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Vikings hoping for uninterrupted season

By RICKEY CLARDY ~ For the T-G
Posted 11/16/20

To say that this season's Community Viking basketball team will have a tough act to follow is an understatement. The Vikings finished the 2019-20 season with a 32-2 record, including District 12-AA and Region 6-AA championships and were one game short of a spot in the TSSAA Class AA state tournament...

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Vikings hoping for uninterrupted season

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To say that this season's Community Viking basketball team will have a tough act to follow is an understatement.

The Vikings finished the 2019-20 season with a 32-2 record, including District 12-AA and Region 6-AA championships and were one game short of a spot in the TSSAA Class AA state tournament.

With several key players returning that were an integral part of last season's record-breaking team, Coach Robbie Davis is optimistic heading into the 2020-21 campaign.

"We've been fortunate that is the third time we've had to do this," Davis said.

"We've been to three substates, but the biggest difference with this one is we have some pieces coming back."

Senior Will Reed will be the only starter returning to this year's squad, but the Vikings have seniors Jackson Bailey, Evan Petrie, and Jacob Cooper who all will see increased playing time this season.

Junior sharp-shooter Stratton Lovvorn will be a force from the perimeter while sophomore Noah Newkirk will log more minutes from the post position.

Like most other teams, the Vikings did not see a lot of action in the summer due to the pandemic and will be looking for the right chemistry as the season progresses.

"We're behind like everybody else. Not having summer and with all the restrictions, it's going to be rough sledding," Davis said. "We've got to find some bench pieces to supplement minutes, and that's going to be a work-in-progress for awhile."

Davis feels this season's team can make up for some reduced size.

"Our size is still pretty big. Four of our five starters are six-three to six-five, but usually our post guys have excessive size," Davis said.

"But our experience and battle-tested guys who have played big minutes in big games will be a plus," Davis added.

"These guys played early, meaningful minutes throughout the season and they know what it's like to win. When you win 32 games in a season, winning is contagious and you learn how to win in tough situations," Davis said.

"It will be a different team, but as far as the intensity by which we play, we won't drop off."

The Vikings will play one more season in a district with Nolensville, Marshall County, Giles County, Central Magnet, and Forrest.

"Our district is probably the most diverse district in the state," Davis said.

"You've got six teams and only two of them are in the same county, and you have the complexity of the schools and the difference in enrollment."

"You have us and Forrest who are basically mirror images of each other," Davis added.

"Nolensville is now a 4A school who is going to be playing in this district and you've got Marshall and Magnet that are going to be 3A schools. Us, Forrest, and Giles are the biggest 2A schools."

"Even though we are diverse and spread out, pretty much the district has worked well together," Davis added. "We've had good competition and great games."

Along with the optimism of a new season comes the cloud of the pandemic that looms over the horizon.

"Every county has different rules for their games," Davis said. "If a player's parent tests positive, that player has to be quarantined for 24 days. But if the player catches it, it's only 10. With contact tracing, if one of our kids gets it and they trace it to the guys on the team, the guys on the team have to sit 14 days."

"We've had to make a lot of adjustments," Davis added. "The guys aren't allowed in the locker room except to dress and get out. In practice, they stand apart. Seating-wise during games, there are different rules for different places we're going.

"This is really going to be a challenge," Davis said.

Davis has seen firsthand how the pandemic can alter a season and does not want to see a repeat to his basketball team.

"Hopefully some of this will get back to some normalcy really soon," Davis said.

"This is the one thing our kids will tell you. They're scared to death they're going to lose their senior year," Davis added.

"Most of the guys on my basketball team are the baseball team. We played a week last year and they lost their whole junior year."

"It was terrible we lost the substate game. We wanted to win that game," Davis said.

"What would have been worse was winning that game and never playing in the state tournament. I think that would have hurt more."

"These kids are scared to death that at any point they're going to come in and shut basketball down," Davis added.

"They're enjoying every practice and taking advantage of being here and enjoying each other."

"They've seen what happens and it's heartbreaking."

Community starts off the season with Hall of Champions contests against Tullahoma and Warren County.

The Vikings play several familiar and surrounding non-district foes including Cascade and Shelbyville in December and early January, and will participate in the Bedford Classic at Shelbyville before Christmas.