Woodward Academy has already had a successful 2019-20 school year with its athletic program. The War Eagles finished a stellar 13-1 football season that included a thrilling 31-28 quarterfinals win over Cartersville in a battle of unbeaten teams. Now that football season is over, however, Woodward Academy will have plenty more to be excited about with this year’s basketball squad.
The centerpiece of Woodward Academy’s basketball team this season is Georgia’s most sought-after prospect and one of the top prospects in the entire country—Senior Walker Kessler. The towering 7-foot center is a consensus Five-Star and he committed to UNC in November. Kessler is in the midst of another banner season and he has helped lead Woodward Academy to a 14-1 start this year. The team is ranked 54th in the nation and is No. 3 in the state of Georgia according to Maxpreps in all classifications.
As for Kessler, he is worth the price of admission. He is averaging a team-high 17.9 ppg this season with 9.8 rebounds per game. He is also leading the state in blocks per game with an incredible 6.1 average. He has registered double-digit blocks on four separate occasions, including a season-best 13 rejections in Woodward Academy’s 70-56 win over McDonough on Dec. 10. Kessler had 15 points in the win and was one rebound shy of recording the ‘big man’ version of a triple double for a fourth time this season.
Woodward Academy has a long list of contributors surrounding Kessler that make them the favorites to take this year’s AAAA title, especially junior Will Richard, who is pouring in 15.9 ppg while shooting above 50 percent from the field.
