Southside looking to backcourt for leadership, production

CHOCOWINITY — Last February, the Southside Seahawks, a team that finished fourth in the top-heavy Coastal Plains Conference, were in the final stages of a season full of adversity and underestimation.

It was a team that took its place in the shadow of neighboring Pamlico County, cross-county rival Northside and powerhouse East Carteret. The Seahawks were seasoned underdogs, so to speak, carried by an All-County point guard and an athletic paint presence.

With a 10-15 record, Southside earned an unexceptional No. 14 seed in the 1-A bracket and a first round meeting with No. 3-seeded Northampton County. And while all eyes were fixated on the Coastal Plains favorites, the Seahawks quietly pieced together an 80-69 upset win over the Jaguars.

“To tell you the truth, it wasn’t a tough game for us. It was like a normal day,” said head coach Sean White. “We went out there, played our game and were fortunate enough to come out on top. The guys have a lot of drive and a lot of heart and that’s what we were playing on last year.”

The sub-.500 record could have been attributed to an early injury to standout forward Isaiah Moore, an injury that placed much of the scoring burden on the shoulders of 5-foot-9 guard Donshae Miller.

But for the second-straight year, White opens the season without Moore, who transferred to Wake Christian Academy this offseason. As a result, White is looking to Miller, who averaged 18.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season, for leadership and increased production.

“He’s stepped up and really become a leader, more so than last year,” White said. “That’s one thing I admire him for. He urges the other kids on, is always talking and you never see him get down. He’s always got his head up.”

Miller was the heart and soul of the motion offense, while his defense was unyielding and rebounding ability unbelievable, considering his size. The pressure was on for him to perform and he responded accordingly.

This season, Miller will lead a team stocked with seniors through a conference consisting of a state runner-up, a five-star prospect and a collection of teams on the rise.

But White spent this summer learning from the best, attending a handful of coaching conferences, and he plans on implementing some new techniques to his existing scheme.

“It’s a learning process. If you’re not out there trying to pick up new things and learn, then you’re not going to go anywhere. You’re not going to get better,” White said.

“We’re looking at possibly adding more screens. We didn’t do that as much before with our motion offense. You just try to make the kids basketball smart and learn the game while it’s going on, but there’s some new things we’re going to try.”

Similar to last year, Southside will learn a variety of different defenses to fit specific opponents, which should give them an advantage in a conference where size and talent vary from team to team.

While tryouts begin on Monday and no lineup is set in stone, Miller, Donshae Tatum, Tyriek Gaskins, Rashaun Moore and Johnny Sullivan are some of the favorites to make the starting five, while former jayvee players like Matt Baxter and Lawrence Brown will get the opportunity to fill in the cracks.

Southside opens the season at home against Columbia Dec. 8.