Monthly Archives: January 2018

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Troup County “Trusts the Process” in 65-62 upset of No. 7 Cartersville

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Troup County 65, No. 7 Cartersville 62

There’s no better way to start your work week than with some Monday night basketball, afforded to us by last week’s snow-outs. Class AAAA No. 7 Cartersville (14-3, 7-1) entered with a perfect Region 5 record while host Troup County (9-8, 4-3) was in search of a signature win in Year 1 of the Blake Craft era. A successful defensive game plan coupled with red-hot shooting helped the Tigers weather a late Hurricane surge to send shockwaves through the rest of the region.

Cartersville opened with an early 5-2 lead with Isaac Gridley causing problems inside defensively, swatting away two shots in the first four minutes of the game. After seeing the interior temporarily closed down by Gridley, the Tigers turned to star senior guard Jay Jefferson to set the pace.

The unsigned 6-foot-2 playmaker created offense for his teammates, finding Tristen Ware for two of his eight points.

From that point on, Jefferson took it upon himself to carry the offensive load. He poured in 12 points including two threes that would give Troup a 16-12 lead after one.

While Jefferson paced the Tigers, senior TJ Horton led the Hurricanes. Known primarily as a slasher, the athletic 6-foot-3 guard got loose for two of his four three-pointers in the opening quarter, while Furman-signee Jaylon Pugh was held to two points on a pair of free throws.

Troup made a concerted effort to hone in on Pugh and forced the potent scorer to take contested shots, firing two air-balls in the first half.

As Pugh struggled, Jefferson continued to shine. He knocked down two more threes to finish with 18 first half points. He received help from sophomore point guard Trey Williams, who orchestrated the offense, collecting seven assists on the night and teaming up with Lenntavis Harper and others to slow down Pugh.

After trailing 28-18, on yet another Jefferson three-ball, Cartersville started to fight fire with fire. The Canes knocked down three straight from distance, two via Perignon Dyer and one from Luke Schiltz to close the gap to 32-27 with 1:20 remaining in the first half.

Troup County hit their sixth three of the first half and the 11th for the two teams combined with 12 seconds to play as Jarell Smith entered for the first time and immediately sank one from the corner to give the Tigers a 35-27 lead at halftime.

As both teams retreated to their respective locker rooms, the Cartersville coaching staff took about three minutes to collect themselves on the bench while their team had a players-only gathering. Whatever was said, didn’t effectively make a difference right away as the third quarter followed suit of the first two, as Jefferson came out firing with two more of his six three-pointers.

At the 4:58 mark, Pugh finally broke through with his first field goal of the game after a two-point opening half, bringing the deficit to 42-35.

The Tigers responded with a quick 5-0 spurt, capped by a Montez Crowe put-back to hold a 12-point advantage.

As Pugh remained dormant, held to three points in the quarter and now five for the game, Horton’s deft shooting kept the Hurricanes afloat. Every time the Tigers would knock down a three and look to put the game out of reach, Horton would answer.

At the end of three quarters, Troup County held a 52-41 lead.

In the fourth quarter with the game on the line, the volcano finally erupted.

A seemingly innocuous put-back at the 6:49 mark with Cartersville trailing 54-43, ignited a Pugh scoring binge. Troup did a nice job of trying to put their finger in the dike, but the levee eventually broke with Pugh sensing the time and game slipping away.

Pugh went on a personal 9-0 run to bring the score to 57-50 with 5:04 remaining after his second three of the quarter.

The onslaught continued with Horton finishing in traffic with a euro-step to cut the lead to 57-56 with 2:17 left to play, the Hurricanes storming back on a 15-5 run.

With the score the same and the clock now showing 1:45, Jkobe Orr picked up a technical foul after committing a personal on Alabama linebacker-commit King Mwikuta. The 6-foot-4 center split a pair of free throws, as did Jefferson, slightly extending the lead to 59-56 instead of making it a two-possession game.

Cartersville trimmed the lead back down to one at 59-58 with 53.5 seconds left. Crowe was fouled and calmly knocked down both attempts with 33.7 seconds on the clock to push the lead to 61-58.

Pugh had a decent look from the corner with an opportunity to tie the game, but Jefferson came flying in at the last second to contest the shot, leading to a miss and sending Jefferson to the line for two free throws, sinking them both.

Down three with 6 seconds remaining, Cartersville had an opportunity at a steal on a dangerous inbound, but Pugh was unable to whip his head around in time to track the ball and Jefferson came down with it and iced the game with two more free throws before a last-second uncontested Gridley layup, giving the Tigers a crucial 65-62 home win.

 

My Take

Jay Jefferson brought it from the opening tip tonight and outplayed Furman’s Jaylon Pugh. Jefferson proved to be a reliable ball handler for Troup County and showed he could finish in the lane to add onto his locked-in three-point stroke. He went 5-of-6 from the line in the fourth quarter to seal the upset. Jefferson has the skills to help out at the JUCO and D2 level. He has good size at the point guard position, which bodes well in college. The Tiger role players put forth a strong effort. For many of them, basketball is their second sport with football being their expertise. Their football toughness was on display not only physically, but mentally as well. Quarterback Montez Crowe had five points, none bigger than his two ice-water free throws with 33.7 seconds left in a one-point game. King Mwikuta isn’t overly skilled in the pivot, but he’s a strong body that can take up space in the lane and move opponents. Tristen Ware used his athleticism on the defensive end two reject two shots. Sophomore point guard Trey Williams played extremely well for someone who didn’t score. He had four rebounds, seven assists and one block. He made good decisions when driving the lane and was able to squeeze passes into tight windows.

TJ Horton was consistent throughout for the Hurricanes while Pugh slept-walked his way through the first three quarters before turning on the microwave. Horton displayed an all-around game, hitting threes, getting to the basket and handing out four assists. Troup County did an exceptional job of knowing where Pugh was at all times, but in the fourth quarter, the scoring dynamo put on his superman cape and nearly saved the day. His 4-of-7 shooting from the foul line however, summed up his disjointed night. 6-foot-6 junior Isaac Gridley was steady as always, providing nine points, nine rebounds and three blocks. He has a nice touch for a big man and could be an option at the NAIA level or maybe higher once he’s a senior.

