Category Archives: Game Stories

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Woodstock punches first-ever ticket to state with win over Etowah

Woodstock 61, Etowah 47

Founded in 1996 just a minute away from Towne Lake rival Etowah which opened its doors 20 years prior, Woodstock has played a second fiddle to the Eagles for 20 years now in boys basketball, never clinching a state playoff berth. The Wolverines have shuffled through coaches over the years going from Sean Glaze to Brady Richeson to Darrin Clark and now to Head Coach Kingston Clark, a well-traveled veteran who has seen success at some of the most unlikely schools. Standing in he and his team’s way of the school’s first ever state playoff appearance stood the Eagles.

After defeating Etowah 62-58 and 63-45 in the regular season, the Wolverines were tasked with beating their bitter rival for a third time and they did, earning a 61-47 victory and seeing the court fill with red-clad fans as Woodstock advanced to the Region 5-AAAAAA semifinals and the state playoffs on Etowah’s home court.

Adrian Cohen gave the Eagles a quick 2-0 lead, but from there on out it was all Wolverines in the second quarter. Woodstock drilled three of their nine three-pointers in the first quarter led by two from Marcus Foo and one from leading scorer Tyreke Johnson to open up a 13-0 run and finish the quarter up 14-4.

Etowah came out tight and couldn’t buy a basket while Coach Clark’s patient offense swung the ball around the perimeter until Coach Don Hurlburt’s zone couldn’t keep rotating.

Woodstock led 19-9 before the Eagles showed signs of life, cutting the lead to 19-15 after five points from Rodriquez Lobbins. Heading into the half the Eagles’ 8-2 run shrank the deficit to 21-17.

In the second half senior Zack Wallace and Johnson began to lengthen the lead as the Wolverines saw blood in the water and went in for the kill. Foo found Wallace for three to push the lead to 28-18 with 4:52 to play in the third. A minute later, Brant Hurter tipped out a missed shot to Dominic Hewitt, who whipped the ball to Wallace for another three, making it 31-20. Johnson scored five of his game-high 20 in the frame to make it a 37-28 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Eight minutes away from a date with destiny, the Wolverines who had come up short so many times before, were not about to let history slip through their fingers. Again, it was Wallace with back-to-back daggers from behind the arc to give Woodstock its largest lead of the game at 45-30 with 5:44 remaining.

Etowah never threatened after Wallace’s marksmanship and Johnson iced the game from the line along with Hewitt combining to shoot 10-of-12 in the fourth quarter.

Following 19 years of despair, year number 20 – Kingston Clark’s first – proved to provide the magic.

“It started back in April when I got the phone call from Coach [Tonya] Sebring for the interview,” explained Clark on how the school history making season began. “I knew right then and there we had to get the ball rolling and start working. Honestly, I didn’t anticipate getting into the state playoffs the first year but I definitely will take it.

“The kids bought into what I was trying to instill into them and really and truly, they just fought throughout the season and worked hard throughout the season. This is a well-deserved victory. This is my first year but I feel the pain of the 19 years of not making it.”

From Pierce County to Lowndes County to Cross Keys, Clark took a roundabout way to make it to Cherokee County.

“I came up here a couple years ago. My wife wanted to come to the big city. I’m a country boy, born and raised. I had no ambition of coming up here to Metro Atlanta but when I finally did, I felt like I had done a tremendous job throughout my years, had some success, so I wanted to get that opportunity.

“When I got the call from Woodstock to be honest with you, I didn’t think I would be their man, but by the grace of God, they saw something in me and chose me as their candidate and I am proud to be a Wolverine.”

Top Performers

Woodstock
Tyreke Johnson – 20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Zack Wallace – 13 points, 3 rebounds
Brant Hurter – 12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist
Marcus Foo – 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Dominic Hewitt – 5 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal

Etowah
Rodriquez Lobbins – 13 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist
Daniel Hogue – 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Oconee County spoils Jackson County senior night in OT

Oconee County 47, Jackson County 45 OT

It was an electric crowd for Senior Night
It was an electric crowd for Senior Night

One of the state’s biggest turnarounds, Jackson County (15-10, 7-5), looked to send off its seniors in style against Oconee County (8-16, 4-8) Friday night. Panther Indoor was packed, the 1966 girls basketball team was being honored and all the pomp and circumstance had electricity in the air, but in the end it was the Warriors stunning the Panthers and spoiling Senior Night, 47-45 in overtime.

