As fall semester 2014 comes to an end, Warrior fans can know that the basketball season is very much underway. This year’s roundball season is noteworthy because new coaches are starting their first years at the helm on both the men and women’s squads.

Jarrod Davis, an economics teacher, is the new women’s head coach, and Kerry Sarden, a longtime North Atlanta physical education teacher, is taking over the men’s basketball program.

Davis comes to North Atlanta from Charles Drew High School in Clayton County. “Our goal is to get better, each and every game is a new challenge,” he said.

His goal is to improve on last year’s record and make the women’s varsity squads more competitive. Davis said he is capitalizing on the leadership of team captains Tamiah Lewis and Dreshona Mapps-Whitmore and forwards Lauren Henderson and Jamie Eason. This year’s campaign has been tough so far the women’s team. A succession of early-season losses has come at the hands of South Atlanta, Dunwoody, Lovett, Forsyth Central and Grady.

At Charles Drew High, Davis had 98 wins and 45 losses with men’s teams. Davis, who is accustomed to being a part of winning programs, said he is not discouraged by early season setbacks. “We’re going to keep working hard on getting into the win column,” he said. “The thing that most impresses me is that the team has not given up and that we’re still fighting hard.”

Though the men’s varsity head coach is new, he’s not a new face at North Atlanta. Coach Sarden has more than 20 years of coaching experience. He has taught at North Atlanta for eight years and was most recently head coach of the varsity women’s team. He came to North Atlanta from Grady High.

He has high hopes for his squad, and team goals include being competitive in the 7 AAAAA region, a region crown, and also a slot in the state tournament. “We have the talent but we just need to make sure we focus and play to the best of our abilities,” Sarden said.

During the season thus far the team has had close losses to Grady, Lovett, South Atlanta, Cambridge and Forsyth Central. The Warriors notched victories against Sprayberry, Arabia Mountain and Dunwoody.

Key team players are guards Ethan Staes and John Lambert. Other major contributors are guard Myles Jenkins and forward-guard Khalil Wallace, “I have a lot of seniors and my biggest goal is for them is to provide team leadership,” Sarden said.

Both Sarden and Davis agree that competition will be tough in the region. For both Warrior teams, staying alert is key. “We can go far, but we have to practice and play like the Warriors that we are,” Davis said.