Top Performers

Troup County
Jay Jefferson – 31 points (6 threes), 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 block
Tristen Ware – 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Lenntavis Harper – 8 points, 1 assist
King Mwikuta – 7 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Montez Crowe – 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Trey Williams – 0 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block

Cartersville
TJ Horton – 22 points (4 threes), 1 rebound, 4 assists, 2 steals
Jaylon Pugh – 16 points (11 in 4Q), 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
Isaac Gridley – 9 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks
Perignon Dyer – 6 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists

GHSA, Girls Basketball, Girls Rankings

Week 10 Girls Rankings

Class AAAAAAA

  1. Westlake (17-1)
  2. Collins Hill (17-2)
  3. Norcross (18-3)
  4. Newton (16-2)
  5. Cherokee (18-2)
  6. North Forsyth (19-2)
  7. South Gwinnett (17-1)
  8. Hillgrove (12-4)
  9. Colquitt County (17-4)
  10. McEachern (10-5) 

Class AAAAAA

  1. Lovejoy (18-1)
  2. Winder-Barrow (15-4)
  3. Harrison (15-4)
  4. Creekview (12-6)
  5. Lanier (17-3)
  6. Forest Park (14-3)
  7. Stephenson (13-5)
  8. Tucker (14-5)
  9. Douglas County (15-5)
  10. Alpharetta (16-3) 

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (17-3)
  2. Flowery Branch (17-4)
  3. Harris County (19-2)
  4. Villa Rica (15-0)
  5. Arabia Mountain (15-1)
  6. Bainbridge (19-3)
  7. Ware County (17-2)
  8. Dutchtown (16-3)
  9. Carrollton (15-4)
  10. Rome (15-2)

Class AAAA

  1. Carver-Columbus (20-1)
  2. Henry County (18-1)
  3. Spalding (15-2)
  4. Northwest Whitfield (18-2)
  5. Luella (13-4)
  6. Madison County (15-5)
  7. Baldwin (19-2)
  8. Marist (15-2)
  9. Westover (17-2)
  10. Burke County (12-5)

Class AAA

  1. Greater Atlanta Christian (15-3)
  2. Beach (18-1)
  3. Franklin County (21-0)
  4. Central-Macon (16-2)
  5. Johnson-Savannah (12-5)
  6. Lovett (15-4)
  7. North Murray (14-5)
  8. Hart County (16-5)
  9. Tattnall County (16-5)
  10. Pierce County (13-4) 

Class AA

  1. Laney (20-0)
  2. Banks County (17-4)
  3. Washington County (15-4)
  4. Putnam County (17-2)
  5. Josey (18-2)
  6. Swainsboro (15-3)
  7. Rabun County (15-4)
  8. Model (15-3)
  9. Early County (15-5)
  10. Dodge County (15-3) 

Class A-Private

  1. Holy Innocents’ (18-1)
  2. Wesleyan (17-2)
  3. St. Francis (14-3)
  4. Our Lady of Mercy (16-1)
  5. Calvary Day (19-1)
  6. Stratford Academy (16-2)
  7. Christian Heritage (15-3)
  8. Landmark Christian (9-8)
  9. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (14-5)
  10. Athens Academy (17-3) 

Class A-Public

  1. Greenville (18-1)
  2. Pelham (18-1)
  3. Telfair County (18-2)
  4. Wilcox County (14-4)
  5. Wheeler County (15-2)
  6. Macon County (14-4)
  7. Marion County (16-4)
  8. Bowdon (14-4)
  9. Central-Talbotton (12-4)
  10. Terrell County (14-4)

 

No one in Class AAAAAAA suffered a loss this week as the rankings remain set in stone. No. 1 Westlake blitzed Campbell 80-32, No. 3 Norcross earned an outstanding 62-58 win over Class 5A No. 1 Buford at the BCB MLK Classic and No. 5 Cherokee dumped rival Sequoyah 68-53. No. 6 North Forsyth completed a season sweep of Lambert with a 46-30 win. No. 7 South Gwinnett edged Brookwood 48-45, No. 9 Colquitt County grinded out a 39-24 win over Camden County and No. 10 McEachern picked up a 65-56 victory against Wenonah (AL) at the BallN Powher Prep MLK Classic.

Preseason Class AAAAAA No. 1 Northview (16-5) drops out of the rankings. The Lady Titans have not played up to their potential yet this season and are bounced out after a 37-34 loss to Lambert, who was missing two starters. No. 2 Winder-Barrow has a big week as they visit No. 5 Lanier on Tuesday. The Lady Doggs lost 63-58 on December 15 in their first meeting with McDonald’s All-American Olivia Nelson-Ododa sidelined. No. 10 Alpharetta clings onto the final spot in the Top 10 after a disappointing 61-46 loss to Marietta at the Johns Creek MLK Showcase. Into the rankings for the first time since Week 1 is No. 9 Douglas County. The Lady Tigers have shaken off a 1-3 start to the season and have won 7-straight, including a 66-54 win over Fayette County at the J4Sports MLK Classic where All-State forward Amari Robinson poured in a career-high 41 points.

No. 1 meets No. 2 in Class AAAAA as No. 2 Flowery Branch tries to finally get the monkey off their back when they host No. 1 Buford on Tuesday. The Lady Falcons lost 58-48 in their first meeting this season after losing thrice last year. No. 3 Harris County defeated No. 6 Bainbridge 59-52 in overtime, sending the Bearcats down two spots. Undefeated No. 4 Villa Rica hosts No. 9 Carrollton in a pivotal Region 7 showdown while No. 10 Rome, back in the rankings, waits for a shot at both. Fayette County (13-5) departs after their loss to Douglas County.

Class AAAA No. 1 Carver-Columbus drilled Americus-Sumter 76-41. No. 3 Spalding earned a nice 53-49 win over Class 3A No. 5 Johnson-Savannah 53-49. No. 4 Northwest Whitfield avoided setbacks against rivals Pickens (72-61) and Dalton (52-49). No. 6 Madison County took care of business on the road at Jefferson 54-38. No. 7 Baldwin leaps No. 8 Marist after knocking Cross Creek (14-6) from the Top 10 with a 61-43 clinic and beating Class 2A No. 3 Washington County 57-47. The Braves host returnee No. 10 Burke County on Friday with a share of Region 3 first-place on the line. The Lady Bears beat the Braves 55-48 earlier this season. Burke County is coming off a 49-47 win over Cross Creek.

No. 1 GAC’s hold over Class AAA has loosened since Auburn-signee Robyn Benton re-tore her ACL. The Lady Spartans still managed wins over Union County (66-53) and Dawson County (69-52) without her. No. 3 Franklin County is sitting pretty at 21-0 while No. 5 Johnson-Savannah slips two spots, challenging themselves but coming up short with losses to Class AA No. 1 Laney 73-53 and Class 4A No. 3 Spalding. Region 2 is heating up as debutant No. 10 Pierce County beat No. 9 Tattnall County 54-51 in Blackshear. The Lady Bears replace Sonoraville (13-5) following the Lady Phoenix’s 60-51 loss to Pickens.

