With his coach running a few minutes late to practice, Dawson Street Christian senior guard Antonias Harrison rallied his team together and got things started.

As the team scrimmaged, Harrison occasionally barked out defensive alignments and offensive changeups, helping the team run through its paces.

For Dawson Street head coach Tory McCray, it’s just another example of the type of leadership that Harrison has brought to the Wildcats this season.

Harrison is part of a dominant team that has lost just once this season and is ranked second in GISA Class A heading into the state tournament.

Last year, Harrison helped the Wildcats make it to the state-championship game where they lost an overtime heartbreaker to Memorial Day.

“He’s been doing that for us all season,” McCray said of Harrison. “He has really stepped up and become a leader for our guys on the team. He has been cool as a cucumber. He stays together in the game, and keeps us all level. He’s what you want in a senior leader.”

The Wildcats will take on Westminster in the first round of the state tournament Thursday in Augusta, and if they win that game they’d play again on Saturday.

Then it would be off to Milledgeville for the semifinals.

If there was some consolation after last season’s loss in the championship game, it’s that most of the players were set to return for another go-around.

This season, with a big group of seniors including Harrison and SheKeldrick Boyd leading the way, the Wildcats are looking to come home with the hardware.

“We want to get back there and take care of business,” Harrison said. “In the region tournament we played well, but we have to get better. We have to get stronger on defense, and get smarter on offense. Right now we are just playing athletic, but we really need to play a little smarter on offense and that’s what we have been working on.”

The memories of that championship game last season are still fresh on the minds of those seniors, but this year the team knows what it will have to do to come home with the state crown.

Boyd said the key is “teamwork.” “It all comes down to playing together,” he added. “We have to play together and come together as a team in order to be successful.”

McCray said this team has been an easy one to coach because of its maturity and commitment to winning.

“For all the seniors on the team they know what they want to do,” McCray said. “We have talked about it, and practiced and have just looked to get better. They all have the experience and they are focused.”