By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Gaffney - The Gaffney boys’ basketball team finished (15-10, 5-3) during the 2023-24 season under first year head coach Charles Blue, and the coach is very excited about the future of the program.
“In all honesty our main goal this season was to teach our team how to play man-to-man pressure defense and we feel like we are better prepared for next season having that part of our rebuilding mission complete,” said head coach Charles Blue. “It had been four or five years since the Gaffney boys had played much man-to-man and it took a while to get them use to our new system this season.”
The team finished tied for second in the region and made the playoffs. They lost in the first round to highly respected Riverside 71-68.
Three Gaffney players earned all-region honors. They are senior Markell Hollis who averaged 17.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and two steals a game. He had 24 points in the season ending loss against Riverside. Freshman Rickey Littlejohn earned all-region honors after averaging 11.9 points and five assists a game. The third Indian to earn all-region honors is junior forward Kaleb Phillips who averaged 10.1 points a game.
Junior big man and big-time offensive lineman recruit Sheldrick Sarratt (6-5, 310) finished with an average of 6.3 points and 5.7 rebounds a game, Sarratt had 11 points in the Riverside game. Junior point guard Londin Bailey will also return next year after averaging 6.3 points and 2,3 assists a game. Two seniors, Judd Price and Derek Kennell averaged 5.5 and 4.7 points per game respectively.
Coach Blue said the Gaffney jayvee team was 15-3 on the season and led by three forward types all in the 6-3 to 6-4 range. “We should have moved a couple of them up to varsity for the playoffs and that was an honest mistake on my part,” said Coach Blue. “We have several outstanding players moving up to the varsity and in looking back a couple of them should have played with us this season.
“Our expectations for next season are a deep play-off run,” said Coach Blue. “During the off-season we are working on understanding man-to-man defense and we are focused on press and switch techniques.”
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