In Class AA, No. 1 Laney earned a 73-53 win over Class AAA No. 5 Johnson-Savannah. The rest of Top 4 all suffered losses. No. 2 Banks County retains their ranking after getting upset at Monticello 51-41. No. 3 Washington County slides up a spot thanks to wins over Evans (54-43) and East Laurens (72-52), overshadowing their tough 57-47 loss to Class 4A No. 7 Baldwin. No. 4 Putnam County climbs a position after sweeping No. 7 Rabun County, 56-47 and winning at Elbert County 52-47. No. 6 Swainsboro tumbles three spots. The Lady Tigers beat St. Vincent’s 48-45 but lost to Statesboro 52-42 after clipping the Blue Devils back on December 2. No. 5 Josey cracks the Top 5 just ahead of Swainsboro. In their lone meeting with mutual opponent Statesboro, the Lady Eagles won 55-43 in late November. No. 10 Dodge County has fallen all the way to the final rung of the rankings after losing for the second time to East Laurens, 55-47. Bryan County (16-3) was the unfortunate casualty this week, losing 50-47 at Metter. Debuting in the poll is No. 9 Early County. The Lady Bobcats are powered by 6-foot-2 freshman Mykayla Timpson. The post presence is averaging 19.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.3 blocks. Early County has already matched last year’s win total and four of their five losses have come in season sweeps to Class 5A No. 6 Bainbridge and Class 4A No. 9 Westover. The Bobcats’ resume is highlighted by a 68-61 win at Fitzgerald and a 66-43 rout of Class A-Public No. 10 Terrell County on Tuesday.

Class A-Private saw Prince Avenue Christian (17-2) have their 15-game winning streak snapped by No. 10 Athens Academy 51-44 and get replaced in the poll by the Spartans. The Region 8 race is tightening up as Lakeview Academy (13-7, 9-1) holds a slim lead on the Wolverines (8-1) and Athens Academy (7-2). No. 9 ELCA received 44 points from freshman phenom Weronika Hipp in their 73-42 win at Lake Oconee Academy.

Class A-Public is hotly contested in the middle of the pack, but up top, No. 1 Greenville and No. 2 Pelham are starting to separate themselves. The Lady Patriots crushed No. 6 Macon County 90-59 as the Lady Bulldogs also suffered a 56-47 loss to newly ranked No. 9 Central-Talbotton. The defending state champion Lady Hornets avenged their 61-60 loss to No. 10 Terrell County by topping the Green Wave 63-43. No. 5 Wheeler County took care of Woodville-Tompkins 62-47. No. 7 Marion County travels to Central-Talbotton on Tuesday. Georgia Military College (17-1) exits the Top 10 after a 48-43 loss at Greene County.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Rankings

Week 10 Boys Rankings

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Class AAAAAAA

  1. McEachern (16-2)
  2. Norcross (17-3)
  3. Newton (17-3)
  4. Pebblebrook (17-2)
  5. Grayson (16-3)
  6. Mountain View (16-3)
  7. Peachtree Ridge (16-3)
  8. Meadowcreek (13-4)
  9. Collins Hill (18-2)
  10. Duluth (15-6)

Class AAAAAA

  1. Gainesville (13-6)
  2. Langston Hughes (16-5)
  3. Douglas County (15-4)
  4. Tri-Cities (14-5)
  5. Brunswick (18-2)
  6. Stephenson (12-5)
  7. Bradwell Institute (14-5)
  8. Jonesboro (13-7)
  9. Cambridge (18-1)
  10. Coffee (12-6)

Class AAAAA

  1. Buford (16-4)
  2. Warner Robins (16-3)
  3. Miller Grove (14-6)
  4. Lithonia (15-4)
  5. Eagle’s Landing (14-5)
  6. Southwest DeKalb (13-7)
  7. Villa Rica (16-0)
  8. Maynard Jackson (18-1)
  9. Columbia (12-7)
  10. Stockbridge (15-5)

Class AAAA

  1. Upson-Lee (20-0)
  2. St. Pius X (18-3)
  3. Americus-Sumter (17-2)
  4. Baldwin (16-5)
  5. Salem (14-4)
  6. Mary Persons (18-2)
  7. Cartersville (14-2)
  8. Westover (15-5)
  9. Sandy Creek (13-5)
  10. Woodward Academy (13-5)

Class AAA

  1. Morgan County (20-1)
  2. Jenkins (16-3)
  3. Johnson-Savannah (17-2)
  4. Greater Atlanta Christian (16-3)
  5. Cedar Grove (12-6)
  6. Windsor Forest (13-7)
  7. Westside-Macon (12-8)
  8. Long County (14-7)
  9. Towers (11-5)
  10. Central-Macon (13-5)

Class AA

  1. Glenn Hills (18-1)
  2. Dublin (15-2)
  3. South Atlanta (16-2)
  4. Swainsboro (15-3)
  5. Laney (17-3)
  6. Thomasville (17-3)
  7. Therrell (11-7)
  8. Elbert County (18-3)
  9. Banks County (18-3)
  10. Vidalia (14-6)

Class A-Private

  1. St. Francis (17-2)
  2. Aquinas (17-3)
  3. Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (17-2)
  4. Stratford Academy (14-4)
  5. Lakeview Academy (14-6)
  6. North Cobb Christian (15-5)
  7. Christian Heritage (17-1)
  8. Holy Innocents’ (10-7)
  9. Mt. Vernon Presbyterian (12-6)
  10. WD Mohammed (9-3)

Class A-Public

  1. Manchester (16-0)
  2. Woodville-Tompkins (18-2)
  3. Calhoun County (18-2)
  4. Montgomery County (15-3)
  5. Lanier County (18-2)
  6. Macon County (15-3)
  7. Central-Talbotton (14-3)
  8. Wilcox County (15-4)
  9. Wilkinson County (13-6)
  10. Pelham (14-4)

 

