wants his players to stay focused. He said the final seven games will determine seeding for the region tournament next month.
“We’ve had a couple of curveballs that came up against us, so we’ve only played six region games,” Reichenbach said. “One of those being a forfeit, so we’ve had some challenging region games, but we finish with a gauntlet of teams. We’ve got Greene County and Warren County twice.”
In 2023-24, LOA lost all four games to the Tigers and Screaming Devils but remains competitive. The Titans are a year older and a senior-led squad, so they’ll rely on experience this year down the stretch.
Seniors Torin Maddox and James Wright III have helped lead the way, but LOA has a lot of depth this season. The Titans’ leading scorer is freshman Canon Mullen, who averages 17.8 points a game.
Fellow freshman Nathan Bragg, sophomore Cole Sandoval, junior Cole Taylor, and others have all contributed in different ways. Depth is something that Rechenbach hasn’t had much of in the past.
LOA will rely on its experience and depth to navigate the final seven games of the regular season. The Titans head into the weekend one game behind Greene County in the region standings.
The only negative is that a major piece will be out for the remainder of the season due to injury.
LOA’s third-leading scorer, Jaden Hillsman, tore his ACL about a month ago. The talented sophomore averaged 12.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 steals a game this year.
“That has been a game changer. Still, other young guys have stepped up and absorbed some of his role, and he’s young, so we look forward to him coming back next year.”
Rechenbach said losing Hillsman also hasn’t stopped the team from achieving its primary goal: making the postseason for the first time in school history. He said the Titans haven’t batted an eye since.
“Ultimately, we know what we’ve been working towards this year. We hope that with the senior-led group and other young pieces, we’ll play our best basketball down the stretch,” Rechenbach said. “Still, time will certainly tell, and we’re about to be tested [with a gauntlet]. For sure.”