Bainbridge High School Bearcats head basketball coach Rickey McCullough taught 28 local third through eighth graders the fundamentals of the game this week at the Bainbridge-Decatur County YMCA.

They learned how to improve their game through participation in fun on-court competitions at Coach McCullough’s annual YMCA camp, held Tuesday through Thursday.

The youth played games and participated in “hot-shot” and free-throw shooting competitions.

“The purpose of the camp is to teach the youngsters fundamentals and at the same time let them have some fun,” Coach McCullough said.

In the “hot-shot” shooting competition, Aaron Hayes was first in the 8-and-9-year-old dvivision, Jerimah Davis was first in the 10-and-11-year-old division, and Jordan Davis was first in the 12-to-14-year-old division.

In the free-throw competition, Ken Clark was first in the 8-and-9-year-old division, Kendel Lodman was first in the 10-and-11-year-old division and Jessie Oliver was first in the 12-to-14-year-old division.

Coach McCullough, a member of the Florida basketball coaches’ Hall of Fame,  has led young men to outstanding basketball seasons for 35 years.

During an outstanding 26-year career as head coach at Chipley, Fla. High School, he posted an outstanding 599-229 record and led his teams to 20 district championships and 15 regional championships.

Coach McCullough was Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) District coach of the year five times and Panhandle Athletic Conference coach of the year 10 times.

In 2002, he was FACA coach of the year and Florida Dairy Farmers state of Florida coach of the year.

He was North Florida All-Star head coach in 2003 and assistant North Florida All-Star coach in 2008.

Coach McCullough led his 2010-2011 Bearcats to an outstanding 27-3 record, a third consecutive Region 1AAAA championship and a berth in the second round of the State Class AAAA Tournament.

He was Region 1AAAA coach of the year in 2007-2008, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011.

Assisting him at the YMCA camp was Marquis Williams, a 2009 Bainbridge High School graduate who was a first team All-State football cornerback and a second team All-State basketball point guard as a senior. Last season at Chattahoochee Valley Junior College in Phenix City, Ala., he was second in the nation in junior college assists.

Also working with Coach McCullough and Williams, who will be playing at Auburn University Montgomery next season, were two current Bearcats—rising sophomore point guard Mike Jones and rising senior post player Dillen Thomas.