More snow complicated a week of basketball, but MLK Day action on Monday afforded us nearly a full slate of games. Class AAAAAAA No. 1 McEachern went 2-0 at Flyin’ To The Hoop and came back home to blow out Village Christian (NC) 85-57 at the Peachtree Corners Invitational (PTCI). No. 2 Norcross lost to Christ School (NC) at the Prep Hoops MLK Classic, but handled their business at home at the PTCI, beating Riverdale Baptist (MD) 76-66. No. 3 Newton has officially caught up to and surpassed No. 4 Pebblebrook, even though the Falcons have won 15-straight. Their last loss? To Newton at Holiday Hoopsgiving 87-78. Newton defeated two Week 9 No. 1 teams, beating 5A’s Warner Robins 80-65 and 3A’s Morgan County 65-61. Pebblebrook squeaked out a 76-73 win over Berkmar at the J4Sports MLK Classic at Douglas County. No. 5 Grayson moves up two spots after rallying from down 20 points to knock off last week’s 6A No. 1 Langston Hughes, 65-64. Unsigned senior guard Nick Edwards scored 11 points in the fourth quarter including the game-winner with 1-second left. The Rams now host Newton on Tuesday in a pivotal Region 8 clash. Grayson won 74-73 in Round 1. No. 6 Mountain View slips two spots after a hard-fought 63-61 double overtime loss to returnee No. 10 Duluth. The Wildcats, winners of 5-straight, got a Will Huzzie put-back at the buzzer to stun the Bears. Duluth takes over for Wheeler (12-8) who exits the poll. The Wildcats have played a challenging national schedule, but four of their eight losses have come against in-state opponents. Wheeler beat Summit (TN) 83-51 before losing at the PTCI to Christ School 62-55. Duluth gets the nod over Wheeler even after falling to the Wildcats at the Big South Shootout 59-57 on a last second EJ Montgomery slam.

After a 3-6 start, No. 1 Gainesville has climbed their way to the top of the heap in Class AAAAAA. The Red Elephants’ momentum has carried on, destroying a lifeless Dacula team on the road 89-55 and miraculously coming back to shock host Class 5A No. 1 Buford 83-81, Raffy Rubel hitting a three with 8 seconds left to tie the game and then Kajuan Hale grabbing a steal and getting fouled with .3 seconds remaining and sinking both free throws to win it. Hale finished with 23 points and 6 rebounds while Xavier Bledson added 13 points. No. 2 Langston Hughes blew a 20-point lead at the BCB MLK Classic, losing to Class 7A No. 5 Grayson 65-64 before rebounding with a 78-70 win over No. 4 Tri-Cities. Landers Nolley outmatched Eli Lawrence, 29 points to 28 in and entertaining matchup. No. 5 Brunswick’s magic ran out as No. 7 Bradwell Institute stopped the Pirates 60-52 behind Isaiah Scott’s 16 points, making things much more interesting in Region 2. No. 3 Douglas County rises two spots after a 68-65 win at the J4Sports MLK Classic against Fayette County and a 95-35 beat down of Northgate.

The tug-of-war for first in Class AAAAA rages on as both the Demons and the Wolves lost last week. In the end, it is No. 1 Buford regaining the top spot after a 69-67 win over United Faith (NC), David Viti with the last second tip-in. The Wolves lost in heartbreaking fashion to Class 6A No. 1 Gainesville, Viti injuring his ankle, while No. 2 Warner Robins was sloppy and looked disinterested at times in their 80-65 loss to Class 7A No. 3 Newton. No one can figure out what is going on with No. 3 Miller Grove, but at the end of the day they continue to win. The Wolverines dominated Discovery 63-42 at the BCB MLK Classic, but then beat 4-17 Parkview by just eight points on the road, 61-53. No. 6 Southwest DeKalb falls two spots after a 55-46 overtime loss to No. 9 Columbia, who re-enters the poll. No. 5 Eagle’s Landing jumps up five spots after beating No. 10 Stockbridge 62-54. Statesboro (16-4) falls out of the rankings after suffering a 65-61 loss at Class 2A No. 4 Swainsboro. No. 7 Villa Rica and No. 8 Maynard Jackson might have hit a glass ceiling in the rankings as they have not played enough high-level competition out of their weaker regions and don’t have many opportunities for quality resume building wins going forward.

Now more than ever, it seems like everyone is playing for second-place in Class AAAA as No. 1 Upson-Lee humiliated No. 6 Mary Persons in front of a sold-out Castle, 89-58, dropping the Bulldogs three spots. No. 2 St. Pius X was without Brian Gonzalo and Patrick Snipes in their disappointing 68-65 loss to Pinson Valley (AL) at the PTCI. Rising two spots is No. 3 Americus-Sumter. The Panthers knocked Carver-Columbus (16-5) from the poll with a 55-52 road win. Up four spots is No. 4 Baldwin. The Braves hammered Washington County on the road 71-40. No. 8 Westover sees their long winning streak snapped by a 70-54 defeat at the hands of Northside-Columbus. Back into the poll for the first time since the preseason when they opened at No. 8, is No. 10 Woodward Academy. After a rocky start, the War Eagles have found their footing, winning 6-straight. On Saturday they rocked McIntosh 67-49 behind 6-foot-10 sophomore Walker Kessler’s 29 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks.

In Class AAA, No. 1 Morgan County suffered their first loss of the year against Class 7A No. 3 Newton, 65-61. No. 2 Jenkins beat Class A-Private No. 5 Lakeview Academy 63-44 while rival No. 3 Johnson-Savannah beat Heritage School 61-53 and blew out No. 6 Windsor Forest 92-77. The Atomsmashers host the Warriors on Tuesday. Johnson-Savannah won the first region meeting 67-54 while Jenkins won the non-region Memorial Health Classic Championship 79-41. No. 4 GAC blew Dawson County (14-5) out of the rankings, going to Dawsonville to finally play the Tigers and earning an 87-47 decision. No. 7 Westside-Macon falls two spots after a loss to Holy Spirit Prep 74-65 but more importantly, seeing the brilliant career of Khavon Moore end prematurely with a broken tibia and fibula in the waning moments of their 75-62 win over No. 10 Central-Macon, who also lost 51-48 to Northeast-Macon. The Seminoles are no longer state title contenders without the 4-star 6-foot-8 Moore’s 22.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. Back in the Top 10 is No. 8 Long County. The Blue Tide has won four in a row to move into a tie for first-place in Region 2. They now face a tough test in Pierce County, who the Tide beat 67-66 in overtime in their first meeting.

No. 1 Glenn Hills took their first loss of the season in Class AA at No. 5 Laney 59-49, but starting backcourt mates Isaiah Bauman and Eric Farmer did not play. No. 2 Dublin jumps two spots after a 73-59 win against Bleckley County. No. 3 South Atlanta had a scare against North Clayton before pulling out a 79-76 victory. No. 6 Thomasville got 9 points from their McDonald’s All-American Reggie Perry in a head-shaking 60-59 loss to Class A-Public No. 10 Pelham, dropping the Bulldogs four spots. Don’t look now, but No. 4 Swainsboro is peaking, winning 8-straight including avenging a 71-36 loss to Statesboro, 65-61. No. 8 Elbert County tumbles three spots after taking it on the chin at Monticello, 66-43. They now visit No. 9 Banks County on Tuesday. The Leopards still aren’t right, failing to impress again in a 63-56 win over 5-14, 0-9 Social Circle after holding on against Monticello 68-61. Washington County (12-6) was whipped by Class 4A No. 4 Baldwin at home 71-40, departing the poll. Replacing the Golden Hawks is debutant No. 10 Vidalia. The Indians have a crucial Region 2 rematch at Jeff Davis on Tuesday. They won 62-59 against the Yellow Jackets back on December 12. Vidalia sits at 8-2 in the region while Jeff Davis is 7-3, both teams chasing 10-0 Swainsboro.

