Written by Sarah Rhea, Assistant Athletic Director
When asked what his favorite part of the game was, Mike Singletary responded with “the opportunity to play.” Despite being in the middle of a global pandemic, the athletic department was thankful to be able to have approximately 50 Dialectic and Rhetoric students and 125 of our Grammar students accept the offer to have the opportunity to play basketball this year. With the help of many volunteer coaches, parents, and our basketball staff and Varsity players, we hosted the inaugural season of our 3X3 Basketball League at Midtown for all of our Grammar players. Our players were able to practice weekly and compete while developing the foundational basketball skills needed to grow.
Our Dialectic and Rhetoric teams represented The ACADEMY well this season. Our Dialectic boys fielded two teams allowing all 25 boys to earn playing time and develop as players. The Blue team competed well picking up several wins. The White team had an overall season record of 14-3, reaching the state semi-finals for the 2nd straight year, losing to the eventual State Champion. For the first time in school history, The ACADEMY had girls playing in both Junior High and High School JV games. Both teams overcame many stops and starts, but eventually formed a good chemistry allowing them to not only win several games including a 3-game win streak in late January for the JV Girls! In only the 3rd season for the girls program the foundation has been laid for a successful future.
The Rhetoric boys have built upon their team chemistry in Year 2 of the program, sticking together through the ups and downs of a season filled with uncertainty. They wrapped up their second season with 18 wins (a 13-game improvement from Year 1), including an improbable upset of #3 Providence in the 3A HCAA State Tournament, advancing to the State Semifinals where they lost to the eventual State Champion. The Griffins bid farewell to three senior athletes: Cameron Bryan, Jackson Holdsworth, and AJ Jackson. All three players have been a big part of establishing Griffin basketball and will be missed!
The past two years our basketball season has ended with a bang – joining our campuses together and celebrating all of our athletes and fundraising for the Athletic Department at “Griffin Madness.” Due to several factors, we were unable to host the event this year but look forward to continuing the tradition next season! As with many programs at The ACADEMY, our athletic department continues to expand. Griffin Madness and other athletic events will evolve some next year to adapt to the needs of our athletic community. Though we were not able to celebrate our student-athletes in big fanfare; if you know a player, take a minute to congratulate them on taking advantage of the opportunity to further develop their skills and embody the True, the Good, and the Beautiful while honoring the Lord with their mind, body, and spirit.