After the only basketball in North Atlanta being PE pick-up games, the North Atlanta Fall League – the yearly tradition for boy’s and girl’s basketball starting up in the coming week – is returning. Every year, the league hopes to help athletes adjust to the unrelenting pace and grueling conditioning of high school basketball. After an off-season that has been filled with practices, AAU tournaments, and strenuous training, Dubs basketball players are finally ready to show off their improvements.

The girl’s basketball team is finally having a Fall League for the first time in years. In previous years, insufficient participation has led to the absence of the league, much to the dismay of Head Coach William Credit. “The Fall League will be a great opportunity for the team to build chemistry and get to know what it is like to play with each other,” Coach Credit said.

With talented new teammates inbound, players on the girl’s team are excited for the Fall League, even more so than Coach Credit. According to the players, the outlook of the team for this season is bright. “We have this new player named Chloe who transferred here and plays on the Nike elite team,” junior Lanier Beckham said. “There is also Sienna who I saw play over the summer, and she is super talented.”

The boy’s basketball team has experience in the Fall League, and each year they play tough competition. In fact, this year, they are playing in a league with three teams that have won a state championship before. According to Head Coach Kerry Sarden, however, this is not an indication of how the actual season will go for the Dubs. “Last year in the Fall League, we went 1-10. During the regular season, however, we finished with a record of 22-4,” he said. “The tough competition we face really prepares us well.”

The boy’s varsity team lost a lot of great seniors, with some even earning Division One scholarships. One of the issues they now face as a result of these losses is the team’s lack of overall size. However, the team feels as if their dynamic chemistry can make up for the size they lack. “It is a new team, but we will be good, and we will be right back where we were last year,” senior Cam Ratcliffe said. “This is a close group.”

North Atlanta has always held high expectations for their basketball teams, especially after many successful seasons in the past couple of years. The Fall League turns up the heat for Warriors players and coaches as they begin preparing for the season. Starting September 11th, the ‘Dubs’ will look to uphold their self-proclaimed nickname against tough competition.