Moran continues to build success at East Limestone
· Yahoo Sports
Mar. 28—CAPSHAW — When Jake Moran took over the East Limestone basketball program in 2022, he started a process of building on success each season.
The Indians won 16 games his first season, 18 in his second and then had a breakout season in 2024-25, going 24-6 and reaching the Sweet 16.
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Coming into this year though, many assumed the team would take a small step back. After all they were replacing multiple seniors including a first-team All-State and Decatur Daily Player of the Year in Zak Cain.
However, Moran never saw it that way.
"We lost five seniors and then two more guys that transferred and decided not to play again so I think most people thought we would be rebuilding," Moran said. "But we had great leadership coming back and we were excited. From the moment the previous season ended, our goal was to not just get back to where we were, but to get better."
The Indians did just that, improving on the previous year's record by going 27-6 and reaching the Elite Eight. Because of this, Moran was chosen as The Decatur Daily's Class 5A-7A Boys Coach of the Year.
"To win 27 games, a county championship, an area championship and reach the regional finals; it was really an amazing season," Moran said. "The great thing about it was how we did it. The team came together and played a really selfless brand of basketball."
Now the question remains; what's next for the program? The Indians went from the subregional round in 2024, the Sweet 16 in 2025 and the Elite Eight this year. They have their eyes set on a Final Four next.
"When we came in we wanted to build a program that continues to climb and have success so that's certainly our goal," Moran said. "We lose four starters off this year's team, but we bring back Coleby Davis who was our biggest leader and we have some talented guys that played a lot for us off the bench. I expect us to have a really good team again next year."
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