Putnam County head coach Patrick Marshall took the blame for his team not making the postseason last year.
In 2023-24, the War Eagles lost to Laney in the first round of the region tournament, ending their season earlier than expected. However, they bounced back this year and finished the regular season with a 23-1 record.
“We’ve been preaching about it since we started preseason workouts,” Marshall said. “I gave them the challenge, and we called this season our ‘redemption year.’ I told the guys that I felt we were too talented as a staff and team to miss the playoffs like we did last year. I put it all on me, and I took the blame. So, I put it on my guys to bring us out of that, and we've been preaching about it this year, and it just caught fire.”
Well, Putnam County responded after last season’s devastating loss to Laney in the region tournament and is ranked No. 1 overall in Class A Division I. The War Eagles are also a favorite to win this year’s state title.
It’s also safe to say Putnam County’s players bought into Patrick’s message.
“They’re all in, and the greatest thing about this team is that everybody holds each other accountable,” he said.
Marshall isn’t looking ahead but knows this season’s team can win the first state championship in school history.
“I think this country is yearning for that, man,” Marshall said. “When I took this job, I knew basketball is in the DNA of the community, and they came out to support us. So, I know it'll mean a lot to the community if we can get that championship. We don't want to say we're going for it, but we want to win every game and do what we're supposed to. It's a possibility we can have that opportunity. It would be a big deal.”
While the team has had success, Marshall is trying to prevent his players from becoming complacent. He wants his guys not to focus on the big picture but to take things slowly, believing they can do it.
“We’re trying to transition from understanding that every game matters. There is no tomorrow,” Marshall added. “All the games [from now on] have meaning. The regular season was to prep for this time, so we’ve got to understand that every game matters. Take everything with more caution and play with a sense of urgency.”
It all started earlier this week with the region tournament.
Putnam County hopes to win the region championship and earn the No. 1 overall seed in the Class A Division I state playoffs. To do so, the War Eagles must defeat Greenforest, the team that handed them their only loss.
“I think we'll be okay,” Marshall said. “We’ve just got to continue to do the stuff that we do best.”