“Work pays off” are the three words Junior Elliott Erlandsson uses to describe the 2024 Davie Varsity Men’s Basketball team’s season. A season filled with many highs and few lows, it’s safe to say that the 2023–24 season for the Varsity Men’s team was incredibly successful.
The season kicked off to a fiery start, with the team breaking a school record with the greatest start and longest winning streak in Davie High history (16-0). This record proved to be a valuable moment for the players as both Junior Elliott Erlandsson and Senior Ethan Ratledge mentioned that it was one of their favorite moments of the season. When commenting on the monumental start, Junior Jackson Powers says, “We couldn’t have done it without the chemistry made in the off-season,” which brings up the team’s greatest success of being able to work together to dominate their competition.
When asked about the biggest reason for their success, Ratledge says, “It’s our ability to play as a team rather than individuals.” The team can all agree that this mindset couldn’t have been instilled without the coaching of Joshua Pittman. Erlandsson says “[Coach] Pittman pushes us to our limit in practice to improve our ability and skill. He not only improves us on the court but also makes us better people off the court. He sets expectations for all of us to be better for the season, and he makes us work hard to get us where we’re at.” Powers adds to this statement by saying, “I think he’s the best coach I’ve ever had. He’s a “team-first” kind of guy, and if you don’t follow that, you’ll be benched.” It’s clear that Coach Pittman’s instruction has made a huge impact on the team, and their success can be attributed to their team-first mentality.
One of the key moments of the season was the win against Mount Tabor, a win Powers says occurred for the first time in his 3-year span on the Varsity team. This win wouldn’t have been possible without the clutch shooting of both senior Coleman Lawhon and junior Bryson Mickey. Ratledge’s favorite play came from this game, saying that “Coleman’s late three to seal the deal against Tabor was definitely the team’s best play of the season.” Another key moment of the season was winning the Ledford Christmas Classic Championship for the second year in a row, further adding to the historic season.
The success didn’t come without its hardships, one of which was the first loss at East Forsyth, unfortunately coming right after breaking the record for most consecutive wins in a season. Following the record start, the team went 6-5 closing out the season. When questioned about the end of the season, Ratledge says, “I’m a little disappointed with how our season ended, but still proud of how my team and I played throughout the season.” Although the season may not have ended like it started, it does not distract from the rest of the historic season and is just more motivation to work towards developing the team’s game for the next year.
The team ended their season with a 22-5 overall record and 11-3 in the conference, making them 2nd in the conference behind Mount Tabor. Starting center Jackson Powers led the team with points, rebounds, and blocks, and when recounting his favorite personal performance, he says, “Hitting three corner threes at the end of a close game against East Forsyth at home.” Senior Coleman Lawhon showed incredible playmaking and perimeter defense, averaging 4.2 assists per game and 2.4 steals per game. Along with his impressive ability to drive to the basket, he shows that he’s a true point guard. Small forward Ethan Ratledge finished the season leading in efficiency, showing his amazing ability to shoot the ball, and his team was always able to count on him securing points. Combo guard Bryson Mickey led in 3 pt FG% and created many lights-out moments for the crowd that simultaneously contributed to the energy and pace of the team.
The 2024 Varsity Men’s team left its mark on Davie High history, and with most of the roster returning next year, there’s no doubt that another successful season is to come.
