New-look Northwest: Bruins still winning despite redesigned roster

Published 8:00 am Friday, January 27, 2023

TUNNEL HILL — Northwest Whitfield High School’s basketball team came into the season with more questions than answers.

A senior-led squad turned in a 21-3 record in the regular season in 2021-22, but gone were Will Anderson, Payton Baker, Collin Hall and Chandler Jackson.

Also gone were the 53 points per game that that quartet averaged.

“We lost four really good seniors that scored about 90% of our points,” Northwest head coach Ryan Richards. “We’ve had to learn a little bit.”

While still learning, a young Bruins squad is still winning.

Northwest sits at 12-6 headed into a road game at cross-town rival Southeast Whitfield tonight at 8:30.

New-look Northwest hasn’t quite been able to match last season’s pace, but a six-game win streak earlier this season has them headed in the right direction despite a 3-3 start in region play.

While the four seniors of last year made up a lot of scoring, another quartet of sophomores was counted on to provide energy and production within the senior-laden starting lineup and off the bench.

Now juniors, the group of Dakota Blackwell, Hudson Gray, Jackson Harris and Tytus Ramsey have stepped into starring — and scoring — roles for the Bruins.

“We knew the team was going to be a little focused around them because they had the most playing experience coming back. We knew they were going to have to be the team we were going to have to build around,” Richards said. “It’s been a little bit of a learning curve to get these guys to understand that they are the guy now. They have to be the ones to take the shot.”

Harris missed some time early in the season due to an injury, but the four juniors have led the Bruins and their breakneck style.

“Hudson brings a lot of defensive energy,” Richards said. “Dakota has really scored well of late. Tytus has many double-digit scoring games this year. Since we’ve gotten Jackson back, he’s been our post guy and rebounder.”

The return of now-senior guard Gabe Perez, who stepped away from basketball last season to focus on baseball has helped, as has the emergence of sophomore guards Ken Ken Douglas and Gage Voyles and sophomore forward Caden Ramsey.

Ramsey found more playing time early in part due to Harris’ injury and took advantage.

“He’s just played lights out,” Richards said. “He’s our leading rebounder most nights and one of our leading scorers most nights. He’s just been really consistent.”

One reason last year’s role players have been able to lead this year’s team to a winning record so far? They haven’t lost that defensive identity that they brought a season ago.

“They’ve really bought in to some strong defensive concepts that we’ve put in front of them, and that’s going to be their key to success, I think, is defense,” Richards said. “If we can get steals and some easy transition baskets, that really helps them develop some confidence and play a little more relaxed in their flow.”