On Nov. 30, the Dubs came out with a huge win for the boys basketball team. The “good guys” charged into Riverwood’s home court and took the place over with electricity and an incredible atmosphere of supportive students. Supporters for both sides were on edge the whole game but when all was said and done, North Atlanta came out with a 50 to 49 win over the Raiders from Sandy Springs.

It was a shaky start for the Warriors, but all was well as they regained some momentum and ended up on top at halftime. The Dubs knew they could come out stronger in the second half, and due to powerful words from head basketball coach Kerry Sarden at halftime, the boys knew what they had to get done. The second half continued to be very back-and-forth, all the way down to the wire, and it was the true moment where the summer training and hard work were on display for North Atlanta fans to see. “We knew the game was going to be a battle and our only option for victory was to dig deep and persevere,” said senior forward Michael Ashley.

Things got very interesting as the game came down to its final minute. The Raiders scored, the Dubs scored, the Raiders scored, and then the Dubs scored. As famed ESPN commentator Dick Vitale would say: “This is heart attack city, baby!” It ultimately came down to senior point guard Messiah Thompson, who finished with 15 points, to hold the ball and run the clock down to eight seconds. When the clock hit zero, Thompson put the defender in a doozy with his ball handling, and hit the mid-range shot to take the 50 to 48 lead. When time elapsed Dub supporters thought the whole shebang was over but the zebras had other plans. Those pesky refs had a meeting and put 3 seconds back on. With those 3 seconds, the Raiders wasted no time getting down the court, and garnering a foul. That meant Raider player Jermyle Jones went to the line for Riverwood. But then it was the wild, cacophonous din that otherwise is called the Northside Noises who made the difference. North Atlanta student section brought the house down with distracting shouts and Jones wound up missing his potential game-tying free throw, which finalizing a 50-49 Dubs victory. “Our boys fought so hard and I was so proud of how they stepped up and came out with the victory,” said Sarden.

The Dubs have started off the great season with a 6 and 1 record, and their only loss being a 9-point overtime loss to the #1 team in 6A, Tri Cities. The season is looking very promising, and the senior leadership is bound to step and look to take the team to the promised land. Watch out for Dubs basketball this year, they’re a force to be reckoned with.