Basketball in metro-Atlanta is very competitive. High school basketball teams around the city only accept the premier players at their respective schools, leaving vast amounts of basketball-hungry students without a school team to play for. However, there are alternatives for those who still want to play. Peachtree Road United Methodist Church (PRUMC) has a recreational basketball league that’s open to all high schoolers. The league pulls all different types of high schoolers, whether it’s talented players that want a team to play for, players who want to work on their skills, or just friends who want to have fun.

PRUMC’s rec league has proven to be massively popular. The league currently has 63 teams, each with at least nine players on the roster, meaning there are more than 500 players in the league, and more than 100 players just from North Atlanta. “I love the competition between different schools, and at the same time I get to play against my fellow Dubs,” said junior Ben Rose.

Every team in the league has its eye on the prize: the championship title. PRUMC will create a 22-team bracket, pulling the teams with the best records over the eight-game season from each grade level and pitting them against each other. Last year, a North Atlanta sophomore squad, Team No Smoke, almost went the distance. After going 6-2 during the regular season, the team full of Warriors, led by forward Charlie Hamilton, drove through the playoffs with force. Unfortunately, they came up just short in the championship game, narrowly losing to a team of Whitfield Academy seniors 45-40. “It was a tough loss, but this year we’re on our #RevengeTour,” said team captain Seth Fagin. 

Part of the fun of the league — beyond some hyper-competitive play — are the zany team names like Fortnite Lazer Sharkz, the Thunder Ducks, New Norf, and the Disciples. Another fun off-the-court aspect of the league are the social media accounts. Many of the teams in the league create their own Instagram accounts, where they roast and poke fun at other teams, with hope of backing it up when it actually comes down to game time. Undoubtedly, North Atlanta students will be looking to rock the league once again this year, with the hope of walking away from the league as champions.