It’s getting more and more difficult to fill out the Class A-Private rankings as it is devoid of winning records with substance. No. 3 ELCA cracked East Hall 73-49 at The Dream Challenge and took care of Berrien 56-36. No. 6 North Cobb Christian used the Cobb County home crowd to help the Eagles get revenge against No. 7 Christian Heritage, 71-52. No. 9 Mt. Vernon Presbyterian lost to Class 3A No. 6 Windsor Forest 55-48 and at Wesleyan 42-41, falling three positions. No. 5 Lakeview Academy moves up two spots and still owns Region 8, winning at rival Hebron Christian 67-59. In a clerical error, public school Drew Charter was ranked last week. They are replaced by No. 10 WD Mohammed.

No. 7 Central-Talbotton is on the ropes in Class A-Public, seeing their promising start spiral down the drain with their third-straight loss, this time to No. 6 Macon County 53-46, who rises three spots.  No. 2 Woodville-Tompkins dispatched of Savannah Christian 64-38 and is starting to garner more attention across Savannah and southeast Georgia. No. 8 Wilcox County slips two spots after losing 77-67 at Irwin County. No. 10 Pelham does the same, beating Class 2A No. 6 Thomasville 60-59, but coming out flat against Terrell County 61-34. The Hornets’ win over the Bulldogs saves them from being replaced by the Green Wave.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Girls Recaps, Recaps

Statewide Recap 1-19

 

BOYS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 7 Grayson 77, Archer 66: Unsigned senior guard Nick Edwards continued his red-hot play, going off for 27 points. Deivon Smith posted 22 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Kenyon Jackson added 4 points and 8 boards.

Lambert 82, North Forsyth 59: Jordan McIlwain drilled 6 threes en route to 26 points and 8 rebounds. Mitch Ganote had 18 points and 10 assists. Andrew Hama added 11 points and 4 steals. Damon Stoudamire Jr. collected 9 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Parkview 79, Central Gwinnett 75: Ahmir Langlais powered the Panthers with 27 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Berkmar 64, Brookwood 40: Tony Johnson dropped 23 points in the win.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Gainesville 89, Dacula 55: The Red Elephants blasted the Falcons. KJ Buffen (16), Bailey Minor (15), Griffin Nevel (12), Xavier Bledson (11) and Jarred Rosser (10) paced Gainesville. Clayton State-signee Arusha Hunter and Quincy Ademokoya led Dacula with 13 points apiece. Shayne Buckingham had 10 points and Brenden Tucker scored 8. Mekhail Bethea did not play.

No. 9 Bradwell Institute 60, No. 3 Brunswick 52: The Pirates ran out of late game magic, losing to the Tigers. Isaiah Scott scored 16 points, picking up the slack for an injured Javonte LeCounte.

Lee County 75, Northside-Warner Robins 60: TJ Harris (21) and Javian Johnson (20) combined for 41 points in the Trojan win.

Alpharetta 67, Centennial 62: Brandon Barron poured in 23 points and RJ Pass had 17. Ryan Jenei scored 16. Rodney Howard totaled 13 points in the loss for the Knights.

Lanier 70, Habersham Central 50: Sion James (18), Alex Walker (15) and Adrian Martin (14) paced the Longhorns.

Apalachee 64, Winder-Barrow 56: Derek Miller finished with 14 points, 19 rebounds and 3 steals. Jamonte Wallace had 18 points and Deron Collier tacked on 7. Brandon Bannis tallied 13 points and 8 rebounds. Parker Miller scored 6.

Chattahoochee 68, Northview 57: Will Bracknell and AJ White scored 21 points apiece while Grant VanBeveren had 9 points in the win.

Class AAAAA

No. 1 Warner Robins 68, Thomas County Central 38: Jacolbey Owens (18), Champ Dawson (15) and Keshun Houser (12) all scored double figures. Jaron Zanders added 8 points.

Flowery Branch 66, Loganville 38: Justin Quick finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals. Myles Janess had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Patsheko Lutumba added 10 points. Blake Coxworth chipped in 8 points and 5 assists. JJ Greene had 7 points.

Starr’s Mill 58, McIntosh 48: The Panthers avenged a 64-54 loss in the Battle of the Bubble round 2. Julian Lynch put up 17 points. Drew Hudson and Nate Allison each had 16.

Class AAAA

No. 1 Upson-Lee 89, No. 3 Mary Persons 58: The Knights embarrassed Mary Persons in front of a capacity crowd at The Castle. MTSU-commit Tye Fagan poured in 31 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Cameron Traylor had 17 points and Travon Walker posted 12 points and 15 rebounds. Cam Holden scored 21 in the loss.

No. 2 St. Pius X 71, Stephens County 56: Troy Stephens scored 17 points and snagged 3 steals. Kennedy Willis finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds. Matt Gonzalo had 12 points, 5 assists and 5 steals. Niko Broadway had 10 points. DeUndra Singleton piled in 21 points, Ty Nails had 14 points and Tae Thornton netted 10 points for the Indians.

No. 4 Westover 85, Hardaway 50: Jordan Brown dumped in 28 points and 7 assists. Cam Weston had 18 points, 4 assists and 3 steals. Kris Gardner posted 16 points and 8 assists. Mike Isler Jr. had 7 points and 12 rebounds.

No. 7 Cartersville 58, Cedartown 25: Furman-signee Jaylon Pugh had 17 points and Perignon Dyer netted 10 in the win.

No. 9 Carver-Columbus 51, Columbus 37: AJ Watts scored 20 points and grabbed 6 rebounds to pace the Tigers. Jalen King added 8 points and 7 rebounds. Xaiyhir Jacobs finished with 5 points and 9 rebounds. Noah Lott led Columbus with 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Gray Voltz had 6 points.

