HARTWELL, Ga. — This is familiar territory for Hart County.
"When we first got to the state tournament, I'm not sure that (our players) understood that they were supposed to be there," said former Hart County girls basketball coach, and four-time state champion, Eddie McCurley.
"It was kind of like moving into a rich neighborhood. You don't know if you belong, that kind of thing. But after the first couple of years they really started to believe it," he added.
The Bulldogs are back in the neighborhood.
The program that won six straight girls state basketball titles from 1989-1994, and one boys' title in 1986, has a new generation of girls and boys ready to be the heroes of Hartwell.
"Sports kind of rallies people like no other thing," said Hart County girls basketball coach Mike Edwards. "In our community, it's the sport of basketball."
"Just the talk about it rejuvenates the program again," agreed Hart County boys basketball coach, and state champion, Harry Marsh. "It is good to go back and see that history."
For McCurley, he said the memory of the consecutive runs of state championships "gets them very excited again," he said.
Former Hart County girls basketball coach, and two-time state champion, Glenda Gibson said they see the foundation. Gibson was an assistant on McCurley's four title teams, before taking over as head coach in 1993.
"We have get-togethers where they'll come in to honor the state championship teams, and they see that," she said. "They see the camaraderie, the sisterhood you may say, of all the girls. It's good that they finally get a chance to maybe get a taste of that."
Three other classifications in Georgia feature the same high school in a girls' and boys' state championship game. There's only one Hart County.
"It feels good to know that the community is with us," said boys senior point guard Jordan Langston.
"All they keep saying is Hart County is back in the tradition," said girls senior point guard Torrion Starks. "All those state championships they won back-to-back. It feels good to finally be a part of a championship."
"We love to see our fans out each and every game repping that orange," said boys senior point guard and shooting guard Elijah Robinson. "We love it, man."
Hart County's girls play Johnson-Savannah in the AAA state championship at the Macon Centreplex on Thursday at 6 pm. The boys play Morgan County at 8 p.m.