New Pelham Coach Mykel Edwards impressed by first summer workout

PELHAM — The first basketball practice of the summer wasn’t really about basketball.

It was about a new beginning.

Just weeks after being named Pelham High School’s boys basketball coach, Mykel Edwards stepped onto the floor of the Hornets’ Nest on Monday and got his first extended look at the players he hopes can help elevate the program.

What he saw left him encouraged.

“I had seen them play on film from last year,” Edwards said. “But today they looked more eager, more excited to play.”

That energy filled the gym as 25 players participated in the Hornets’ first summer workout following the GHSA’s annual dead week.

For Edwards, a longtime assistant coach at Lee County, Monday was less about installing plays and more about establishing a culture and getting to know his players.

One player who immediately stood out was rising senior Anthony Battle, a 6-foot-7 center who could become a key piece of Pelham’s success this season.

Edwards was impressed not only by Battle’s play, but by the leadership he displayed throughout the workout.

“I was really happy to see Anthony Battle step up and show leadership,” Edwards said. “His vocal support of his teammates and helping get players in the right spot was good to see.”

Battle’s emergence as a leader could be important for a Pelham team that returns much of last season’s roster. The Hornets finished 7-18 a year ago, but they did so with a young team that featured only one senior.

Now those players return older and more experienced, while adjusting to the expectations of a new coach.

One challenge Edwards faces is that many of his players are also key contributors on the football team.

“We have to share a lot of our guys with the football team, so we will be working around that,” Edwards said.

Regardless of who is available on a given day, Edwards already knows the identity he wants his team to embrace.

Defense will come first.

“I love slam dunks and layups, but I’m a defensive-minded coach,” Edwards said. “We are going to play strong defense. If we get good defense and get the stop, that will allow us to run and get those baskets.”

The coming weeks will provide plenty of opportunities to begin putting that philosophy into action.

Pelham’s June schedule is packed with practices, camps and summer competition. The Hornets will travel to Florida A&M University this weekend for a team camp before spending much of the month on the road.

Summer games are scheduled in Columbus, Bainbridge, Ashburn, Thomasville and Leesburg, giving Edwards and his staff opportunities to evaluate players while continuing to install their system.

The month will conclude with a trip to the HoopSeen Summer Finale in Atlanta, one of the state’s premier summer basketball events.

Edwards knows next season won’t be determined in June. Championships aren’t won during summer workouts.

Still, after one afternoon in the Hornets’ Nest, there were signs that something positive is taking shape.

A new coach. A veteran centerpiece in Battle. A gym full of eager players.

For Pelham basketball, Monday felt like the first step toward building something better.