LaFAYETTE, Ga. - There are times the LaFayette Ramblers can be downright flashy on the basketball court.
We're talking fast breaks when the ball barely touches the court, along with crowd-pleasing dunks and fancy passes. However, ask any member of the team to name the key reason the Ramblers are 21-1 and you get the same answer.
Defense.
The not-so-flashy part of the game is not an option in LaFayette, where coach Hank Peppers and his staff are the equivalent to the old-school football coach who stresses defense first, second and third. It's a must.
LaFayette's Jon Morgan (1) watches two of his 23 first-half points fall during a win over Heritage last season at the region tournament. Morgan is now a senior leader for the Ramblers, who close the regular season tonight.
Lafayette's Joh Morgan (1) breaks away from Heritage defender Luke Grant in first half action during Thursday's semifinal Region 6-AAAA basketball game at Southeast Whitfield High School.Just ask senior Jon Morgan.
"Well, it's not too hard getting everybody to buy into playing defense with Peppers always on us," Morgan said with laugh. "We don't have a choice."
Upon hearing those words, the third-year coach rocked forward in his chair, clapped and reminded Morgan that there was no need to butter him up at this point in the season.
"That's my boy," Peppers responded. "We really do stress it. People talk a lot about our offense, but we are really a defensive team. Everybody loves scoring, but defense travels with you, and right now we are No. 3 in the state in 4A in points allowed.
"We do the same defensive drills now we did two months ago, and we've made them tougher. Once they start seeing you win on a cold offensive night because of your defense, they understand."
The Ramblers, who take an 11-0 region record into tonight's 6-AAAA regular-season finale against Heritage, have held their opponents to fewer than 50 points 13 times, including seven games of fewer than 40 points. All of this without a starter taller than Morgan, who is a slender 6-foot-4.
Most teams with stellar defensive numbers achieve them by either running deliberate offenses that limit possessions or having elite rim protectors and rebounders. LaFayette isn't a slow-down team, but it will trap and harass, and there are no space eaters. It is, as leading scorer Alex Kelehear points out, a complete team effort.
"We've never had anyone who is 6-6 or 6-7," he said. "All five guys have to crash the boards and help each other, because we can't just rely on one or two guys. It can help us not having much size because our guards are so good. If teams are slow, we will hurt them."
The team is not just about defense, of course. Kelehear, a junior, has averaged 20 points and a team-best 4.8 assists per game this season, while Morgan, who just set a school record with a 43-point game, has averaged 16.6 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds. Guard Tyrese Marsh, wing Andrew Pendergrass and post Dee Southern round out the starting five, with reserves Vyshonn Daniel, Stone Graham and Rylan Russell also playing significant minutes.
It's a group that's played together for several years and that Peppers coached on the AAU level when he became an assistant at LaFayette eight years ago.
"It's phenomenal how well they play together," he said. "Jon Morgan is a big-time talent who has really come into his own this year. He will get even better after he graduates. Alex makes everybody better. He's a leader day in and day out. When you have players who want to work hard and win, it makes your job that much more enjoyable."
Success doesn't hurt, either - something the Ramblers experienced a year ago, including a first-round state tournament win that caught the attention of the rest of Georgia. Still, there is a feeling within the team that full respect hasn't come its way just yet.
"I feel everybody around here knows we are for real, but we're kind of in a bubble here in North Georgia," Kelehear said. "I do feel when it's showtime people around the state will be convinced."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.