Coming off a Final Four appearance, Putnam County girls head basketball coach Derrick Arrington returned to the gym with his team this summer.
The focus was on development, competition, and preparing for the challenges that await during the 2026-27 season.
“We were excited to get back in the gym this summer and get back to work,” Arrington said. “Just get back to the grind.”
The Lady War Eagles wrapped up their summer schedule with a series of games against strong competition from across the state, including participation in the Georgia Basketball Coaches Association Girls Live Event at the LakePoint Sports Complex in Emerson.
Putnam County’s girls opened their summer with a 52-45 win over Athens Academy before facing a difficult stretch against larger schools and established programs. The team fell to Dalton 47-30 and dropped a narrow 35-32 decision to Creekside.
Arrington said he intentionally sought out elite competition throughout June.
“Last summer we played bigger schools,” he said. “This summer, we played bigger schools that made Final Four and state championship runs. That was kind of the formula for June.”
The highlight of the month came at the GBCA Live Event, where college coaches from across the South gathered to evaluate prospects. Arrington said it was a valuable experience for both his players and the program.
“It was an exciting event, a big-time event,” he said. “It was a big deal to take the girls program up there.”
Putnam County nearly knocked off one of Georgia’s premier basketball programs in its opening game, falling 55-50 to Buford in a back-and-forth contest.
“It was a really good matchup,” Arrington said. “Buford is a historic program and well-coached.”
The Lady War Eagles rebounded with a thrilling 52-51 victory over Christian Heritage before closing out the event with losses to Camden County and Murray County. Despite the mixed results, Arrington said he left encouraged by what he saw from a team adjusting to new roles.
“We’re a new team,” Arrington said. “We’re finding all of us doing new things, being asked to be in new positions and new roles. All the girls are taking that step toward what they have to do for this team.”
Among the players expected to help lead that transition are Jaydah Baker and Journey Waller, two key contributors who are working to expand their responsibilities in the upcoming season.
While Putnam County’s identity remains rooted in defense, Arrington said the coaching staff has made offensive improvement a point of emphasis this summer.
“We’re a defensive team. We’re a defensive program. We live on defense,” Arrington said. However, he added, “We had some offensive lulls from last season that we feel cost us certain moments of games.”
So, practices have focused heavily on offensive execution, including movement away from the ball, setting screens, and making the right passes at the right time.
“We really put a lot of focus on that,” Arrington said. “Not saying we’re going to become an offensive program. We’re still a defensive team, but we felt at times last season there were moments in games where we had to execute offensively.”
The summer schedule also tested the Lady War Eagles’ depth and toughness. Arrington said only seven players participated during portions of June, forcing the team to battle through fatigue while facing quality opponents.
Now, with the July travel-ball period approaching, Arrington said the focus will shift toward recovery and continued preparation for the season ahead.
“I know this is an important month for development, but we’ve got to look a couple of months ahead here,” Arrington said. “See if we can heal up a little bit.”