LAMP point guard Alec Pitts is the catalyst for the Tigers this season. He hopes to drive his team through the sub-regional round and to its first regional berth. (Photo by Mike Peacock) To order more photos of this or other games, visit  www.kdpsportsphotos.com

by Graham Dunn
RRS Editor

The history of LAMP basketball was summed up properly by senior Gabe Brake, who stated with a grin on his face, "We were the team to beat up on. We were the team that lost, 90-20."

Suddenly, the Golden Tigers are doing some beating of their own.

Fresh from their first-ever area tournament championship, LAMP High School has loftier goals in sight. A trip to the regional tournament is the next step on the ladder followed by what the Tigers (23-5) hope is a trip to the Final 48 in two weeks. They face Dadeville (13-13) Friday at the Robert E. Lee gym. Tip-off is 7 p.m.

"We are expecting to win," said Brake, one of the seniors who has suffered through the losing seasons of the past. "One of the JV guys said our opponents come in hoping to win. We come in knowing we are going to win. We believe that the only ones that will beat us will be ourselves."

It’s a different tune for a program enjoying its first winning season in school history. It all began last year with the first win in postseason as part of a 13-14 finish. 

Before this year, the reason for losing was the tough academic requirements. 

"This is the first group that the academic pressure doesn’t affect them," said head coach Anthony Norris. "In the past, when they finished finals, they would come down from that and look like zombies. Individually, they have learned how to deal with that.

"LAMP has had decent players in the past but they had to focus so much academically, it hurt them on the court. There is something special about this group that allows them to take care of their school work and come out here and play winning basketball."

Senior leadership is playing a key role. The Tigers are led by a cat-quick point guard, Alec Pitts, who can score and dish out assists. Add a strong inside game that includes Brake and Bryan Young and a cast of characters that all know their roles.

That role includes a fast-paced offense that looks for a quick trip down court.

"He doesn’t want us to set up the halfcourt unless it is a deadball situation," Brake said. "We have been working on this since the summer, getting the ball out of the net and going. That was our focus. Couple that with pressure defense, it makes a fast-paced game."

Pitts is the key to the Tigers’ ability to push the ball up court. If given the choice, he will dribble past defenders and find open teammates underneath. Or he can go one-on-one and usually scores.

"When our offense drops, they look to me," he said. "I usually attack. When a team knows I can score, my assists starting coming."

"He is huge in that regard," Brake added. "He sees a triple team all the time. He dribbles right through it. We can hit the deep passes if we need to or he can dribble through it."

Norris, who is in his third year as head coach, saw a difference in the team in the first game of the season when the Tigers easily beat Dallas County, which is now ranked in Class 4A. 

"That scared me. That team is now ranked in the top 10," he said. "I feel like this team is good enough to go to Birmingham if we maintain the level of play needed. They understand that. I think they understand it a lot better than I expect them to. They have learned in the last five games of the season you have to be ready mentally to play and understand what we want from them. They had to rehearse the mentally before doing it physically."

Pitts believes the basketball team can follow suit of the school’s baseball team, which went to the state finals last spring. He and his teammates have received a lot of encouragement from them.

"They have the student section, right there," he said. "They support us at every game they can.  Sometimes, (shortstop) Austin White tells me, ‘keep going, work hard.’ And they tell me, ‘you are going to Birmingham.’"

Norris believes this bunch can make it to the finals if fate has it their way.

"They have learned in the last five games of the season you have to be ready mentally to play and understand what we want from them," Norris said. "They had to rehearse the mentally before doing it physically."