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By TYLER RALEY | Special to the Reporter

The Chelsea Hornets may have had their season ended in the first round of Class 7A state playoffs last year, but that did not take away from the magical run that they had towards the end of their campaign.

The Hornets’ march to a Class 7A, Area 6 area title has the program elated. Now, as the program transitions back down to Class 6A, it looks to make that mark a regular occurrence and push for more in the 2024-25 season.

“I’m about as positive as I’ve been in a long time,” Chelsea coach Nicholas Baumbaugh said. “It’s been eight years since we’ve won an area title… I’ve been about as relieved as I’ve been in a long, long time when it comes to basketball, but this team is a completely different team. We graduated eight seniors from last year. We graduated the bulk of our kids who played all the minutes.”

Now, as a result of the large graduating class, including that of star player Avery Futch, Chelsea leans on a new leader in its next campaign.

Baumbaugh made no hesitation in giving that role to senior forward Aiden Owens.

The last three seasons have seen the Hornets’ chosen captain shine. This season, they are confident that Owens will make that same mark and step up to the challenge, as he is fully ready for it.

“He’ll be a four-year starter. Expectations are really really high for him and he knows that. He knows that this team is now his team,” Baumbaugh said. “He’s kind of waited in the wings… Now it’s Aiden’s turn to take over and be the leader of this team. He’s got the most experience, the most returning. His stats are not phenomenal, but the difference he made down the stretch last year was fantastic.”

Owens’ presence inside will be a big part of the team’s game plan each time it steps out, so he looks to use the momentum he gained at the end of last season’s run to his advantage.

The seniors who are taking places around him have the experience of being on the team but now will get the minutes they have been looking for.

Camden Harper, Tyler Wells and Demarquis Floyd are three players who may not have seen a massive amount of playing time, but Baumbaugh is certain that those guys are ready to step up for the squad, especially Floyd, who is playing point guard this year.

Kyle Brown and AJ Malone are two seniors who got more development on the junior varsity squad as juniors, and will now play major minutes for Chelsea after proving themselves last year.

Jordan Garcia is a young guard that is also a name to watch out for in the early going. The sophomore saw minimal minutes at the varsity level as a freshman and was sent down to junior varsity at the end of the season. There, he averaged 15 points per game in a tournament, showing a lot of potential about what he can do for this program long term.

Evan Moller will also be another non-senior to look out for in the middle portion of the season, as the junior is still fully recovering from a broken leg. Despite that, Moller started in the summer for the Hornets, where he played really well and can be a big leader according to Baumbaugh.

With all of the opportunity and potential that Chelsea possesses, it is no question that this team is preparing well for the challenges it will face down the road.

The Hornets’ move back down to 6A set them in an area with all local teams in the likes of Spain Park, Pelham and a 2024 Final Four squad in Helena.

The distance between those four schools will mean a lot of rivalries renewed, which Baumbaugh is ecstatic for.

“I think the 6A-7A basketball in the Birmingham metro area is just phenomenal basketball,” Baumbaugh said. “We’re excited about this new area. It’s going to be a challenging area. It’s not an easy area by any means. I think it’ll be extremely competitive, just like it was in our 7A area last year where every game I think is going to be really, really close… We’re excited to meet this new challenge, but I think it’s going to be really good basketball with those teams.”

Chelsea will not have to wait long for its tests to show up though, as it opens up the season on Nov. 11 with a game against Cullman at Wallace State. It will also take on Oak Mountain, Vestavia Hills, Thompson, Mountain Brook and Homewood, amongst others, in the early going as well.

The tough battles that this team will have to conquer will show a lot about who the players truly are, but Baumbaugh is confident and is eager to get these big matchups underway.

“There’s not a lot of film on us with the group that I have right now,” Baumbaugh said. “This group here, they are hard-nosed workers. I’m really excited to get on the floor and watch them compete against other teams.”

As the Hornets prepare for a tough schedule, they have a lot to look forward to, but that does not come without the roadblocks that stand in their way. The growth of everyone involved will be necessary to succeed, but Baumbaugh believes that his team can do just that.

“As you battle adversity, what kind of character is being shown by teammates? What kind of character is being shown by me as a coach as I watch these guys and coach them in a positive way?” Baumbaugh said. “We’ve just got to learn from our mistakes. As we do that, we continue to get better day in and day out so that when Jan. 3 comes and we play Helena, we’re ready for that moment, and I think that playing with confidence is the biggest thing we can do.”