Jackson County, coming off of a 4-22 season and winless region record, took Region 8 by storm this year by surprising everyone and running as the No. 2 seed late into the season behind defending state runner-up, No. 1 Morgan County. A win would clinch the No. 2 seed heading into the region tournament and a loss would slip the Panthers to third-place behind rival East Jackson who Jackson County swept in emotional fashion. One win in the region tournament and the Panthers will go dancing for the first time in 14 years, breaking a spell that has seen Jackson County absent from the post season picture for over a decade.

Before focusing in on the looming tournament, the Panthers still had work to do as they welcomed Oconee County. A potential trap game heading into the most important week of the season, the Warriors had fallen at home to Jackson County 49-47 on Jan. 12 and challenged the Panthers despite their sub-.500 record.

After coming out and mobbing with the crowd known as one of the best sixth men in the state, the Panthers came out roaring up 8-0.  The Warriors would get their footing but not before Jackson County took a 14-7 lead into the second quarter after Malique Wade drove the lane and whipped a pass inside to Mitchell Mershon for a basket at the buzzer.

Rahul Das came in off the bench for Oconee County in the first quarter and gave the Warriors a spark scoring four of his six points in the first period while finishing with a team-high 12 rebounds on the night. Das’ play helped loosen others up around him in the second quarter. Roques Dowdy, an athletic wide receiver on the football team, scored five points in the second quarter and helped the Warriors close to within 16-14, but Coach Chuck Butler’s team responded with a 6-0 run to push the lead back out to 22-14 with 53.1 seconds left in the first half. The score held entering halftime following a poor final play by the Warriors, holding the ball for the last 40 seconds and coming away with a last second one-handed heave.

The third quarter began with whistles on both sides. Jackson County, known for its gritty play, didn’t back down from any of the more athletic Warrior guards swooping to the paint. Jase Latty took a pair of charges – the senior’s calling card – and helped get the Panthers in the bonus half way through the quarter.

As Latty and company were sacrificing their bodies on defense, Joel Ellis began to eat away at the Oconee County interior. The burly undersized center gnawed away inside for eight points in the third and finished with a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds. The lead held steady at an eight point margin and eventually cracked double digits when the Panthers carried a 36-26 advantage into the fourth quarter, but from there on out Jackson County could not extend the lead while free throws began to haunt them.

With 5:01 left in regulation the Panthers still maintained a 10-point lead at 38-28 before the Warriors began their slow climb back into the game. Dowdy found Chance Peden for three to make it 38-31 with 4:22 left. Das made it 38-33 with 2:48 remaining, creeping closer. Stephen Fogarty slung a pass inside to Ellis to extend the lead back to seven but the very next possession it was Peden again, who scored eight of his team-high 13 points in the fourth quarter, answering the bell.

Trailing 41-38, Peden was sent to the line. The senior missed both free throws but Das managed to tip the ball back outside to Peden who had floated to the three-point line where he buried a three to tie the game at 41 with 1:15 left.

Wade found Ellis down low for a bucket to regain the lead 43-41 with 43 seconds to play, but once again it was Peden getting to the hoop and tying the game with 23 seconds left in regulation. Jackson County had a chance to win it when Wade attacked and kicked it to Latty for three but the shot went wide and the game sent to overtime knotted at 43.

After being held to 26 points through the first three quarters, the Warriors broke the levy and poured in 17 in the fourth to Jackson’s 7. The Panthers had opportunities to shut the door but couldn’t do it from the foul line, going 3-of-10 in the fourth quarter led by Wade’s 1-of-6 as the guard couldn’t find a good grip on the ball.

Momentum had clearly swung into Oconee County’s corner, but the Warriors were still in search of their first lead of the game. They nearly had it at the 2:50 mark when Ty Paschal came away with a steal and went up for a wide open layup. Instead, it looked as if someone from the Jackson County fan section blowdarted him, causing him to slip, stumble and end up tossing the ball up in the air while he hit the ground.

The calamity of a fastbreak might have swayed momentum back into Jackson’s favor as it looked like the basketball gods weren’t going to let the hard working group of seniors end their careers with a loss on their home floor.

But It wasn’t in the cards.

