Monthly Archives: March 2015

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Top Five Performances from Macon

The March to Macon concluded this past weekend but left us with some memorable performances. Here is how I would rank the top five individual efforts from championship weekend.

BOYS

  1. Jordan Harris – Seminole County – 41 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 steals

This was an easy one. The junior who has committed to play college ball at UGA was electrifying. Harris soared above all others for thunderous dunks and spectacular rebounds. He didn’t just dominate the game with his athleticism like most top high schoolers do, he also showed that he has a lethal jumper. Harris splashed in four 3-pointers to help the Indians bring home their first state title since 1998 over Crawford County and its raucous fan base, 76-71.

  1. Derek Ogbeide – Pebblebrook – 14 points, 22 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks

Another player heading to UGA stole the show in his respective game. Though the Falcons lost on a controversial call on which Ogbeide was whistled on, the big man thoroughly dominated the interior. Wheeler had no answer inside as Ogbeide cleaned up the boards and did not allow anything easy inside for the Wildcats. The big fella got the majority of his points off putbacks. Imagine if the Falcons fed him the ball in the post.

  1. Kobi Simmons – St. Francis – 27 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists

Simmons showed why he is ranked a five-star prospect heading into his senior season. The junior flew in for dunks and slashed into the lane and made life nightmarish for the Greenforest Eagles. Simmons lived at the line and connected, going 13-15. The Knights captured their second straight state title in convincing fashion, 96-81.

  1. Malik Beasley – St. Francis – 23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists

It’s tough to beat a team when they have two of the best players in the state. The Florida State-signee teamed up with Simmons and Xavier-signee Kaiser Gates to pour in 73 points combined. As Kobi Simmons did, Beasley lived at the line going 13-14. He nearly brought the house down as he just missed a dunk over 7-foot-1 Ikey Obiagu.

  1. Montae Glenn – Carrollton – 22 points, 11 rebounds, 8-12 FG

The final spot is a tough one, but I have to give it to the old school back-to-the-basket big man Montae Glenn. True big men are a dying breed as the majority of young players would rather fly through the air or drain threes. The Georgia Souther-signee displayed great footwork in the low post as he punished the smaller Jonesboro Cardinals. He showed he could score with either hand, and also showed that he can rock the old school goggles. The Trojans fell 55-50, but Glenn did all he could to keep them in the game.

GIRLS

  1. Aliyah Collier – Laney – 24 points, 19 rebounds, 8 assists, 7 steals, 4 blocks

A no-brainer here as Collier absolutely dominated in every facet of the game. Laney won its first ever state title while Collier slashed through the lane and picked up 20 free throw attempts of which she cashed in 16. The Wildcats defeated Beach 70-55.  No Bulldog was able to match Collier’s activeness as she impacted the game on both sides of the ball.

  1. Te’a Cooper – McEachern – 26 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists

The Tennessee-signee helped McEachern capture its second straight state title in overtime, 58-51. Cooper’s big game put a nice bow and ribbon on her successful high school career. She made play after play with the ball in her hands and made some sweet passes along with dazzle defenders with her ball handling skills.

  1. Mylashia Yancey – Turner County – 28 points, 16 rebounds, 2 steals

Yancey kicked off championship weekend with a stellar performance in a loss to undefeated Taylor County. She kept the Lady Rebels in the game and helped lead a furious comeback to make things interesting in the second half. Yancey was trouble for the Vikings once she got into the lane, and attacked the rim to get Taylor County players in foul trouble. She also showed off a nice mid-range game in her all around strong performance.

  1. Maya Dodson – St. Francis – 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists

The sophomore had the biggest sequence all weekend to give her team a state crown. As Southwest Atlanta Christian was holding for a last shot, Dodson jumped in front of an errant pass for a steal. She dished it ahead to a teammate who lost the ball right before she could attempt a layup, but Dodson was there to clean up the loose ball and laid it in at the buzzer to stun SACA. Dodson’s length caused problems for the Warriors as she had the ability to guard multiple positions and also used her height to battle inside and score tough baskets.

