Patriots look to finish strong

The Oglethorpe County boys basketball team has an opportunity to finish strong with nine regular-season games left. 

Coach Larry Brown said the season has had ups and downs — including a three-game losing streak — but he’s excited for the team going forward.

“We started out on fire, 3-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state, and then had a couple of minor injuries and some sickness that slowed us down a bit,” Brown said. “I think we’re about to hit our stride. We have about five games coming up all at home, so the schedule is in our favor.”

The Oglethorpe County boys and girls teams will host Tallulah Falls on Saturday (the girls start at 6 p.m., the boys at 7:30), Prince Avenue on Tuesday, Jan. 23 and then Jasper County on Friday, Jan. 26.

The Patriots, who are 10-6, have only two regular-season road games left this season.

Brown said going on the road early and often at the beginning of the season was a struggle, but the team is excited to be home.

Brown added he’s excited about the return of several players to the lineup, including top scorer Javaun Pittard, who hit the 1,000-point milestone for his career earlier this season. 

Pittard led the Patriots in scoring last year and has dealt with a mixture of illness and injuries that have kept him from seeing the court, which he said has been frustrating for him.

“I just want to win,” Pittard said. “I want to be there for my team to help us win.”

In Pittard’s absence, Brown said fellow senior Jaelin Lumpkin has stepped up. Brown gave Lumpkin full-time point guard duties, a decision he loves.

Brown also noted how impressed he’s been with frontcourt players junior Ty Burgess and senior Jake Turner. 

While Brown noted that both were undersized, he’s appreciated and been excited about the growth Burgess has shown and specifically the physicality Turner — the Patriots’ top football player — has displayed.

“Being a football player and basketball player myself, Jake kind of reminds me of myself,” Brown said. “He gets out there, man, and he plays bully ball. He’s rebounding, he’s diving on the floor, he’s taking charges. He’s doing everything that the average basketball player doesn’t want to do — it’s big for our team. Jake, he’s my tough guy.”

Pittard added that every football player that also plays on the team, like Darius Heard and Jordan Johnson, “make a big impact” and it shows “how hard they want to win.”

Pittard said he would love to win his first region championship and is fired up from last season’s second-place finish, but he’s focused on one thing.

“The key to winning is by playing Oglethorpe County basketball, which is pressing and playing good defense,” Pittard said. “That’s our main goal.”