Submitted yesterday by Don A. Foley.

 

 

In a generation hastily labeled as being full of kids known for self-gratification, saying "it's not my fault," and being hypnotized by their own smart phones, there are 15 high-schoolers who are fulfilling the dream of a program, as well as learning what organized athletics are all about.

The Chattooga County High School Boys’ Basketball program enters a win-and-move-on game in the first round of the GHSA Region 7-AA Tournament tonight against Armuchee High School. Just ten days ago, the Indians toppled Armuchee on the road by 19 points. Now, the Tribe hopes to turn the regular season sweep of Armuchee into a three-peat over their Floyd County counterpart. But, for first-year head coach Jared Groce, there was truly one main goal for this team.

It wasn't to make its way through the season without a single senior on the court. It wasn't to close out the season winning six of its last seven games. It wasn't to sweep cross-county rival Trion. 
It wasn't to end a seven-year drought against Dade County. And, it definitely wasn't to be in serious contention for the Region 7-AA crown.

But, all these have become a 'reality'.

After Groce received the all-too-real news last year that he would become the head coach of the Tribe program, his first and main goal couldn't have been clearer. "We just want to try to help do what we can to raise young men," said Groce.

 No quick dreams of region titles. No guarantees of playoff berths. No promised plan to improve on a 10-17 mark from the 2013-14 campaign. Just a promise to do what could be done to help the players move forward in life and on the court.

 Both basketball and life are all about stats and Groce knows it.

 The NCAA's most recent study on amateur and professional basketball players shows staggering numbers. However, with the level of competition becoming so intense on and off the court, they are numbers that even the most heated fan, determined coach, or driven roundballer need to keep an eye on at all times. It has nothing to do with tournament seedings or free-throw percentages, either. It has to do with 'reality'.

The dream: 59% of high school basketball players believe they will get a college scholarship.The reality: Scholarship or not, only two of every 100 high school athletes will play collegiate athletics of any kind on any level.

Those are shocking numbers. However, a more eye-popping number to remember is "three." Only three of every 10,000 high school basketball players will play professionally. Three. 

A number Groce is very familiar with. A number which drives Groce to help guide his young athletes to learn about the realities of life before the realities of wins and losses in the world of GHSA Basketball.

 "If we do what we are supposed to in other facets of our lives, success will come in one way or another," said Groce. "We have just been blessed that our hard work in the off-season and in the regular season have really paid off. I'm proud and pleased with the season mark. However, I'm prouder with the work these guys have done in this school, their families, and their community. The way they are transitioning into young men and how they are handling the responsibility of being role models has been a privilege to watch."

 The 2014-15 edition of Chattooga Basketball has only one senior. Unfortunately, the lone 12th grader, Raj Patel has been injured the entire season. A majority of the remaining 14 active players on the roster were just in JV uniforms a season ago, with a handful still sharing time on the "B" squad. Several of those on the latest installment of the Tribe hardwood program who drive to the hole on a regular basis aren't even old enough to drive a car to tonight’s opening round GHSA Regional Tournament game at Model High School.

 From action on the court to action in their community, the latest version of the Tribe has seen success in both arenas. Groce's guys have seen a seven game swing in the win column from just a season ago. After posting their 10-17 mark one year ago, the region's second-place squad wrapped up the regular season this past week to the tune of a 17-5 record, 8-4 in region play. As for outside the confines of the Chattooga War Lodge, the Indians have thrown their hands in everything from youth basketball camps, to charity drives, to Breast Cancer Awareness events. "It's about more than the performance in the standings," said Groce. "The great record is just an added benefit."

 The Region 7-AA Boys’ Basketball Tournament at Floyd County's Model High School will take place tonight, Friday, and Saturday of this week. An Indians win in the tournament quarterfinals tonight automatically propels them into the round of 32 in the GHSA State Tournament. Semi-Finals and Finals for the tournament take place Friday and Saturday, respectively. The Indians ended the season tied for second place in 7-AA with Coosa High School. By virtue of a tie-breaker, Coosa won the nod for the second seed. Chattooga enters the event as the third seed. A win tonight earns them a semi-final date Friday night against the winner of the Coosa-Gordon Lee match-up. The round of 32 for GHSA begins on February 17 and ends March 7 with the GHSA AA State Championship Game in Macon, Georgia on March 7.