The free throw woes continued with Latty missing a pair. With 2:22 to play, Dowdy streaked to the basket to give Oconee County its first lead of the game, 45-43. Preston Giroux, one of seven seniors, whirled in the lane and banked in a tough shot to deadlock the game with 1:28 to go, his 13th point to go along with his game-high 13 rebounds.

Oconee County held the ball and looked for a last shot with the ball in Dowdy’s hands. He finally made his move with six seconds after weaving around the defense. Dowdy slid to the cup, avoided Ellis and layed in the go-ahead basket with just 4.5 seconds left.

Coach Butler got a timeout with 3.8 left underneath the Oconee County basket. They riffled in a pass to halfcourt and called another timeout with 3.6 to play, setting up a decent location to draw up one final play. Latty bulleted a pass into Ellis on the left elbow. Ellis turned and fired but his shot was amiss and the ball went back to the Warriors with 0.8 remaining. Dowdy missed both free throws, allowing one last Hail Mary heave for the Panthers but their prayers were not answered as it went wide left.

My Take: My final regular season game of the year couldn’t have been a better choice. Jackson County was electric on Senior Night, a program that has risen from the ashes since Chuck Butler took over full-time last year. The student section was the best I’ve witnessed all season long and the most in-tune with their team. The Panthers opened the night coming out of the locker room and jumping into the fan section, mobbing each other for one last time before going to war. Even during the pre-game warm ups, the Panthers’ defensive slide drill which ends in all 10 players diving in unison for a simulated loose ball was a spectacle to behold and really revved up the home crowd. As far as the action on the court, the Panthers do not wow you with size, speed or athleticism. What they do wow you with is their heart and tenacious play. Coach Chuck Butler installed the E.A.T. motto “Effort, Attitude, Toughness”. All were on display as the undersized and unheralded Panthers fight for every possession, nothing given to them. They are difficult to drive the lane on because almost everyone on the roster is eager to step in and take a charge on the chest. Jase Latty has turned it into an art form while Stephen Fogarty isn’t afraid to take the beating as a guard. Preston Giroux and Joel Ellis were the Panthers’ go-to guys tonight. The two combined for 32 points and 24 rebounds. Giroux is adept at getting to the basket while Ellis pounds his way inside, very patient using as many pump fakes as needed before gathering himself and finishing down low. Christian Smith battled foul trouble all night, really hurting the usually balanced attack. Malique Wade had an off game offensively but played a good floor game collecting five assists.

Oconee County did what it needed to do against Jackson; hang around. Jace Bonds hit three timely three-pointers and Roques Dowdy had the game-winner, but big men Chance Peden and Rahul Das did the most damage. Das entered the game and made an impact immediately. He finished with six points, 12 rebounds and three assists. Jackson County struggled keeping him off the glass as he was able to get a hand on nearly every ball that ricocheted off the rim. Peden came alive in the fourth quarter with 10 points and carried the load with two big threes and the lay up to tie the game at 43 and send it to overtime. Jackson County and Oconee County will meet one final time in the Region 8 tournament. Win and advance, or lose and go home. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out with both teams earning two-point victories over each other this year.

Top Performers

Oconee County
Chance Peden – 13 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal
Roques Dowdy – 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Jace Bonds – 9 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal
Rahul Das – 6 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Jackson County
Joel Ellis – 19 points, 11 rebounds
Preston Giroux – 13 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Malique Wade – 3 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal
Stephen Fogarty – 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 2 Allatoona says Ahoy! to undefeated regular season

No. 2 Allatoona 75, New Manchester 57

No. 2 Allatoona (25-0, 18-0) wrapped up its fifth straight season going undefeated in region play, advancing its streak to 77 in-a-row on Thursday night after using an 18-0 run spanning over five minutes from the end of the third quarter into the fourth to clinch a 75-57 win over New Manchester and stay perfect on the year.

Having lost 58-47 on Dec. 12 at home to the Buccaneers, New Manchester (17-6, 13-4) felt prepared to take the next step into becoming a statewide threat if they could defeat the juggernaut that Allatoona has become.

