February 9, 2026 — As the high school basketball season nears its tournament summit, it’s a great time to shed light on the commitment, dedication, and preparation required by those in the sport. Beyond packed gyms and final scoreboards, much work happens before the opening tip of a game day matchup. A Week in the Life of Cobb Basketball is designed to show the community what it takes to participate in a high school basketball program in one of Georgia’s hotbeds for hoop talent. Throughout this week, voices from within Cobb basketball will share an honest, morning-to-night look at the balance of academics, preparation, leadership, and commitment that shape their season. We begin with a boys basketball player on a non-game day, where the foundation for every game night is quietly built.

Josh Jacobs is a 6-foot-3 senior power forward at Harrison High School. He is averaging 5.5 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game this season. He is a three-year varsity player and this season's Team Captain. As you will see, nutrition, hydration, and solid time in the weight room are how he starts to fuel the fire.

• Day: Monday (non-game day)
• Location: Josh's family home
• Time: 7:25 a.m.
  "Welcome to a day of my life as a Harrison basketball player. I try to get my day started off right with a good breakfast. Sometimes I do cereal. Sometimes boiled eggs and bacon. It's important to feed the body for the day ahead."
• Time: 7:40 a.m.
  “After I eat breakfast, I prepare my book bag for what I need to eat and drink during the day. I have to think ahead, so I pack protein for after a hard weight-training class, I pack water to stay hydrated during school, and I take a protein bar if I get hungry before lunch. It’s all a part of getting ready for today’s practice after school.”

Once Josh has finished his morning meal and preparation for the day, he heads to school to arrive before First Bell at 8:00 a.m.

• Location: Harrison High School basketball locker room
• Time: 10:09 a.m.
  “Second period is a chance to get some work in with my teammates. We have weight-training class together. It’s a great time to push each other, knowing that we’re all in this together.”
• Time: 10:25 a.m.
  “It’s arm day in the weight room today. That means my teammates and I have to get a good lift in. We’ll pump some bench presses, push each other to do more, and encourage each other as we lift. What we do in here makes us better on the court.”
• Time: 11:22 a.m.
  “After the lift, we’re not done. We have to take care of our muscles. We need to get the lactic acid out of our legs and make sure we’re not stiff when I’m playing basketball. This is the last part of our workout.”
• Location: Harrison High School hallways
• Time: 12:30 p.m.
  “I’m getting interviewed by our school news about basketball today. They’re going to ask me some ‘this or that’ questions, so I’m pretty excited to answer those. The school does a great job at promoting our basketball program.”

As a senior who is ahead in his class credits, Josh is on “minimum day,” which means he doesn’t have a class period later in the day. He gets to go home a few hours earlier than the underclassmen. He takes those extra hours between school and basketball practice to catch up on homework or relax with his dogs.

• Location: Josh’s family home
• Time: 1:37 p.m. 
  “Today, I have some time to rest a little bit before practice and watch some game film. I try to study film whenever I can. It helps get me in the right mindset for games and practices.”

After a few hours at home, it’s time for Josh to head back to his high school. The team practices every weekday that they don’t have a game. These hours, though, are some of his favorite moments of the day.

• Location: Harrison High School basketball gym 
• Time: 3:36 p.m.
  “It’s time for practice. We have to have a good one today. We have a tough game against Pebblebrook tomorrow night, so we need a good practice.”
• Time: 6:00 p.m.
  “Practice is over. It was a good one. We’ll be ready tomorrow night. I can’t wait to get back on the floor.”

Josh heads back home for his last commute of the day. He still has some time to finish leftover homework, eat a good dinner, and catch up on social media. However, he ends his day differently.

• Time: 11:14 p.m.
  “I’m ending my night, watching some film for tomorrow’s game. I had some homework earlier, I finished it and spent some time with my family, but I need to get a few more film minutes in. This has been my day in the life of a Cobb County basketball player. I’m signing out. Good night.”

Tomorrow marks a new day in the series, and we will get to see what a game day looks like for a Cobb Schools head basketball coach.

h/t photos provided by Harrison High School