Northwest Whitfield 79, Pickens 42: In the loss, Seth Bishop had 13 points and 5 rebounds. Keinyuan Hooks added 10 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

Jefferson 63, Madison County 42: Coach Kevin Morris’ reclamation project in Year 1 continued to flourish as the Dragons earned their 14th win after going 4-21 last season. Jasper Gibson (14), Jacob Radaker (11) and Donsha Gaither (10) led the way.

West Hall 60, Marist 37: Dee Buffington dropped 20 points and Noah Edmondson pitched in 15 in the Region 7 win.

LaFayette 61, Ridgeland 39: Alex Kelehear had 26 points. Jon Morgan added 13.

Class AAA

No. 1 Morgan County 66, Franklin County 49: Alec Woodard finished with 17 points to lead the Bulldogs while Anthony Cooper had 14 and Tyrin Lawrence 11. Franklin County received 14 points apiece from Titus Brown and Micah Roebuck.

No. 4 GAC 75, Union County 31: Roy Dixon scored 17 points, Chris Hinton had 13 and Ben Sheppard netted 12 for the Spartans. Hunter McIntosh finished with 11 points.3d Pierson Allison led Union County with 12. Patrick Baggett tossed in 11.

No. 5 Westside-Macon 103, Kendrick 90: Greg Holloway scored 26 points as the lead man for the Khavon Moore-less Seminoles. Javian Mosley tacked on 20 points and Des Foston scored 17.

No. 8 Windsor Forest 68, Savannah 53: Benjamin Mitchell scored 19 points and Lamon Page had 16.

No. 9 Dawson County 71, Lumpkin County 42: Cullen Reed scored 16 points to lead four double digit scorers. Ryan Gallenkamp had 13 points, Campbell Reed 13 and Jeremiah Crumley 10. Kane Pelfrey scored 7.

Monroe Area 80, Jackson County 61: Isaiah Glasper (19), Lakendric Lyles (12) and Quontarius Lackey (10) led the Hurricanes in scoring. Elijah Goodman had 9 points and 4 blocks. Michael Gray added 8 points and 5 rebounds.

Hart County 59, East Jackson 40: Elijah Robinson scored 14 points to help the Bulldogs to their fourth-straight Region 8 win. Tay Howard had a game-high 17 points in defeat.

Long County 65, Tattnall County 62: The Blue Tide is surging. Henry Blair scored 23 points followed by Terry Smith’s 16 and Christian Bass’ 10 points as Long County moved into first-place in Region 2.

Class AA

No. 4 Dublin 73, Bleckley County 59: Kam Pauldo had 28 points and 7 assists. Clarence Jackson added 20 points and 14 rebounds.

No. 5 Elbert County 54, Social Circle 31: Jamison Syphore had 17 points and 9 rebounds.

No. 10 Banks County 68, Monticello 61: Carl Cleveland pumped in 25 points and had 7 assists for the Leopards. Dylan Orr added 21 points and 10 rebounds. Gabe Martin scored 16 points and blocked 2 shots. Darius Bonds tallied 11 assists. In the loss, Ashton Bonner finished with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Malik Crawford double-doubled with 21 points and 11 rebounds. De’Ivion Lawrence had 9 points and 5 rebounds.

Gordon Central 80, Armuchee 63: Quan Curtis dropped 30 points to power the Warriors. Christian Marycz had 13 and Turner Mathis scored 11 in Gordon Central’s first win of the season.

Dodge County 67, East Laurens 17: Nick Cummings had 20 points. DeMarcus Caines scored 18 and Chris Clark netted 13.

Jeff Davis 74, Metter 57: Ja’Queze Kirby erupted for 34 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 5 blocks in an important region victory.

Class A-Private

No. 5 Stratford Academy 60, Mt. de Sales 48: Jaden Harris scored 21 points and Devin Butts had 10.

Wesleyan 42, No. 6 Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 41: Wesleyan received 10 points from Micah Smith and 8 from JD Kavel in an important win. Stevie Crawford snatched 8 rebounds. In the loss, Tahj Keeton posted 18 points and 10 rebounds. Marques Frye had 10 points and Cam Bennett finished with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

No. 7 Lakeview Academy 72, Towns County 55: Blake McIntyre had 19 points followed by Drew Cottrell’s 16 and Holden Cooper’s 10.

Darlington 65, Trion 54: JD Hull had 16 points and Sam Tackeberry netted 14 in the win. Griffin Brewster and Barrick Wade added 10 apiece.

Fellowship Christian 71, Walker 68: Walker’s struggles continued with a loss to the Paladins. The Wolverines were led by Chandler Baker’s 22 points. Darius Garvin had 11 and Omar Cooper had 10.

Class A-Public

Dooly County 78, Crawford County 43: Jarquavius Brown had 21 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Zeff Felton added 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Non-GHSA

Oak Hill, VA (B-Team) 91, Dawson Christian Academy 87 OT: Luke Chism had 32 points. Ethan Bryant scored 16 followed by Ahmad Kamara (15), Eli Burruss (13) and Seth Davis (11).
 

GIRLS

Class AAAAAAA

No. 5 Cherokee 57, Roswell 37: Sydne Watts had 15 points. Kate Johnson scored 8 and Laiken Wade, Olivia Herrera and Chatham Brown all had 6 points.

No. 6 North Forsyth 46, Lambert 30: Catherine Shope had 23 points. Caroline Martin added 7 points and 9 assists. Cassie Markle posted 6 points and 9 rebounds.

Grayson 67, Archer 63: Jazmine Robinson had 18 points and 5 rebounds. Bianca Fizouaty had 16 points and 3 rebounds.

Class AAAAAA

No. 2 Winder-Barrow 54, Apalachee 28:  UConn-commit Olivia Nelson-Ododa scored the 1,500th point of her career while College of Charleston-commit Latrice Perkins pumped in 15 points.

No. 7 Northview 71, Chattahoochee 20: Eden Sample outscored the Lady Cougars with 23 points. Ashlee Austin had 12 points. Alahna Richards and Megan Cistulli had 8 apiece.

Dacula 49, Gainesville 46: The Lady Falcons drilled five threes in the fourth quarter to beat Gainesville. Kendall Bollmer had 14 points and 4 rebounds. Aiyana Hamilton collected 11 points and 9 rebounds while Keyanna Gibbs finished with 8 points and 7 boards. Chelsey Abel contributed 8 points and 4 rebounds.

Class AAAAA

No. 2 Flowery Branch 73, Loganville 35: Lexie Sengkhammee had 16 points and 5 assists while Alabama-signee Taniyah Worth posted 14 points, 4 assists and 5 steals. Ashley Scott collected 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Ashley Woodroffe had 10 points and 4 rebounds. Caroline Wysocki chipped in 8 points and 4 assists.

