Things move fast in the world of high school basketball. Head coach Barry Browner and the Newton Rams have experienced this all too well this offseason.

Newton enters the 2025-26 season with heaps of momentum within the program. 

After a solid regular season, the Rams became a different force when it mattered most, advancing all the way to the state championship game. It was an eye-opening moment for many across the state who counted the Rams out.

While the run was a great moment for the school, the Rams now find themselves in an interesting spot. Only two players from the 2024-25 squad, seniors Tjae Sands and Cayden Young, are returning this season. Neither played significant minutes in the postseason and were relegated to mostly bench roles in the regular season.

Ted Neal, Zach Harden and Marcus Smith were expected losses, as they have all graduated. But what they did not expect were the subtractions of the remaining starters.

The consensus 2025-26 top prospect in Newton County prep basketball, Jordan Green, signed with PHH Prep in Arizona, where he will play in the highly touted Overtime Elite league. Newton’s fifth starter, Bryce Jackson, transferred to Gainesville for his senior season, reuniting with former Newton coach Charlamagne Gibbons. 

A sixth unique loss was also felt by the Rams this summer. Matt Allen, who transferred to Newton from Gatewood Academy, also departed the Rams to sign with Overtime Elite, ending his tenure at Newton before he ever played a regular season game.

“Our team from the summer is a completely different team than it is right now,” Browner said.

But Browner and his staff are not backing down from the challenge.

Set to fill in two of the starting gaps are guards Jayden Scott and Jared White. Scott is a transfer from McCallie in Chattanooga, Tenn. who will likely take over as the team’s starting point guard. White comes to Newton from down the road in Heritage where he has impressed in summer showcases for the Rams.

“I think Jayden and Jared both have really good feel for the game,” Browner said. “They played in a couple of events and I think they really played well.”

The Rams are also expected to get a boost from rising talent within the program. Browner specifically named Emanuel Wilder, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, and Landon Garrick as two rising players who will play minutes at the varsity level.

But the X-factor for Newton this year is freshman Kingston Clahar, a 6-foot-1 combo guard who has garnered a lot of buzz within the building for his two-way playmaking abilities.

Browner says that Clahar will see regular minutes as a freshman, and may even crack the starting lineup at times.

“Whether he starts or not, you’re probably going to see him play probably about 20 minutes a night,” Browner said. 

With all of the new pieces at his disposal, Browner says it has been challenging to figure out how to work with some of the younger guys to the varsity level. In the same light, though, he also cited the team’s toughness and ability to adapt.

“They’re a tough group of kids with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder,” Browner said. “Everybody’s counting them out because we lost a lot of guys. But I think they’re taking on the task and they come in here and they work their tails off every day in practice.”

With the season now right around the corner, the new-look Rams will look to remain competitive.

Whether it’s with rising program players like Sands and Young, transfer imports White and Scott or young potential in Clahar, the Rams will look to take on the challenge of getting back to form.

“We’ve gotta go win a region championship,” Browner said. “Grayson has had a hold on the region championship, so I think that’s been something important for us. I also want to get back to the state championship. I think these guys can compete. We’ve got a lot of talented guys and like I said, they’ve got a bit of a chip on their shoulder.

“...This is definitely a new group. It’s going to be fun. They want to learn and they want to get better. I’m looking forward to it.”