Sherwood Christian boys basketball ushering in era of resurgence

ALBANY — It’s Year 1 of Sherwood Christian Academy attempting to usher in an era of resurgence for the boys basketball program.

So far, so good.

While many coaches and players take the first year to get a feel for one another and lay the foundation for the future, coach Chad Evans and his squad have earned an 18-5 record and are two wins away from a Georgia Independent Christian Athletic Association state championship.

Sherwood will meet Mount Bethel (24-3) Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the Division 1-AA semifinals at the Cavalier Arena on the Albany State West campus. If Sherwood advances, they would play in the state championship game on Saturday.

The Eagles joined the fledgling league in 2014-15 and haven’t won a boys basketball title since joining the league.

Though in his first year as head coach, Evans is no stranger to the Sherwood culture. He was a student in the late 1980s and early 90s when the school won two state titles. He said the goal is to bring basketball back as a dominate sport.

Evans said he’s known most of his team for years, having coached a lot of them during football and that chemistry transferred to the hardwood. He said he believes the program was hungry and capable of achieving success and just needed to be guided in the right direction.

“I think they were looking for stability,” he said. “We’ve had several coaches over the last several years. They’re looking for stability, they were looking for consistency and that’s part of the culture we’re trying to create along with work ethic.”

He has a talented cast at his disposal. Their starting five is comprised of Joshua Kendrick, Bailey Benham, Sammy Smith, Stantravious Smith and Burch Langstaff.

Stantravious Smith is averaging 29.1 points per game to lead the team, followed Sammy Smith with 21.4.

Both Benham and Stantravious Smith joined the team this year. Benham said the friendship the five had already developed made the transition nearly flawless.

“To be honest, off the court we’re like the best of friends,” he said. “It helped on the court with that chemistry.”

Both Kendrick and Sammy Smith, the two seniors in the starting lineup, said now is the time they must feed off of that chemistry and hold each other accountable as the stakes get higher. Sammy Smith said they’ve had to adopt a different mindset.

“[At this point it’s about] just concentrating before the game, not playing as much and keeping each other accountable,” he said.

Stantravious Smith, said at this point in the season, there is no other option but to play their best basketball.

“Now it’s either win or go home,” he said. “We’ve just got to play better and play as a team to bring home a championship.”

Langstaff said that accomplishing such a goal would bring the school an overall morale boost and show the rest of the state what Sherwood basketball is about. Benham echoed these sentiments and added that it would show the program is heading in the right direction.

“[Being the first team in nearly a decade to compete for a title] feels fantastic, just leaving that legacy behind of being the first team to bring Sherwood to the top and hopefully grow the program from there,” he said.

As pleased as he is with what his team’s been able to accomplish, Evans noted that there is a bit of pressure on him to make sure they play their best basketball at this point.

“The pressure for me is making sure the kids stay focused,” he said. “Making sure their mindset is right and that they’re pushing forward each day rather than just coasting.”