Trojans contending for region title under new coach
James Island – Though he is a first-time varsity high school head coach, James Island’s Charter High boys basketball coach Travis Smith has been around competitive, winning basketball all of his life.
Smith, who was an all-state performer as a player at Porter-Gaud and played collegiately at Presbyterian College, has been coaching on the summer AAU circuit and as an assistant at Porter-Gaud for several years. He was named the head coach at James Island last May.
Smith inherited a solid program that has had success over the years but has brought in his thoughts and style of play. There was an early learning curve for this year’s team but things have started to come together in region play.
The Trojans entered play on Jan. 25 with a 9-9 overall record but, more importantly, a 3-0 start in region 7-AAAA.
“It’s a pretty veteran team but with a new coaching staff and a new way of playing, we knew it would take some time to come together,” Smith said. “I really had to build a relationship with the players and we had to build some trust in each other. We have worked to build a strong chemistry and I can see the guys have a lot better feel for what my expectations are. They are playing pretty well right now.”
Smith considers himself a defensive-minded coach and the team needed early games to understand how the new coach wanted his team to defend. Offensively, he believes in letting his players use their strengths and in playing fast. With those goals in mind, the coach says depth has been a key strength.
“We have to keep guys fresh and we play a lot of guys,” the coach said. “Our practices are very competitive. It’s fun for me to sit back and watch them practice.”
Team leadership is provided by a core of four seniors, guards RJ Simmons, Braxton Scott, Montreal Jenkins and Conrad Linhart. Simmons runs the point and is the team’s leading scorer but it is not uncommon for every game to have a different leading scorer.
Juniors Gavin Ward and DJ Wright are two more guards that see extensive playing time. Junior Parker Renault is a 6-6 forward with the ability to play inside the paint or around the perimeter.
Senior Amontrae Scott, one of the school’s top football players, has been a key defensive stopper and is the team’s scrappiest players.
“We have a very competitive group of players, guys who want to compete and win every night,” Smith said. “Playing with great effort and energy are non-negotiable and I made that clear from day one. This group has responded well to those two things.”
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