Pickett 6th Grade BBall Team Celebrates Back To Back State Championships

Pickett County Schools celebrated its 6th grade boys basketball team Tuesday for its second straight state championship.

Coach Lee Amonett said the championship showed the kids that hard work pays off.

“It’s a big thing to win a championship,” Amonett said. “They don’t need to be taken lightly or taken for granted. They put a lot of work in, and they appreciated what the accomplishment meant. They were really excited, and it’s been a big thing for the community as well.”

Players received their state championship t-shirts Tuesday recognizing their back to back trophies. Amonett said the players team first mentality made this group of players special.

“The last two years our 6th grades teams definitely had one thing in common,” Amonett said. “They were a team first group. It didn’t matter to them who scored at the end of the game. If one player pretty much lead us more often than not, it didn’t bother anybody.”

Amonett said every victory was celebrated together regardless of who scored the most points. Amonett said the team learned how to win as a group on both ends of the court.

“As a group, they learned where the ball needed to be in key situations,” Amonett said. “They learned how hard it is to play a long possession on defense and not hurry a possession on offense. They learned how important it is to not turn the ball over and how important it is to not give up offensive rebounds.”

The team finished 22-1 this most recent season. Amonett said the team embraced winning at its fullest regard.