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The Pike County Bulldogs head into the 2024-2025 basketball season looking to return to the postseason as they begin play in Class 4A.

Almost the entirety of Pike County’s team also plays football, which means last week was the first time the team was able to come together for a full practice since the summer.

“We all share athletes here, so we may not get to do as much in the offseason but our kids are in the weight room and playing football and getting stronger and tougher,” PCHS Coach Janasky Fleming said. “The great thing about it is that a lot of our kids are in their third year with me. The language and what we do, basketball wise, hasn’t changed. Some of those kids that have been here are able to help those that are just coming into the program because of that.

“I have kids now that were playing on the B-Team as seventh graders and now are ninth graders. We have some eighth and ninth graders that will play on varsity. We’re not having to re-teach stuff from the beginning for these guys.”

Fleming pointed to names like Khalil Foster, Michael Walker, Az’horee Eutsey and Atravyn Davenport as players he’s looking to lead his squad, and some of those names are very young still.
“Some of those guys are just freshmen but we’ll need them to step up as leaders,” Fleming emphasized.

Fleming is also excited about the return of CJ Griffin to the lineup. Griffin missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in the final football game of the season and he underwent elbow surgery just before this football season.

“CJ Griffin is cleared to play, so that is going to be a huge addition for us,” he said. “Aydin Foster is another freshman that will play varsity and I think he’s going to be pretty good.”

Fleming also pointed to 6-foot-3-inch freshman Colt Pennington as a player that could find minutes with the varsity.

“Cole’s mom is like 6-foot-3 and he’s got that height and we got him to play last year and he enjoyed it,” said Fleming. “He’ll eventually play varsity for us. He’s a hard-working kid and he plays football, too. He’s gotten bigger and stronger.”

Despite the youth across the team, Fleming is looking for his Bulldogs to repeat as Area Champions in a new Area.

“Last year we won the area tournament, so that was huge for our program,” he emphasized. “We’re in a new area and we’re trying to put ourselves in a position to be one of the top seeds in the area again. That’s the main goal for us right now.”

As a part of Class 4A, Area 4 the Bulldogs will play alongside Bullock County, New Brockton, Opp and Straughn. Pike County opens up the season with four straight road games against Class 7A Smiths Station on Nov. 16, Goshen on Nov. 29, Carroll on Dec. 6 and Cottonwood on Dec. 10. The Bulldogs finally come home to Brundidge for three consecutive home games Dec. 12 against Cottonwood, Dec. 13 against Carroll and an area game against Straughn on Dec. 17.