The Bucs jumped out to a 12-7 lead midway through the first quarter before Clinton Bentley connected on a four-point play in the right corner. The corner proved to be a headache for both coaches, as three players were fouled while taking a three during the course of the game. Bentley’s bucket gave the Jaguars a 13-12 lead before Allatoona pushed ahead. Known for the defensive prowess of Ephraim Tshimanga and Trey Doomes, inside it was sophomore Rolan Wooden off the bench that gave up his body. Wooden would take three charges in the first quarter alone and finish with four drawn on the night.

Allatoona only took a 21-19 lead into the second quarter after Tabashi Thomas came away with a steal and assist Momodou Singhateh as time expired.

For the Buccaneers, the 40-point quarter and high pace were not to their typical liking, allowing the Jaguars to play their tempo and find baskets in transition. In the second quarter with the game teetering back and forth, sophomore Chima Ogboi stepped in and provided a spark for Coach Markus Hood’s Bucs.

First Ogboi found Wooden for a layup.

Then it was Michael Johnson the beneficiary of an Ogboi dime, hitting a three in the corner. Ogboi capped the spurt with a drive to the basket for a hoop of his own making it 33-25, the 6-foot-3 forward accounting for seven straight points.

New Manchester fought back to stay in striking distance and cut the lead to 35-30 with 53.3 seconds left. The Jaguars would enter the break trailing 39-32, Bentley almost hitting a three at the buzzer after a steal.

Uncharacteristic sloppy play haunted the Bucs in the first half. Coach Hood, Coach Craig Gaskins and Coach Nicholas Estes went to the drawing board at halftime and got back to basics, but it wasn’t before the Jaguars made one last push at the undefeated Buccaneers.

Bentley connected with Titus Cook in the left corner for a three-ball, making it 45-43 with 4:41 left in the third quarter, Coach James Bailey’s bunch only down two.

Then Allatoona tightened the screws.

In the flip of a switch the Buccaneers stopped toying with New Manchester and tamed the Jags with their relentless defense keyed up top by Doomes and Tshimanga.

Allatoona closed the quarter on a 10-0 run taking a 55-43 lead into the fourth quarter, putting New Manchester on the ropes after Michael Johnson sparked the run with five points. At the 6:53 mark of the fourth quarter, Allatoona delivered its knockout punch, an 18-0 run ballooning the lead to 63-43. New Manchester was held scoreless for over five minutes until Bentley got a hoop and harm with 6:42 left. From there on out it was academic, Allatoona committing zero second half turnovers and all 12 players scoring helping the Bucs cruise to an 18-point win in Davey Jones’ Locker.

My Take: Shots might not fall but defense doesn’t slump. Allatoona decided to run-and-gun with New Manchester in the first half, but when games are won and lost in the final 16 minutes, they decided to get back to Buccaneer Basketball. The fan base, understanding of the team’s strength, got behind the Bucs as they began to grind away at the Jaguars. The Bucs Basketball Moms brought the D-Fence with them in the crowd and were great all night. On the court the usual suspects had their hands in New Manchester’s cookie jar all game long. Ephraim Tshimanga and Trey Doomes continued to terrorize opposing guards. The duo came away with eight steals to pace Allatoona’s 16. Kevin Perry played a nice game with six points in both the first and fourth quarters to finish with 12. Three unsung heroes stood out to me in Rolan Wooden, Chima Ogboi and Michael Johnson. Wooden scored five points, but it was his willingness to sacrifice his body which did not go unnoticed. He drew four charges and has been taking ones for the team all season long. Ogboi accounted for a quick seven points during his stretch in the second quarter. The Mt. Paran transfer shows a lot of potential as being a great glue guy that can do a little bit of everything in the years to come. Johnson scored eight points. It was his three-pointer that ignited the 18-0 run to put away New Manchester.

The Jaguars played hard and have some good athletes led by Tabashi Thomas, the quarterback of the football team. He skied for a couple rebounds and threw down a dunk. Clinton Bentley didn’t play his best game, but he is a good junior guard that should produce big numbers his senior season. The Jaguars will lose Thomas, Randall Quarles, Momodou Singhateh and Aaron Reddick to graduation as key seniors, but Coach James Bailey’s team shouldn’t completely fall off next year.

