As November approaches, anticipation is building around the Athens Academy basketball program as both the Lady Spartans and Spartan men’s teams gear up for another exciting season on the courts. Throughout the summer and early fall, both teams have been hard at work preparing for the season ahead. They competed in several summer tournaments, using those opportunities to fine-tune their offensive and defensive systems while evaluating team chemistry before the official season tip-off. The Lady Spartans even started attending morning workouts and shoot-arounds as an opportunity to get stronger and further develop their skills. When asked about them, Coach Brian Olson said, “Our weight room conditioning and open gym schedule have been big “reasons for our team’s chemistry and toughness.”

On the men’s side, the Spartans will once again rely on the scoring of sharpshooter Bo Rentz (’27) and the inside presence of Jack Roberts (‘27), both of whom made major strides in the offseason. Seniors Jordan Marnell and Zay Prince are also expected to play key roles as the Spartans look to make a statement in their region this year. When asked about what he is looking forward to, Roberts said that he is “excited to make a strong push for region this year, and continue that into the state tournament. With only one senior last year, we were able to maintain our chemistry, and I think that all the work this summer will pay off.”