Class AAAA

No. 1 Carver-Columbus 81, Columbus 33: Sya Hall had 18 points, Olivia Cochran posted 13 points and 6 rebounds and Mariah Igus surpassed the 1,000-point barrier with 13 points and 3 steals in the win.

No. 4 Northwest Whitfield 72, Pickens 61: The Bruins received 18 points from Holly Heath. Jada Griffin double-doubled with 16 points and 10 rebounds. MaLane Kyer had 11 points and 5 steals. Mykenzie Weaver had 32 points in a losing effort. Torie Williams put up 9 points and 7 assists. Shelby Cook chipped in 6 points and 9 rebounds.

No. 6 Madison County 54, Jefferson 38:  Jordan Bailey dropped in 17 points to pace the Red Raiders. McKenzie Tyner scored 11 to lead Jefferson.

St. Pius X 63, Stephens County 44: Nana Eades (12) and Tykia Thompson (9) paced the Lady Indians in the loss.

West Laurens 69, Perry 56: Ja’Kerra Wilbur had 22 points and 5 assists while MaKayla Murray double-doubled with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Calmela Mack pitched in 16 points and 4 steals in the win.

White County 57, Chestatee 51: Naomi Crumley and Dasha Cannon scored 14 points apiece. Madi Phillips (9) and Erin Dorsey (8) chipped in.

Class AAA

No. 1 GAC 66, Union County 53: MTSU-signee Taylor Sutton dropped 21 points and Wofford-commit MaryMartha Turner added 13 in GAC’s win over Union County. The Lady Panthers were led by Bailey Daniel’s 25 points. Brooke Dockrey scored 11 and Kait McCarter added 10.

No. 8 North Murray 52, Murray County 40: Raven Stone scored 16 points. Korbin Tipton netted 15 and Sarah Plemons had 12.

No. 9 Hart County 62, East Jackson 29: Torrion Starks poured in 30 points in the win. A’cira Teasley added 9 points while Taniya Alexander finished with 8 points and 17 rebounds. East Jackson was led by Abbie Howington’s 8.

Jenkins 36, Islands 29: Ki Gaskins had 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 1 block. Zaniyah Sealey put up 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks. Jessie Barre had 7 points and 4 rebounds.

Dawson County 43, Lumpkin County 22: A healthy Kaylee Sticker was a major difference, scoring 16 points in the win. Sticker did not play in their 46-39 loss to Lumpkin County in December. Anna Lowe scored 11 points and Cadey Ayers had 8.

Class AA

Monticello 51, No. 2 Banks County 41: Banks County had a chance to take a death grip on Region 8 but instead were upset by Monticello after skyrocketing in the rankings. Amber Williams had 12 points in the loss. Jaycie Bowen had 10, Allison Smith (8) and Maddie Thomas (6).

No. 5 Putnam County 56, No. 6 Rabun County 47: In the loss, Laken Stiles finished with 19 points and 5 rebounds. Georgia Stockton had 13 points and 4 rebounds while Destiny Deetz added 12 rebounds. Putnam County rallied, taking their first lead with 2:30 left in the game to close out the LadyCats.

East Laurens 55, No. 8 Dodge County 47: The Squaws continued their slide with another loss. Destanee Wright had 16 points, Europe Brown scored 13 and Zanessia Mitchell netted 12.

No. 10 Bryan County 53, Toombs County 42: Olonna Rawls went off for 28 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals. Kelsey Leggett added 11 points.

Class A-Private

No. 2 Wesleyan 77, Mt. Vernon Presbyterian 17: Nicole Azar scored 14 points and Paige Lyons added 12 points and 6 assists. AC Carter had 11 points. Furman-signee Sutton West collected 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Athens Academy 51, No. 7 Prince Avenue Christian 44: Gabby Mastandrea had 19 points and 5 rebounds while Rose Bone posted 18 points and 6 rebounds. Maddie McCleary scored 7 points and Greer Moseley netted 7.

Galloway 65, SACA 47: Jada Ryce poured in 21 points followed by Caitlin Felts’ 16 points and Meredith Potts’ 13. Mel Hartz added 9 points.

Savannah Christian 46, Woodville-Tompkins 32: Paige Dennis scored 15 points and Keziah Goodway had 14 for the Lady Raiders.

Fellowship Christian 62, Walker 58: Colorado-signee Cameron Swartz exploded for 46 points (6 threes) on Senior Night to rally the Lady Paladins, scoring five points in the final 44 seconds to push past the Wolverines.

Lakeview Academy 58, Towns County 38: Maddy Towles had 14 points, 7 assists and 4 steals. Tori Taylor added 13 points and 7 rebounds while Sasvanna Kinsey posted 10 points and 8 rebounds.

Fitzgerald 64, Thomasville 62: Kirstin Crook had 18 points while Trinity Jones had 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the win. Hayleigh Ross added 13 points and 5 rebounds.

Class A-Public

No. 3 Telfair County 68, Echols County 46: India Wells had 29 points and Tanajawa Graham added 10. Brandy Mackey pitched in 8 points.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Player Feature

Gentle giant Derek Miller, more than just a force in the paint

Contributed by Rob Grubbs   (@RCGJr226070)

Sponsored by:   @sportalspace

In a generation of excess, many today are defined by what they don’t have instead of the things they do. While the destination is important, the journey is richer and more rewarding. Apalachee senior 6-foot-7 forward Derek Miller is on a journey as he nears his graduation from high school. Derek is a star for the Wildcat basketball team, but to define him by that fact comes up woefully short, he is so much more. While basketball is a big part and figures to provide the avenue for his journey in the near future, it is just one component of this young man who is extremely comfortable being himself, a trait that can never be taken for granted and refreshing in today’s athletes.

His senior year has been interesting to say the least. Gone is the only high school head coach he knew, Kevin Morris, who moved on to Jefferson High School and in his place, first-year head coach Spencer Bernstein. Add to that he is returning from a season ending injury last year and there were a lot of unknowns coming into the year. While the record is not as strong as they would like (8-10), all of their losses have been by seven points or less including three in overtime; they could easily be 12-6 or better with a few breaks here and there. But there is still a lot of that story to write, as Derek and the Wildcats have improved throughout the season and look to jell at the right time when the Region 8-AAAAAA tournament starts. But again, Derek is so much more than just the leader of an improving basketball team.

A Special Bond

Derek was born in Peoria, Illinois, he says he still prefers the cold and misses it with his easy smile.  He moved here when he was six, his father passed away when he was a youngster and the family moved south. His mom, Tiana and older sister, Saboyce, settled in Winder, Georgia. When talking to Derek and his mom, you can sense the closeness; they finish each other’s sentences at times and even communicate with an unspoken eye language. Tiana works the night shift and does not get to see him play usually. She keeps up with his games via text messages afterwards and even then, “He forgets to tell me, so I have to text him to see how it went,” she said while cutting her eyes towards him.

