Calhoun is ready to tip off its season

They may be a bit shorthanded. They may be missing seven guys who are presently still playing football.

But the Yellow Jackets’ basketball team is ready to tip-off its 2021-22 season after they opened the winter season on Tuesday night on the road at Harrison High School.

“We’re excited about getting started,” Calhoun High School head boys basketball coach Vince Layson said. “We been practicing for a while now and we haven’t played against anybody but ourselves, so we’re excited about getting our season started and kind of seeing where we are. Even if we are without a few of our key players.”

And the city of Calhoun can get its first look at this year’s team 6 p.m. Thursday night when they are at home against Woodstock.

“It’s a good opportunity for a lot of our younger players and a lot of our more inexperienced players because they’re going to get some playing time...at least early on,” Layson said. “So they’ve got a chance to make sure they keep getting playing time by playing well over the next couple of weeks. But we’re just anxious to see how we look against someone wearing a different jersey.”

The team will be led by 6-foot-8 junior Dylan Faulkner, who is starting to receive college offers, and 6-foot-6 senior Peyton Law, who is still playing football, but has everyone’s attention because he was named a Preseason 5A All-State player.

“I think it’s one of the best tandems for sure in this part of the state,” Layson said. “You’re talking about two guys who can literally do everything on the floor. They can bang inside. They can step outside and make shots. They can handle the ball. You can’t just focus on stopping one, because the other one will make you pay, so we feel really good about those two and what we’re capable of when they are on the floor.”

He admitted while he is happy to see Peyton doing so well on the football team and knows Law is a tremendous receiver, he worries about him getting injured.

“I hold my breath every time he gets hit because I don’t want anything to happen to him,” Layson said. “But I really feel that way about all the guys we have still playing football. I’m so excited for them and what the team is doing right now, but I don’t want to see anything bad happen to any of them.”

Faulkner did play football, but is now sticking with basketball as the scholarship offers from Division I schools around the region and the country are starting to come his way.

They have been working out for over a month now and Layson likes the progress he has seen.

“I think the kids have done well,” he said. “We’ve had a few surprises from maybe some players who have played really well. We’ve got a few others that we’re counting on, who have looked good. But we’ll see exactly where we are this week with the two games and I know the kids are excited about playing as well, so

we’re going to see where we are right now with these games and go from there.”

The team has a lot of experience this year with a senior-heavy team after they had only three seniors last year and just one of them actually got a lot of minutes.

Junior guard Caden Schild, junior small forward Jake Jones, junior forward Brooks Crawford, sophomore guard Daniel Streete, freshman Matthew Streete, 6-foot-1 freshman forward Jace Johnson, and freshman Andrew Cochran are all guys that have a chance to shine this week as they will get a lot of minutes in these two games, according to the coach.

“Those guys are all talented,” Layson said. “Some of them have a little more experience than the others, but they’re all talented. The two freshmen are skilled players that just need to go out and play the game and get used to playing at this level.

“Brooks is 6-foot-5 or 6-foot-5 and can do a lot of different things. With him and Peyton and Dylan on the floor, we’re going to have three guys who can do a lot of different things. They can play inside and they can step outside and knock down shots. And they’re all good defenders.

“Daniel Streete has played a lot of minutes for us and he’s an excellent defender. I think he’s got a chance to have a big season, but I think we have a few guys who have a chance to have a big season.”

Senior shooting guard Darrian Hayes, senior forward Isiah Jewell, and senior guard Jaylan Harris are three others who are also steady contributors to the team that Layson said will play big roles in the Yellow Jackets’ success this year.

“Jaylan’s a four-year player for us,” he said. “He’s only 6-foot-1 or 6-foot-2, but he’s got a long wing span and he’s another guy who can do a lot of things. Darrian and Isiah are very good players who have been in the program, so they know what they need to do and how we want to play.”

The team is presently ranked number five in the state in the first 5A Preseason Top 10 poll of the year. Layson said the recognition can be a blessing, it can also be a curse.

“I have mixed emotions about it,” he said. “It’s great recognition for our program and it shows the kids that the work they’re putting in and have put it is being recognized, but what does a high ranking at the state of the season, really mean? We want to be highly-ranked and still playing at the end of the season. So obviously we will live with and I do think it’s great recognition for the kids, but we’re not playing for a high ranking. We’re playing to get to the state tournament.”

He said with so many new faces and proven players missing, he just wants to see one thing from his guys this first week of games.

“I just want to see our guys compete at a high level,” Layson said. “Just come out and every minute you’re on the floor, compete. We really don’t know how things are going to go this week and we do have an idea as far as who is going to start and who is going to come off the bench, but we still aren’t sure exactly how many minutes guys are going to play or anything really like that.

“But I want my kids to know that probably everybody’s number is going to be called this week because we want to get a look at all of our guys in a game situation, so if you get your number called, go out and compete as hard as you can.

“And I want to see us executing what we’re doing on offense and defense. I ask a lot of my players as far as the mental side of the game and having them read the defense or read what the offense is wanting to do, so I’m anxious to see how some of the newcomers handle that. But I want them to understand that no matter what happens and no matter what is going on — compete. Because right now that is really the bottom line for us.”

Besides Law, senior brothers Christopher Lewis and Christian Lewis, along with senior Brendan Gray, senior Blaze Hammett, sophomore Bryant Arnold and freshman Winston Amaree are the football players that will be joining the team in the very near future as the football season ends for everyone next weekend.

“Bringing those guys in will just make us that much stronger,” Layson said. “Christopher was our point guard last year. The rest of those guys are all very good players and can do a lot of different things, so it will be good to have them join our team. But right now I know they’re busy with the football team and we’re hoping it ends with a state championship next week.”