  1. Jacqueline Anderson – Beach – 22 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals

Anderson proved she was a bulldog of a guard in the Bulldogs’ loss to Laney. She came in averaging over 15 points per game and did not disappoint. Anderson handled the ball smoothly and cashed in four 3-pointers. The Wildcats had to cool down Anderson and teammate Ilyn Spann in order to win state for legendary head coach Otis Smart.

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What I Learned in Macon…

What a weekend! The March to Macon was everything that I had hoped. Nine out of the 14 games were decided by single digits and every game was up for grabs in the fourth quarter except for one. We saw some nail-biting finishes, questionable calls, and all-out passion. Sitting courtside for the first time, I was able to see in person some of the best players not only in the state but the entire nation.

I witnessed D-1 players steal the show with Jordan Harris, Malik Beasley, Kobi Simmons, Derek Ogbeide, James Walker, and Tookie Brown all carry their teams with their scoring. I also saw some unsung heroes come up big with DaJohn Williams and Eric Johnson giving their teams state championships.

So what did we learn this week? Let’s take it class by class. In Class A-Public, Calhoun County held off a late rally from the Patriots. I learned that: Seniors find ways to make plays in the clutch. Quenten Taylor was the star of the game until he picked up his fourth with 4:26 remaining in the third. He came back in the fourth and scored one more bucket to give him 20 on the night. Both he and Sherrod Williams finished with 20 points to lead the way for the Cougars but it was senior DaJohn Williams’ 18th point of the night that would give Calhoun County the crown.

St. Francis battled with Greenforest in Class A-Private and came away with a 96-81 victory for its second straight title. I learned that: Stars shine brightest on the biggest stage. Greenforest had more size and had strong guard play, but FSU-signee Malik Beasley, Xavier-signee Kaiser Gates, and five-star junior Kobi Simmons were too much as they combined for 73 points. The St. Francis girls edged South Atlanta Christian 47-45 after SACA turned the ball over on its final possession and Maya Dodson converted at the buzzer to knock off the team that ended the Lady Knights’ season a year ago.

Class AA saw the Wesleyan Wolves capture their 11 state title and their seventh in eight years. The boys game featured Crawford County and its raucous fan base against Seminole County. I learned that: Jordan Harris is the best player in the state of Georgia. The junior exploded for 41 points after draining three after three and cramming dunk after dunk. Mark Fox got a steal in this kid who will only continue to improve.

Morgan County fell to Jenkins 62-60 in the Class AAA final after Eric Johnson broke Bulldog fans’ hearts with a layup with 3.6 seconds remaining. I learned that: Morgan County can pack a gym out. Just over an hour away, the Bulldog fans filled the gym to the rafters to see Tookie Brown’s final game. It was a standing room only crowd and they were treated to possibly the best game of the weekend, even though their team didn’t come out on top. Aliyah Collier was a superstar in Laney’s win over Beach recording 24 points and 19 rebounds.

Carrollton was denied a sweep of the state titles in AAAA and came away empty handed after the Trojans could not feed Montae Glenn in the second half and after the Lady Trojans couldn’t find a bucket in the fourth quarter. I learned that: Jonesboro has the best defense in the state bar none. The Cardinals flew around the court and locked down the bigger Glenn in the second half.

Stephenson grabbed the title after beating Mays in the AAAAA girls final. I learned that: It is hard to beat a team three times. Davion Wingate and Miracle Gray refused to let the Jags drop another one to the Raiders. Brunswick’s size overwhelmed Allatoona in the boys championship and won going away, 49-32.

In overtime, McEachern and Te’a Cooper defeated Norcross 58-51. Wheeler beat Pebblebrook by one in the AAAAAA boys game. I learned that: Stars get calls and free throws win championships. Jared Harper split a pair for Pebblebrook and gave them just a one point lead instead of two. Jaylen Brown subsequently got fouled on the other end and iced it with two from the line.