2023-2024 Team Preview: Calera High School

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Calera Eagles High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Class 6A Area 5</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Head Coach: George Drake&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Last Season Record: 1-23&nbsp;<em>(According to maxpreps.com)</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><em>X/Twitter: @</em>CaleraEagleBbal</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2257648' first='Tierren' last='Thomas']</strong>&nbsp;(6'0/SG/'24/Calera HS)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2257622"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":2132213,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cp style=u0022margin: 0in;font-family: Georgia;font-size: 18.0ptu0022u003eu003cspan style=u0022color: #0e101au0022u003eIG: u003c/spanu003eTeezy2024u003c/pu003ernu003cp style=u0022margin: 0in;font-family: Georgia;font-size: 16.0pt;color: #0e101au0022u003eu003c/pu003ernu003cp style=u0022margin: 0in;font-family: Georgia;font-size: 16.0pt;color: #0e101au0022u003eTierren approaches the game in a very business-like manner. He has a mature game and is ready to carry the load of his team during his final high school season. He will be looked upon for leadership on and off the court. He is a player who can adjust and adapt to any circumstance that may arise in a game, a component needed from a senior leader.u003c/pu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-654a6542c89f3"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2389323' first='Tavis' last='Hatch']</strong>&nbsp;(6'5/F|C/'24)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Tavis is a fundamentally sound player whose game has a reasonable degree of versatility. He has a strong post-game and provides interior scoring and rebounding. He will be a key piece to the Eagles' success and must play big every night. One thing about Tavis that his coaches rave about is his desire to get better.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2472304' first='Garrett' last='Mahone']</strong>&nbsp;(5'9/PG)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Garrett is a lead guard with very good ball-handling skills and does a good job getting the Eagles into their offense. He is extremely coachable, making it easy for his coaches to trust his play. He leads by example, especially in practice, as he is one of the hardest-working players on the team. His ability to take care of the ball and orchestrate the offense will be vital to the Eagles' season.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">When asked about two players who will be key pieces of the puzzle for his team this season that were not listed in the top three above, Coach Drake quickly mentioned the following two players:&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Gavin Blankenship</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2472347' first='Jamarion' last='Brown']</strong> (G/'27). Gavin has worked himself back from an injury that has kept him sidelined for an extensive amount of time. However, his return is highly anticipated as he is a natural offensive threat from beyond the arc. [player_tooltip player_id='2472347' first='Jamarion' last='Brown'] is a very athletic all-around player. He is a freshman and will see some good minutes this year on varsity. Despite his youth, he has the will and the athletic ability to compete with the best.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Coach Drake plans for his team's style of play to be what it always has been, and that is organized chaos. He expects his players to create an environment on the court that makes it hard for other teams to function. The coaching staff is excited about this year as they look to put behind them the 1-23 mark from last year. It is a new team and a new year, and the coaching staff is expecting great things. Their motto this year will be a quote they have been using in practice every day, which is, "The harder I work, the luckier I get. "</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">When asked what it would take for his team to make a deep playoff run, make it to the Final Four, or even win the State Championship, Coach Drake told me his guys must be coachable, must work hard, and must leave it all on the floor every night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->