Top Performers

Allatoona
Trey Doomes – 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 1 block
Ephraim Tshimanga – 13 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals
Kevin Perry – 12 points, 1 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
Dylon Ramsey – 8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Michael Johnson – 8 points
Chima Ogboi – 2 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Rolan Wooden – 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 block, 4 charges

New Manchester
Tabashi Thomas – 15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal
Clinton Bentley – 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Titus Cook – 8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Momodou Singhateh – 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

No. 3 Calhoun uses overtime to stay undefeated

No. 3 Calhoun 65, Coahulla Creek 58 OT

It took an extra period, but No. 3 Calhoun (22-0, 15-0) was able to stay undefeated on Tuesday night against Coahulla Creek (19-5, 12-3), slipping past the Colts 65-58.

Winning has been synonymous with Calhoun, the AAA powerhouse, in nearly every sport. Known for its football program, the Yellow Jackets have shown sting ever since Coach Vince Layson slid over a couple seats to head coach. Since his arrival in 2012-13, Layson has compiled an 88-13 record and has dominated inside the region at 56-5.

Coahulla Creek, a burgeoning new program, is in search of the success Calhoun has had. Since opening in 2011-12, the Colts have improved their win total each year under Coach Matthew Queener and hold an all-time record of 44-65.

The Colts challenged the Jackets back on Jan. 2, falling 60-52, Calhoun’s only single-digit win. Early on Tuesday it looked as if Calhoun would breeze past the Colts as Coahulla Creek missed three wide open layups to start the game which could have been a sign for things to come, but Calhoun wasn’t able to bury them.

At the end of one, it was 17-15 in favor of the host Yellow Jackets. Malik Lawrence came away with a late steal and pitch ahead to Kaelan Riley for a layup before the buzzer to give Calhoun the lead.

The Yellow Jackets pushed the lead out to 26-15 using an 11-0 run before JR Laird hit an And-1 with 4:18 left in the second quarter. Colts leading scorer Alex Fisher scored seven points in the first quarter, but was held to two in the second as Calhoun surged ahead.

Calhoun carried a 32-25 halftime advantage into the second half before Fisher caught fire.

The senior poured in 10 of his game-high 26 points in the third and cut the Colt deficit to 46-44 entering the fourth quarter.

Fisher quickly drilled his fourth three-pointer of the game with 7:20 remaining to give Coahulla Creek its first lead of the second half. Back and forth the two teams went down the stretch, battling each other and the poor officiating. Missed calls, make up calls and general inconsistency from the men in stripes plagued the game but both teams persevered.

Chapin Rierson gave Calhoun the lead back at the 4:20 mark following a rebound and a coast-to-coast And-1 lay in to make it 52-51. It seemed like the Yellow Jackets regained control after Ray Reeves used his body to shield a defender for a layup with 3:34 left. Two minutes later Riley, the Jackets’ leading scorer, knocked the ball off a Colt’s leg. It ended up in the hands of Jireh Wilson, who drove the length of the court to score two of his 15 points, making it 56-51 with 1:44 left.

Coahulla Creek would not go away however. Out of a timeout, Caleb Lewis hit JR Laird after he slipped into the corner for three, closing the lead to 56-54 with 1:31 to play.

Riley began chewing up clock up top with 45 seconds when it looked like the Colts were about to foul as a defender ran at him. Riley bobbled the ball but regained possession and found Rierson open down low. As Rierson went up for the easy two, Fisher came out of nowhere to pin his shot on the backboard, giving the ball back to the Colts with 29.9 seconds.

Lewis drove to the hoop and threw up a contested shot that didn’t drop. Malik Lawrence gathered the rebound, got fouled and went to the line for a 1-and-1. Lawrence sank the first attempt, but his second shot rimmed out. Fisher took the ball up the court and drove the lane, connecting on a basket plus the foul, tying the game at 57 after the free throw with 13.7 ticks left.

Calhoun’s final possession resulted in Wilson driving and dishing to an open Reeves up top for three. His shot hit the back iron and bounced into Riley’s hands whose putback tantalizingly fell short rolling off the rim sending the game into overtime tied at 57.

A crucial momentum changing play happened half way through the extra period. At the 2:37 mark Kaelan Riley picked the pocket of a Colt and charged down the floor. He took a look over his left shoulder to see a man close behind, but not close enough to make a play on the ball. As Riley went to gather himself for what looked like a surefire dunk his foot slipped egregiously. Instead of the travel being called, Coahulla Creek was whistled for the foul.

