For the past decade, Pebblebrook High School boys basketball has been synonymous with success. The Falcons regularly finish seasons with over 20 wins and even posted a 28-3 record in the spring of 2022. This season, though, was different.
The beginning of Pebblebrook’s 2023-2024 campaign was disappointing to say the least. The Falcons only won two of their first 12 games and lost three games by over 20 points. That included an 83-38 thrashing at the hands of Dynamic Prep out of Irving, Texas.
Sure, the Falcons had to contend with one of the toughest schedules in the state. However, that reasoning couldn’t be justified in a loss to now-0.500 Walnut Grove and a 1-point win over Hillgrove, who eventually exited the playoffs in the first round.
The Pebblebrook boys basketball team looked disheveled, and it appeared that a full rebuild was in the works.
Then a switch flipped, and the Falcons’ youth stepped up. A team with more than twice as many sophomores and freshmen as seniors rolled through their next six games, winning five and routing region champion Campbell by 36 points in the process.
Senior forward Arthur Williams and sophomore guard Zyree Brown began to emerge as leaders alongside junior guard Caleb Thomas. After a minor three-game stumble, the trio guided Pebblebrook to four more consecutive wins, this time against region foes.
The Falcons’ quest for a region title, though, fell just short in a rematch against Campbell.
Entering the Georgia high school boys basketball playoffs as the No. 2 seed, Pebblebrook sported an unassuming 11-16 record. The Falcons’ up-and-down regular season made it difficult to predict how the team would respond in single elimination. Would they revert back to the losing streaks of old, or did winning become contagious?
The answer became clear and rapidly so. Hosting third-seeded Harrison, the Falcons stepped on the gas and never looked back. A performance reminiscent of the past decade’s Pebblebrook squads led the team to a 75-49 blowout.
Next came a bout with Archer. The Tigers had proven dangerous in 2024, defeating perennial powers Milton and Newton by 21 points and 7 points, respectively. With home court advantage this time, Pebblebrook held firm. Arthur Williams took the game over, scoring 24 points and dominating on defense as well. The Falcons won by double digits again, this time by 19 points.
Now Pebblebrook is in a familiar position; they are back in the quarterfinals for the ninth time in the past 11 seasons. Their record still doesn’t look pretty at three games under 0.500, but the expectation and the standard for success has remained the same.
On Feb. 28 the Falcons will travel to face Milton and their suffocating defense. It’s a familiar spot for the squad, as they experienced a bitter 64-62 loss at Milton earlier in the season. The Eagles are sure to be the favorite, but Pebblebrook has proven once again that resilience is the key to their annual success.
