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Boys basketball hosts scrimmage, looks to forge team identity
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Head coach Todd Cottrell talks with his team during the scrimmage game against Denmark. - photo by Rio White

The Dawson County boys basketball team hosted a scrimmage game against Denmark on Thursday, June 16, giving head coach Todd Cottrell an early look into the potential lineups for next season.

A week after their first scrimmage of the summer on the road at South Forsyth, the Tigers hosted the Danes for a 5 p.m. matchup.

Although no official score was kept for the game, each team was given an athletic challenge by having to repeatedly switch scoring sides during each 15-minute period.

“Overall, I am very pleased and excited about our progress this summer,” Cottrell said. “Our skill level has dramatically improved. We are beginning to understand our concepts better and are starting to react and play instead of thinking so much. “

Offensively, the early catalyst for DCHS was rising junior Caden Reed, whose spot shooting gave the Tigers some breathing room against a lengthy Denmark side.

While the Danes were defensively strong inside the arc early on, the Tigers gradually worked their way closer to the net through the work of Trey Harvey.

Those two will be important for next season’s squad both for their offensive output and their rebounding capabilities.

One player whose role in the upcoming team will likely expand is Ethan Parker, who also contributed offensively during the scrimmage.

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Ethan Parker takes the ball down the court during the scrimmage game. He is set to be an important asset to the team next season. - photo by Rio White

Also a rising junior, Parker will be part of a group of juniors also including Joshua Priest and Owen Walls who will be taking on leadership roles on a young team.

“We are still a very young team. We have no seniors on our roster, and most of our players have not yet experienced varsity competition,” Cottrell said. “We expect our captains [Trey Harvey, Caden Reed and Ethan Parker] to lead by example and help hold our team to our standards on and off the floor. We all have a lot of room to grow and develop.”

Two of those younger players include rising sophomores Jacson Rickett and Bailey Swafford, who both had opportunities to display their skills during the scrimmage.

With all of those players in mind, Cottrell will also be considering the roles of some of the youngest players who participated in the scrimmage. 

Some of those players may be tasked with defensive roles in the upcoming scrimmages to test their versatility and prepare for next season.

“We have to be very good defensively to have a chance to be successful this year but we have to do it together,” Cottrell said. “Having said that, we are pleased with our overall defensive effort so far this summer. We just had a great camp at Birmingham Southern this past weekend. I like where we are right now.”