ORANGE BEACH — Mako basketball coach Chris Laatsch likens his team's "summer competition" program to a preseason of sorts. He has all his players, including those who'll soon be showing up for preseason football workouts.

"We're going to do preseason with who we've got, but then the football guys are going to get finished with their season," Laatsch said. "We may have already played games by the time we get back, so this is our preseason, and that's why it's so important."

Among those heading for football workouts when the basketball summer season is over are Lee Steele, Miller Day, Devin Gause, John Gentry, Ayden Lowry, Walker Long and Sam Toxey. Orange Beach completed the summer competition phase playing games in Georgia during the weekend of June 28.

And, while Laatsch is pleased with the work so far, he's lost some time with some of those football players and others due to an injury bug.

"We haven't had our top five together yet for one game, and so that's been frustrating but an opportunity for other guys to grow and get better," Laatsch said. "Everybody's getting a chance to start to see who's improved and who's grown and what skill set may be better than it was when we saw them last and try to figure out how those pieces fit together and how this team needs to play."

The top returning player, rising junior Lee Steele, has been sidelined for many of the summer sessions and games. First, a strained knee limited his work and as he worked to heal that he sprained his ankle in a game at Satsuma. He was limited in a recent practice session.

"He's been the leading scorer for I guess three years in a row now, even before I got here," Laatsch, entering his third season in Orange Beach, said. "Last year, he led us in every category, rebounding assists and points, and he's a leader. He's obviously a really good basketball player and a lot of what we do is going to be centered around him for sure."

His absence, Laatsch said, has given other players opportunities to step in and be contributors for the Makos.

"We've got some other guys that have worked really hard and we've got a couple new additions, and so I think we're going to be a little more well-rounded this year, a few more guys that can probably carry the load a little bit in some areas so take a little pressure off of him this year," Laatsch said. "Those are guys that are all back that have really improved and I think are going to be able to even carry a heavier role than they did before."

Returning players making contributions this summer include Connor Ford, Sutton Rambo, Reece Franco, Gentry and Miller. Two new players have moved in and are contributing as well, Laatsch said. Devin Gause is moving in from Elberta and Parker Melton is coming from Buckhorn High School in New Market, just outside of Huntsville.

The final event of the summer season will be in Cartersville, Georgia. The Makos will face teams from Georgia's higher classifications while playing in front of college coaches scouting high school talent for possible recruitment.

"We're getting them to play in front of college coaches if that's a dream of theirs and then we're going to challenge our team against really good teams, too," Laatsch said. "I'm excited because that's the fun thing that's been about traveling, you play against some of the better teams around."

Quality Alabama teams the Makos have already faced this summer include Class 5A state champion Wenonah, a team that scored 140 points in the state championship game, and Class 7A finalist Fairhope. Other final four teams the Makos played this summer included Whitesburg Christian and Guntersville, and they also faced Class 7A's Vestavia Hills and Huffman.

Their head coach is ending the summer season impressed with the work his team is putting in and how they've competed against top teams and bigger schools.

"I like our kids, man," Laatsch said. "They believe in each other. They believe in us. And, I think we'll have a chance to, you know, reach our potential, whatever that is, and compete night in, night out."