Derek with his mother Tiana

The special times for them are on her off days, when Derek cooks breakfast for her and they enjoy the opportunity to share the moment. His specialty is waffles, they are good he said.  Tiana almost glows when she talks about Derek, but not just about his athletic prowess, but because of who he is and how he is becoming a man right before her eyes. If success in life for a man is predicated on the amount of love and prayer invested in him by his mother, then Derek is in good shape.

And Derek is there for her as well. When she faced major health scares in the past two years, Derek became the son/nurse, they are family and they stick close, which is all they know. Success is born in the tight knit fabric of family and Tiana and Derek are a testimony to that.

A Legacy at Apalachee  

Derek’s sister, Saboyce, five years his senior, left a great legacy at Apalachee. Quite the basketball player herself, she reached the 1,000-point threshold in her career and signed a scholarship to play college ball at Emanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia after she graduated in 2012.  She held the Apalachee High School girls shot-put record with a throw of 34-2.5 until 2016 when current junior Nakia Hooks, another basketball player, took the honors. Derek’s conversation was light-hearted as we talked, but when it came to his sisters’ influence, he suddenly got serious.  “I remember – I was in middle school and was not playing basketball and she would go outside to play and I would go with her. Even though she was with her older friends, she treated me with respect, she treated me like I was someone. That changed me. Her attitude towards me changed how I saw myself. I wanted to be like her.”

Saboyce lives in Illinois now and the gym she starred in is now under her brother’s watch, but as a player who scored often – she once took 50 shots in a game against Clarke Central – her biggest current contribution is the assist she provided by helping the in development of Derek.

Late Bloomer

In today’s microwave environment of developing the basketball talents of youngsters, the norm is for players to enter to the competitive grind of club basketball around age 9 or 10. For those who want to go big time, the prevalent thought is you play year-round at the highest level. From this, skills are honed but more importantly, players become known to the college recruiters before ever entering high school.  While the current stars of the Class of 2018 were spending their summers traveling to gyms all around the state, Derek took a different path; he developed his music. Before Saboyce drug him outside to play hoops, he was at home with his drum set.  Music was his oasis and playing in the praise band at his church was his arena to be seen.

To this day, he still plays the drums at Grace Missionary Baptist Church. The Pastor there, Robert Ballard has been his mentor since he was in the fourth grade. Coincidently, Rev. Ballard is also the PA announcer for Apalachee basketball, so he gets to see both sides of Derek, the music and the basketball.  Ballard shared, “Derek is really an exceptional young man. Whether it is his athletic or musical abilities, it is clear to see he is truly gifted. But his greatest gifts are his ability to connect with people regardless of age, interests or skin color. Everyone loves him and sees him as their own.  The school cafeteria workers adore him because he is one of the few students that give them hugs and tells them thank you.”

Tiana said it best, “He is a well-rounded young man, he has a love for people and people are drawn to him. He lost his father at an early age and I think that is a big reason for him loving people.” It doesn’t take long to be around Derek to sense that about him.

Revisiting a Scare

Last season, the Apalachee Wildcats, led by two senior All-Region guards, were holding onto third-place in the region. On January 20, 2017, Derek scored 21 points as the Wildcats held off rival Winder-Barrow.  In early February, with the tournament coming up, Derek suffered a season-ending knee injury. While there was physical pain for the injury, the mental strain was tough too. His jovial, whimsical demeanor turned very serious during the conversation. He shared, “While I was hurting, it was tough because I felt like I let my teammates down. It took a long time for me to get over that.”

The Wildcats lost their final four games of the 2016-17 season, including twice against Winder-Barrow and came up short in their goal to make the state tournament. It is easy to see that experience left mixed emotions on Derek and he has wrestled with those feelings a lot over the past 12 months.  While the pain is gone, the desire to move past the experience mentally is evident.

Game Day

A tour of the Apalachee High School student parking lot is like many of the affluent schools in the metro-Atlanta area, big trucks and nice cars. But for Derek, game day starts on the school bus. Tiana gets off work around 3:15 a.m. and is asleep when it’s time for him to head to school. But as in all the other aspects of his life, Derek uses the time on the bus to begin preparation for the game, “I start the day with my music,” he offered, “I listen to different things, it always starts my routine and gets me ready.”

After school, when the JV and 9th grade games start, you will find the star forward in the concession stand making fries and hot dogs, he loves serving and being around people, it is where he is most comfortable.

Derek Miller, Rob Grubbs
Even our own Rob Grubbs can not score in the paint on Miller

Once it’s game-time, Derek is mentally at peace, no moment is too big for him. Coach Bernstein says of Derek, “He is a physical specimen, he has unbelievable stamina and he is fast and never shows fatigue on the court.” When asked what he thinks when he gets the ball, he dead-panned, “Four things, in this order; dunk, hook shot, pass or get fouled.”  His dunks are what the fans wants to see.  Against Banks County earlier this season, Derek had an exceptional flush that jolted the crowd. He said, “I could feel the rush of energy from the crowd, it was an exciting moment.” While he may be a late bloomer to the game, he has no problem thinking like a big man.

In terms of the professional game, his favorite player is Russell Westbrook, “I admire the way he runs the floor, but I really like the way he hypes up his teammates. I want to be like that. Everyone on the team is my teammate and I want to make them better. “

Wrapping up a Career

Derek has come back strong from the injury, he is currently averaging 15.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. His career field goal percentage sits at 55%, he is a three-year starter and has improved each year. While he may have gotten a late start, his passion for the game burns hotter that any five-star. His immediate goal is to push the Wildcats to the state tournament and finish high, but then the curtain on his high school career will close.

But that will not be the ending, it will just be a new chapter. Derek just wants a chance to play at the next level, he and his coaching staff are working towards that goal. Coach Bernstein summed it up, “I wish I had a team full of Dereks, he is that special. If I am a college coach, I want Derek on my team. I know he can play at the next level, there is no doubt in my mind. We just need to get him the looks, we need coaches to come out and experience Derek’s game firsthand.”

When that goal becomes a reality in Derek’s life, there will be a new chapter to write in this story, but for now, Derek is just happy to be Derek, to spend a few more mornings making waffles for Tiana and being a great friend to those at Apalachee High School.  While many want to move on to the next level, Derek has the unique ability to just enjoy the moment and soak it all in. It’s a lesson that Derek can teach us all.