Basketball at Chamblee High School is in full swing; the varsity boys basketball team’s hard work and dedication are demonstrated on the court and through their stats.
“The team has been playing pretty well. We started off the season pretty strong,” said head coach Chris Terry.
Their season had a remarkable start with six straight wins, surpassing all expectations.
“We were off to a really fast start, one of the fastest starts we’ve had in program history,” said Simeon Stevens (‘25).
The boys are setting their sights high this year, and aspire to use the momentum from their strong start to target state playoffs.
“We’ve played pretty well. We had one of the best starts in a long time,” said Eston McDow (‘27), “I’m hoping we can secure a top-four spot in the region standings, and then make state and do well in state playoffs,”
Their six-game win streak was abruptly halted in late November when the Bulldogs lost four games in a row. However, the team has seemingly made it out of that rough patch, has only lost one game since then, and is currently on a five-game win streak.
“[We] took a little dip there after the start, but since regional play has kind of started back, we’ve been picking things up and trying to hit a good stride,” said Terry.
The team has faced many challenges this season, one of which was a loss to Kell, the reigning state champions and the 15th-best team in Georgia.
“We played against Kell, who won state the last two years, in the Hoopsgiving tournament,” said McDow, “They were a really good team, and we had to fight through some adversity.”
The Bulldogs face intense competition in every game, due to formidable opponents throughout their region.
“We’re in a really tough region with a lot of teams that have gotten far in State before,” said Stevens.
Despite these obstacles, the boys have elevated their level of play to meet the demands of the competition.
“The team has been challenged in a plethora of ways,” said Ari Meyer (‘25), “We’re pretty undersized overall. So, when playing against a bigger team, we have to bring our game up a level,”
The team finds that their biggest strength in overcoming these challenges is leveraging their speed on the court.
“We play pretty quick. We don’t have a lot of height, but we get up and down the court pretty fast,” said McDow.
The boys plan to continue to build upon this advantage, as well as identify other growth opportunities.
“[We’re looking to improve] rebounding and just always playing fast. That’s our advantage because we’re quicker than most teams,” said Stevens.
From a less technical standpoint, teamwork and companionship are also key factors in the team’s successful season.
“Our greatest strengths are shooting and overall chemistry,” said Meyer, “Everyone likes playing with each other.”
Coaches agree that the unity of the team is the key to success.
“They really enjoy being around each other, sharing the ball, and working every day to be the best team they can be,” said Terry.
The Bulldogs have put a heavy emphasis on shared goals and teamwork in their approach to the season.
“There’s one basketball and five people on the court at one time, but as long as everyone shares that and has the same goals of being successful, I think we’ll be fine,” said Terry.
Aligning efforts towards a unified vision is at the heart of the team’s strategy this season.
“Everyone has to buy into an overall goal, and if you have everyone buying in and pushing towards the same thing, then you get something cooking,” said Meyer.
Beyond the scoreboard, Terry believes the main purpose of Chamblee’s basketball team is to foster growth and connections among players.
“Basketball is an outlet where they can come and achieve great things as an individual, but this game makes you do it together,” said Terry.
Follow the Chamblee’s varsity basketball team on Instagram here to stay current on scores and upcoming home games.
