By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
The launching of a new high school basketball season is approaching for many of the area’s public schools.
There has been a trickling of games for several teams, but the schedule seems to kick into full gear by November 28.
That’s when Southeast Alamance will play its first games in program history when Southern Alamance visits.
There are a variety of new coaches for Alamance County teams, including boys’ and girls’ coaches at Eastern, Southern, and, of course, Southeast. Williams has a new boys’ coach, so there are plenty of coaching debuts in the works.
Southeast and Southern have had extended football seasons, so that has meant reduced player availability for basketball practices. New Williams coach Jimmy Lloyd was finalizing his roster last week after several football players became available.
Southeast lost in the third round of the football state 2-A playoffs Thursday night, so there will be a relatively quick turnaround before the Stallions’ first basketball game.
Southeast boys’ coach Bo Williamson said he recalled several of those situations when he was a dual-sport athlete at Cummings, where football playoffs often cut into basketball season.
“We’ll figure it out,” Williamson said. “It’s not new to me. We’d start practicing (at Cummings) and then we’d be right out there playing JamesOn Curry (a former Eastern Alamance standout).”
Williamson is being assisted by Cummings alum Jauron Holman, who also was the former football coach for the Cavaliers.
Southeast’s first three games are at home, with Eastern Alamance visiting December 1 and Chatham Central arriving for a Mid-Carolina Conference opener December 5.
Gillespie gone from Cummings
The boys’ basketball team at Cummings will have a revamped roster after its top scorers from last season departed.
AJ Gillespie, a 6-foot-4 wing, is playing for Norcross High School in Georgia after a strong freshman season for Cummings in 2022-23.
Gillespie averaged 13.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season for Cummings. He played for a Durham-based Amateur Athletic Union team in the spring, receiving Most Valuable Player honors in one tournament.
Guard Johnniyus Sharpe transferred in the summer to Reidsville, where he has been playing football as well during his junior season. Sharpe posted 21.7 and 6.5 rebounds per game for Cummings last season.
Cummings was 17-9 last season.
