New-look Hornets have high hopes
There is an abundance of opportunity for this year’s Chelsea High School boys basketball team.
The Hornets are being tasked with replacing the production of Daniel Washington and Matthew Lanzi, the team’s top two scorers and rebounders. Between the two of them, they combined for more than 23 points per game and nearly 15 rebounds. Considering Chelsea scored roughly 42 points each night last year, that means the duo contributed over half of the points any given night.
Jacob Tierney headlines the list of returning players for the Hornets, after averaging seven points and two rebounds a contest last winter. Tierney came on strong toward the end of the year, passing the 20-point threshold several times and coming up with the winning basket against Calera in area play.
“We’ve got a solid group of kids coming back,” Chelsea head coach Nick Baumbaugh said. “We’ve got seven seniors and juniors who have all played minutes for us.”
Tierney and fellow senior KJ Hall are the team’s top two leading returning scorers and will likely carry much of the offensive load for the Hornets. Baumbaugh also noted the experience of senior Andrew Messier, who started some last year, and junior Holton Smith, who contributed big minutes at point guard as a sophomore last season.
Among the seniors, Luke Haywood was solid playing back up for Washington at the center position last year. Gray Oldenburg and Bryant Royster played well in their roles. Caleb Moore, the quarterback of the resurgent Chelsea football team, has also returned to the basketball team after taking last year off.
Washington was the focal point of the Chelsea offense last year, as his imposing stature and skill around the rim made him a matchup nightmare. The Hornets won’t have that advantage this year and will look to spread things out on the perimeter.
“I think we’re going to be very similar to the teams that we’ve been (in the past),” Baumbaugh said. “I think we’ll shoot a lot more 3s this year. We still want to work the clock, make people guard us and get the easy bucket if we can.”
With five guards on the floor, that can leave a team vulnerable to teams that feature bigger players. But Baumbaugh believes guys such as Moore, who stands 6-foot-6, and Messier, a soccer player who is “sneaky good,” can help neutralize a mismatch. There will still be plenty of room in the rotation for traditional bigs, such as Haywood and Royster, as well.
Chelsea’s identity on the other side of the ball won’t change at all, though. “We’re going to make sure that we can guard people,” Baumbaugh said.
“We’re going to try to hold people to 40 points per game. When we can do that, we’re really successful.”
The goal for Chelsea is to return to the regional round of the postseason for the first time since 2016. But the Hornets will first have to take care of business in a tough Class 6A, Area 8.
“They want to win the area championship, as I’m sure Pelham, Helena and Calera are saying,” Baumbaugh said. “We have an expectation that we’re going to win games and get to the regional tournament."
Chelsea begins the season Nov. 7, when the Hornets host Minor. They will also play Clay-Chalkville, Vestavia Hills, Wenonah, Scottsboro, Homewood, Tuscaloosa County and in Spain Park’s Thanksgiving tournament in November.