There haven’t been as many wins this season as Jon Hampton would like, but that’s perfectly fine with Polk County’s boys junior varsity basketball coach.
Player development is progressing, and that is Hampton’s primary goal.
“As much as we want to get wins, our goal is to get better for next year,” Hampton said shortly after Saturday’s 41-27 loss at Landrum. “Take a game like tonight. I’m more proud of their effort in a loss, because it shows that they keep getting tougher and keep getting better.
Get PolkSports delivered to your inbox
Sign up for our free newsletter →
“I think at this point, they’ve grown more than even they realize. Their practice habits are improving, and that shows on the court. We’re playing defense better, and that is showing on the offensive end as well.”
Though off to a 2-9 start, three of the Wolverines’ losses have been by six points or less. Perhaps most notably, Polk County has been competitive with every Western Highlands Conference team they’ve face thus far this season save for a 63-29 loss at Mitchell.
Saturday’s game served as an indicator of how the Wolverines are improving, as Polk County dropped a 57-30 decision to Landrum earlier this season. The Wolverines not only cut that margin nearly in half but competed on even terms with the Cardinals save for a crucial spell early in the third period.
Polk has just two sophomores on its roster, Wilson Edwards and Wyatt Derkach. That duo has played an integral role in the rising fortunes of the team.
“Their toughness bleeds through everybody else,” Hampton said of his sophomore duo. “They might get a total span of three minutes off the court during a game. Tonight I called my timeouts in the second half just to give them a break.
“No matter the score, those two are always giving 120 percent.”
While Edwards and Derkach have anchored the backcourt for Polk, Hampton is also excited about the development of some of his freshmen post players.
“Elijah (Sutton), Markell (Lipscomb) and Amir (Gary), their potential is through the roof,” Hampton said. “With the varsity losing two big men (Wes Mullis and Davis Derkach) next year, if they keep working and keep listening, they could have a shot to move up and contribute.”
Having played for varsity head coach Josh McEntire and served as one of his assistant coaches, Hampton has a good feel for the varsity system, though he has been able to add a tweak or two.
“(McEntire) has given me some leeway,” Hampton said. “I make sure we run the base offense and base defense that he runs, but I’ve been able to put in some of my own things. I really appreciate him letting me do that.”
Polk County returns to action Friday, hosting Hendersonville to close the first half of its conference schedule. With 10 games remaining, Hampton has high hopes for the remainder of the season.
“We’ve got a lot of winnable games,” Hampton said. “It’s tough to win on the road in this conference, so we’ve got to make sure we get wins when we’re at home.
“I’d like to finish above .500, and maybe finish in the top two or three.”
