Boys Hoops Preview: Cougars looking to get off to a better start this season
By RODNEY YOUNG
Patriot Publishing
The Cougars are looking for improvement, consistency and teamwork this season. The coaching staff has been together now for a year. They are more in tune with each other and the players are more in tune with the coaches.
Head coach Anthony Akers is starting his second year. He and his players are more comfortable with each and know what they expect from one another. Akers was hired and put in charge only about two weeks before last season began. That was a tough situation for him, his staff and the players. He didn’t and still doesn’t use that as an excuse, however.
Akers is a former Cougar player. He graduated in 1988. He played his first two years for then head coach Allen Wiley, and for Pat Burns his junior and senior year.
After graduation, Akers attended Elon College ( University), in North Carolina, where he played basketball. He came back to the area and has coached at old Pulaski Middle School and then was head coach of the new Pulaski County Middle School before becoming the high school head coach.
His staff will consist of Assistant Coach Rajai Hines and junior varsity head coach CC Grubb. Hines is in his eighth season as a coach in the Pulaski County school system. He was head coach at Dublin Middle and assistant there also. This is his sixth year with the program.
Grubb is beginning his second year as a coach. He is a former Cougar basketball player where he scored over 1,000 points.
The Cougar schedule is a tough one again this season. The River Ridge District will be tough again, with Class 5 Patrick Henry, Class 4 Salem and Blacksburg. Then you have Class 3 perennial power Cave Spring along with the improving Hidden Valley and Christiansburg teams. The Cougars are coming off back-to-back 6-17 records.
Pulaski County will face off against out-of-district teams Carroll County, Lord Botetourt, Abingdon and Floyd County. They will once again play in the Fort Chiswell Christmas Tournament right after Christmas. Teams there as of this writing include East Wilkes, NC., Radford, Narrows, Fort Chiswell, Grayson County and Rural Retreat.
When Coach Akers was asked about the schedule he remarked, “It’s a tough schedule as usual. There are no shoe-in games. For us to grow as a program we need to play tough teams.”
The Cougars will have five seniors, six juniors and one sophomore on their roster. The seniors are Chandler Hollins, Isaiah “ Tootie” O’Dell, Chase Lawrence, Will O’Neal and Jeremiah “Jay” Turner. The juniors are Justice Hash, Jalere Harlow, Braxton Merchant, Silas Sweet, Sammy Carrasco and D’Marea Bolden. The lone sophomore is Seth Carter. The junior varsity will have 14 players on its roster.
Pulaski County had tryouts and 46 kids came out – the most in a long time for basketball. Coach Akers said, “It was a great sign for Cougar basketball with that amount of guys coming out. I was delighted with the turnout, but it was also heartbreaking for me. I didn’t like to have to cut some great kids.”
Coach Akers was then asked about what he is wanting to do offensively and defensively. He said, “I want us to play uptempo on offense. We would like to push the ball up the court. We are undersized and will be against most of the teams we will face. I’d like for us to put some pressure on a team because I think we can go 10-11 deep. I think we have the personnel to do that.”
On defense, Akers said he’d like for the team to pressure some of the teams they will be facing.
“Again I think we can go 10 or 11 deep to put some pressure on teams.”
Akers was then asked about the off season and he replied by saying, “We had a good showing this summer in the summer league. We had some dedicated guys to show up for open gyms. We have scrimmaged different teams along the way this off-season. I’ve been pleased with our effort.”
“We have to prepare for every team we will play. There is no taking a night off with our schedule,” Akers added.
This year’s squad will have 13 games on the road and 10 home games. Of those 23 games, 12 will be district games and 11 out of district.
Coach Akers said, “I’ve been pleased with the effort so far. Practices have been upbeat and we won three of five quarters against a very athletic Franklin County team a couple weeks ago. We are trying to change the culture here for this program.”
This year’s team seems to be more together than last season’s. The coaches seem to be more in line with each other. The coaches seem to know more about what each player is capable of doing. The players are more into what the coaches are wanting from them.
This team seems to be happy and getting along. This squad is way ahead of last year’s at this time.
Coach Akers remarked, “We are ahead of where we were this time last year. I’m more comfortable than last year with the guys and my staff.”
Good practices, getting along and ahead of last year is a good sign. Does this mean this year’s team will have a better record? That’s the big question and that’s why we play the games!
Stay tuned, come out and support this program.
Varsity Roster
- D’Marea Bolden -#10
- Sammy Carrasco -#5
- Seth Carter -#15
- Jalere Harlow -#3
- Justus Hash -#4
- Chandler Hollins -#1
- Chase Lawrence -#14
- Braxton Merchant -#20
- Tootie O’dell -#2
- Will O’neal -#24
- Silas Sweet -#12
- Jeremiah Turner -#0
Junior Varsity Roster
- Jayden Aviles -#12
- Boone Blevins -#0
- Caleb Cregger -#4
- Cooper Dalton -#23
- Logan Fleenor -#2
- Konner Furrow -#22
- Jude Garrett-#3
- Jermain Golson-Donaghy -#11
- Eli Lewis -#10
- Parker Price -#24
- Noah Ratcliff-Calfee -#33
- Brayden Snell -#5
- Cade Souder -#1
- Ty Stacy -#30
Pulaski Co. Boys Basketball Schedule 2024-25
Wed. Dec. 4 Floyd Co.
Fri. Dec. 6 @ Carroll Co.
Mon. Dec. 9 @ Abingdon
Fri. Dec. 13 Lord Botetourt
Sat. Dec. 14 Carroll Co.
Tues. Dec. 17 Cave Spring
Wed. Dec. 18 @ Lord Botetourt
Fri. Dec. 20 @ Blacksburg
Fri. Dec. 27 TBA @ Fort Chiswell (Christmas Tourney)
Sat. Dec. 28 TBA @ Fort Chiswell ( Christmas Tourney)
Mon. Dec. 30 TBA @ Fort Chiswell ( Christmas Tourney)
Thurs. Jan. 2 Hidden Valley
Fri. Jan. 3 Christiansburg @ Floyd Co.HS (Chance Harman Classic)
Tues. Jan. 7 @ Patrick Henry
Thurs. Jan. 9 @ Floyd Co.
Fri. Jan. 17 @ Salem
Wed. Jan. 22 @ Cave Spring
Fri. Jan. 24 Blacksburg
Tues. Jan. 28 @ Hidden Valley
Fri. Jan. 31 Patrick Henry
Tues Feb. 4 Abingdon
Fri. Feb. 7 @ Christiansburg
Tues. Feb. 11 Salem