Routines, defense key for Southwest as title game looms

As the Southwest Patriots get ready to take on the Rabun County Wildcats in the GHSA Class A-Division I State Championship, their preparations look much different than the work that came before to last year’s title game.

The Patriots prepped for the 2024-25 championship matchup — which they ended up losing against Atlanta’s B.E.S.T. Academy in heartbreaking fashion — with a significantly different schedule than their normal routines. Head coach Monquencio Hardnett held practice in a different gym, had players stay in hotels and more to try and impress the importance of the game on his squad.

This year, he said it’s a different beast altogether.

“I think we learned a little bit from the first trip to keep it more normal. We want it to be as normal as possible,” Hardnett said. “The first couple days are mental, we’ll do a lot about us, then we’ll work on Rabun County the last two days before (the championship). … The excitement is there. They’re ready to play, and I’m excited for them.”

As he discussed his team’s habits ahead of their final contest, Hardnett finished sweeping the court in Southwest’s gym Tuesday ahead of the Patriots’ after-school practice. The Southwest team emerged from the side hallway and began shooting soon after, jawing back and forth and staying loose.

The warm-ups reflected a more relaxed attitude and a readiness that Hardnett said came with experience in the title game.

“They seem to be a little bit more eager to win this time. I think they feel the experience part of it as well. You could see some jitters last year, particularly at the beginning of the game and at the end of it as well,” the head coach said. “I don’t expect to see that this time. Like I told them, it’s two teams playing, and only one of them was here last time.”

Chase Dupree and CJ Howard will lead a senior class — one that has carried Southwest to its best stretch in decades — into its final game. Dupree said it felt a little weird to know it would be his last time on the floor as a Patriot, but he and Howard both mentioned the close bond the seniors have with one another.

“I feel great, because not only am I playing my last game, I’m playing it with my guys that I’ve been with since middle school,” Howard said. “Win or lose, those will always be my brothers.”

Of course, both athletes also showed the eagerness to win that their head coach mentioned.

“I’ve been so focused on winning,” Dupree said.

The Patriots will have a tough task, of course. Rabun County is in the midst of a storybook season much like Southwest’s trek to the title game last year, though the school has never made the championship in its history.

The Wildcats have lots of talent, but two players stand out. Post player Hayes Free (18.8 points per game) is 6-foot-8 and could do damage in the paint, while shifty point guard Huey Blalock (19.1 points per game) is committed to play ball at Navy and is a scoring engine for Rabun County.

“We want to make sure we’re still as physical as we can be. (The size) will be another hole that Rinaldo Callaway leaves not being here. We just want to be as fast as we can and be as smart as we can with the basketball. They’re a talented team and they shoot the ball well,” Hardnett said.

Southwest’s defense and rebounding have stood out during the playoff run and helped the team overcome some slightly off-kilter shooting efforts, although the Patriots have never looked entirely out of sync shooting. Dupree said he was proud of the defense he’s played all season. It will take a similar effort from him and his teammates — with an emphasis on the perimeter — to win the trophy.

“Running ‘em off the 3-point line, that’s gonna be the number-one thing. We have to make sure because they’re a little bit bigger. We have to be very physical and block them out. We have to play fast but be smart, because they like to score points as well. We saw a couple times down in Fort Valley (in the other semifinal) that they’ll pull up in transition sometimes for threes.”

The Patriots are set to take on the Wildcats at 3 p.m. on Friday.