BY DANIEL LOCKE
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN —
Fresh off a 75-45 victory over Valiant Cross Academy, the Lee-Scott Academy Warriors are 23-1 overall and 9-0 in their region on the 2022-23 campaign.
Lee-Scott is under the leadership of head coach William Johnson, who is in his seventh season with the Warriors and brings over 20 years of coaching experience to the table.
Last season was a solid one for Lee-Scott Academy, as the Warriors finished with an 18-7 record and a first-place finish in their region. The Warriors have been playing at a different level this year, however, only having one game in the loss column with one contest remaining in the regular season as of Tuesday, Jan. 24.
Johnson said leadership sets this team apart from last year.
“Leadership has improved,” he said. “Talent is talent, but leadership can take you to a whole different level. Everybody has to be very attuned to their role and what they can give for the team. We are trying to be the best team we can possibly be.”
On the court, the Warriors are led by 6-foot-4-inch senior Joseph Horne, who can score, rebound and play defense.
“We’ve had a lot of contributing scorers and have been pretty consistent as a team,” Johnson said. “Joseph Horne is our most consistent player in terms of numbers.”
The 2022-23 season has been an excellent academic year for Lee-Scott athletics, as the Warriors football team went 13-0, finished first in its region and brought home the AISA 3A State Championship. A lot of teams may feel pressured to succeed based on the accomplishments of other teams at their school, but the Lee-Scott basketball team feels no different.
“It’s good to feed off momentum, but there is no pressure for us to succeed based on what they do,” Johnson said. “We just want to do everything the right way and compete at a really high level.”
The Warriors have had a smooth ride to the finish line as their one remaining game against rival Glenwood (6-2 in the region) will not affect the AISA 3A Region One standings.
They will host the Gators Thursday, Jan. 26, at home to close out the regular season. The AISA 3A Region 2 Tournament then begins on Feb. 1.
The Warriors have continued to improve over the past couple of seasons, and it does not go unnoticed by their coach, who said he enjoys every minute of their success.
“I’m really proud of this team and how they are growing as a team,” Johnson said. “They are doing everything they can to get better each day and achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship.”
Can the Lee-Scott Academy Basketball team achieve the same result as their football team? Only time will tell. The Warriors have been doing everything possible to prepare themselves for the postseason and put themselves in the best position possible to achieve the goal of winning a championship in 2023.