Last season, the Richmond Hill High School boys basketball team accomplished something that hadn't been done in that sport at the school in a decade.
They won a region title, the first for RHHS since the legendary Jimmy Hires' coached the Wildcats to a Region 3-AAA crown in 2001.

"Winning the region championship was a huge accomplishment for our team," said fifth-year coach William Altman. "I am hoping that last year's success will give us the confidence and desire to try and accomplish the feat one more time."
But Altman knows it won't be easy to duplicate last year's success. The Wildcats, who finished 21-9, lost several seniors off last year's squad -- including first team All-Region 2-AAAA point guard Lorenza Ross, first team All-Region forward Vernon Jackson and second-team All-Region performers D'Angelo Johnson and Brandon Jordan, along with Steven Williams. Ross signed at Lincoln Memorial while Johnson did the same at Middle Georgia. But all five players were key as the Wildcats made their run through Region 2-AAAA.

Still, Altman has reason for optimism as the new season gets under way.

"We will have high expectations after our success from last year," he said. "Our team is young and our goal will be to improve from game to game. New guys are trying to learn out system and we should get better as the season progresses."

Read more in Saturdays' Bryan County News