Lions finish regular season undefeated
The Albany Lions completed a historic regular season last week, finishing with a perfect 22-0 record and capturing the district championship for the first time since 2017.
Albany picked up a 47-36 road win over Anson on Feb. 10 before closing out district play with a decisive 59-33 victory at Hawley three days later.
Head coach Ryder Peacock said the Anson game showed the team’s ability to win even when shots were not falling.
“I think the biggest thing we took away was that we didn’t play our very best, but our guys played hard,” Peacock said. “We did a great job on defense, didn’t allow them many looks, and kept them from getting extra possessions.”
Peacock noted the game came shortly after an emotional victory the previous week, making it a challenge to stay focused.
“It was one of those games where you’re coming off such an emotional win that it’s tough to get back locked in,” he said. “I was proud of our guys for battling and finding a way to win.”
The Lions showed stronger offensive rhythm in the Hawley matchup, jumping out to a 20-7 first-quarter lead and maintaining control throughout the contest.
“I thought we started fast and really picked our game back up offensively,” Peacock said. “We shot the ball much better, continued to play great defense, and really frustrated them.”
The Hawley game also allowed Albany to experiment with defensive adjustments ahead of the postseason.
“We were able to work in some zone defense and some other options,” Peacock said. “You don’t want to wait until the playoffs to start trying something new, so it was a good opportunity for us.”
Historic season
Albany’s undefeated regular season is believed to be the first in program history.
Peacock said previous Lion teams had strong records, including a 30-win season in 2017, but none completed a full schedule without a loss.
“We’ve had some really good teams, but we’ve never had one that went undefeated in the regular season or district,” he said. “There’s always a possibility way back somewhere, but I highly doubt it.”
The coach said the accomplishment reflects the consistency and focus shown by this year’s squad.
“It’s hard to go through a whole season without having an off night that costs you a game,” Peacock said. “These guys have just continued to play hard and stay locked in all year.”
Turning toward
playoffs
Albany will face Seymour, the second-place team from its district, in a bi-district playoff game Monday in Graham after playing a warmup contest against May in Baird this week.
Peacock described Seymour as a challenging first-round opponent.
“They get after you defensively and have the ability to shoot the ball well at times,” he said. “They’ve traditionally been strong in basketball and have had some deep playoff runs.”
He noted the matchup is unusual for a district champion.
“Typically when you win district you expect to play a lower seed,” Peacock said. “But with the way the divisions are set up this year, it just worked out that we’re facing a district runner-up right away.”
Despite the challenge, Peacock said the Lions’ focus remains on continuing their strong play.
“We’re going to have to play good basketball,” he said. “If we do the things we’ve been doing all year, we’ll give ourselves a chance.”
JV season wraps up strong
The Albany junior varsity team also concluded its season last week, finishing with an 8-3 district record and showing steady growth throughout the year.
The JV squad defeated Anson 40-18 before falling to Hawley 43-36 in its final game.
Peacock said he was especially proud of the Anson performance.
“We had several kids step up and take on more responsibilities,” he said. “They did a great job moving the ball, defending well, and picking up the slack.”
The Hawley game proved more challenging, as Albany struggled offensively.
“We jumped out early but just went flat,” Peacock said. “Sometimes at the JV level you see that — one team starts making shots and the basket looks bigger for them.”
Overall, the coach said the season met and exceeded expectations.
“We got exactly what we thought we would, plus a little more,” Peacock said. “We asked a lot of these guys after moving some players up, and they really stepped into bigger roles.”
Peacock added that several JV players showed significant development and could contribute at the varsity level in the future.
“Several of these guys are going to be asked to play varsity minutes next year,” he said. “We saw a lot of growth, and it was a successful season overall.”
Editor’s note: Online sports sites list one early-season loss for the Lions. However, that game was played while most varsity players were still participating in football, with several junior varsity players who were not eligible for varsity competition filling the roster. Coach Ryder Peacock confirmed the contest was not recorded as an official varsity game.
