Blackshear updates summer hoops
Jun. 27—TIFTON — School's out, but learning is not. The Tift County Blue Devils boys basketball team has been working on their game during the season, with practices and scrimmages preparing for the upcoming 2022-23 campaign.
Head coach Tommy Blackshear said the lineup is similar to that of a year ago. He said Will Clark has probably been his most consistent this summer. His praised the work ethic of Christian Jones and Jason Cody Morris.
Clark, who came to Tift from CHESS Academy, averaged seven points per game in 2021-22. Jones averaged five points per game, with a high of 15 against Coffee. Morris is ensuring he gets much more playing time this season with his summer efforts. Blackshear said Morris has "been going to the right places, playing tough on defense, getting rebounds ... he's made a couple of tough layups in traffic."
The Devils are still maturing, still solidifying leadership. Regardless, they've won more than they've lost in summer scrimmages — Blackshear estimated the record at 7-4 — with a handful more to go. He's hoping the out-of-season experience builds for the 2022-23 season. "With summer league, they can be one of the best teams in the conference."
Conference, Region 1-6A, will be a new experience.
Tift County was moved down to Class 6A last fall in the GHSA's reclassification and will stay there for at least the next two seasons. The size of school is smaller, but there are more of them to face. For the past few seasons, the Devils have had only three region opponents: Camden County, Colquitt County and Lowndes. This time, their region opponents are Houston County, Lee County, Northside (Warner Robins), Thomas County Central and Veterans.
Houston was a 9-16 team in 2021-22, with TCC and Northside winning three games apiece. The top half of the region, however, is much stronger.
Veterans won its region championship and advanced to the sweet 16. Lee was a point shy of a region title and were upset in the first round of state by Rockdale County.
The Warhawks of Veterans present a major problem for Tift: Height. Aaron Jones is 6'10", a number the Devils could perhaps equal with one player sitting on another's shoulders. Blackshear has scheduled Westover in the non-region portion of the schedule as preparation. Westover is similarly blessed in height.
"They've got a big boy I want to play against," he said, referring to Traveion Wheeler. "I need for my boys to see that size as often as possible. For when we do see [Veterans] in the regular season and in the tournament, it won't bother us."
The Devils went 12-14 in 2021-22 and were second during regular season play in Region 1-7A. An upset by Camden County in the tournament semifinals put them on the road for the first round of state, a close loss at Marietta.
Tift extended its state tournament streak to 29 consecutive years, the longest current in the state, for girls or boys. (The Lady Devils currently have a 12-year streak.) Since becoming Tift County in 1962, the squad has won 20 region titles, all since 1986.
Blackshear said Tift has won over Glynn Academy this summer, as well as Fitzgerald.
One of the losses was a close one to Westover, which was decided in the final minute. The Devils have had quite a roller coaster against the Patriots in the past year. They were blown out in Albany, then had only six in uniform before taking a ranked Westover squad to the wire.
