Saturday July 5th, 2025 5:06AM

Vikings begin monsterous schedule

By By Jeff Hart
RABBITTOWN - So, if you're the East Hall boys basketball team and you're coming off your second state championship in three years, what do you do for an encore?

In the Vikings case, its put together perhaps the toughest schedule in school history, and maybe the toughest by any team ever in Hall County.

East Hall coach Seth Vining explains the madness, uh, reasoning.

"With all the returning players we had this year we felt we could do this and give them a challenge and our fans some exciting games to watch this year," Vining said. "But I think we could win every one of them. I also think we could lose six, seven, even eight games. It's tough, no doubt."

The Vikings open their season Saturday night at Lakeview Academy, which has also put together a tough schedule.

Lose six to eight games? The Vikings finished last year's title run with a near-perfect 31-1 record. They steamrolled Hart County 81-47 in the championship game.

On this year's schedule is Banneker, who nearly beat the Vikings in last year's playoffs and Central and South Gwinnett, both tough Class AAAAA programs. They also play perennial power Mitchell-Baker and they have a rematch with Whitefield Academy, last year's Class A state champs.

All of that is in addition to their always tough Region 7-AAA schedule against the rest of Hall County.

But the prize of the schedule is S.W. Atlanta Christian, which is ranked No. 1 in the nation by several preseason publications. East Hall is no slouch, being recognized as No. 13 nationally in the same poll.

"I can't wait to get started," Vining said. "Because of the schedule, this is probably the most excited I have been before the start of a season in a long time. This should be a fun year."

But gone are Javon Randolph and Barry Ellison, who led them to the title. Brandon Glasper is the only returning senior.

Juniors Brody Langston, Marquez Jackson, Jarrenda Wheeler and Kevin Reeves also return and sophomores lee Coleman and Frank Davis will see significant playing time.
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