Riley knocked down his first free throw but missed the second. Wilson came up with the rebound before more controversy ensued. One referee called a jump ball while the other whistled a foul. The crew met and decided to keep the foul call, sending Wilson to the line and in the process fouling out Colt point guard Caleb Lewis.

Up 60-58 with 1:12 remaining, Coach Layson dialed up the play of the night off of the inbound underneath the basket. Wilson received the ball on a rotation after the initial pass in and riffled a pass inside to a wide open Riley for an And-1 that hung on the rim and dropped in, breaking the hearts of Coahulla Creek as the lead grew to 63-58 with 59.2 seconds left putting the game out of reach.

My Take: One of the best games of the season took place in Calhoun, Georgia last night. I wasn’t sure what to expect heading into the game. Calhoun is a machine, crushing everyone while Coahulla Creek has been one of the state’s most pleasant surprises. The Colts are the opposite of an “airport team”. When they step off the plane and step onto the court, they don’t look like an imposing team, but boy do they know how to play. Calhoun had the size, strength and athletic advantage boasting all its football stars but they were unable to shake the Colts. Coach Matthew Queener used a patient and methodical offense to control the tempo. Dribble handoffs up top lulled the Yellow Jackets to sleep before either Alex Fisher, JR Laird or Tyler Phillips would attack. The Colts started off slow in the first quarter, missing three quick layups, but they battled for second chances led by Phillips’ 13 rebounds. Coahulla hit six threes on the night and its unquestioned leader was Fisher. The senior was unconscious down the stretch making every big play needed, whether it be to attack the rim or pull up off the dribble for three. He finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

As well as Fisher played however, Calhoun always had an answer. The winning culture shone through as the Yellow Jackets battled through adversity and relied on their upperclassmen to close the game out. Kaelan Riley, Jireh Wilson, Malik Lawrence and Chapin Rierson combined for 58 points. Riley was relentless inside with 16 points and 13 rebounds while Wilson and Lawrence did damage on the perimeter. Wilson scored 15 points and dished out five assists and Lawrence scored 15. Rierson didn’t have his best game, struggling to finish inside but still made plays when his team counted on him the most, none bigger than when he showed off his versatility grabbing a rebound and taking it all the way to the hole for an And-1. Calhoun will have a target on its back going into the region and more importantly state tournament, especially if they are able to enter unblemished. Whoever draws Coahulla Creek will have their hands full if they don’t take the Colts seriously. The veteran group consisting of six seniors and four juniors play very hard for Coach Queener. With a strong core of guards in Caleb Lewis, Alex Fisher and JR Laird the Colts have a chance to sneak up on teams and will likely get one last crack at Calhoun in the Region 6 championship if everything plays out chalk.

Top Performers
Calhoun
Kaelan Riley – 16 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 1 block
Jireh Wilson – 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Malik Lawrence – 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Chapin Rierson – 12 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks
Ray Reeves – 6 points, 1 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Coahulla Creek
Alex Fisher – 26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 4 blocks
JR Laird – 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Tyler Phillips – 8 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 bock
Caleb Lewis – 4 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Ahmad Rand’s near triple-double helps No. 10 Lincoln County survive GMC

No. 10 Lincoln County 61, Georgia Military 54

Coming off of its biggest win in school history, a 61-59 upset of No. 1 Hancock Central, No. 10 Lincoln County (14-5, 7-3) had won two straight games entering Saturday’s rematch with Georgia Military (10-7, 5-3), who had beaten the Red Devils 75-68 in overtime two weeks prior. With region seeding on the line heading into the Region 7-A tournament, upstart Lincoln County was looking to ride its momentum to another important victory. They did so, using an explosive first quarter to hold on 61-54 in Lincolnton.

The Red Devils came out and punched the Bulldogs in the mouth, opening up a quick 7-0 lead before Head Coach James Lunsford burned his first timeout. Just 55 seconds later, Lunsford called his second as Lincoln County led 9-2 after a Zach Crite And-1 at the 6:02 mark. Sophomore point guard Maciah Gunby tacked on Lincoln County’s third And-1 of the first quarter to go up 16-2, but he would later pick up back-to-back charge calls, sending him to the bench with three fouls in the first quarter.

Georgia Military’s Luke Lawson entered the game third in the state in scoring at 25.7 points per game. The free shooting guard got his first hoop with 2:32 left in the opening quarter to make it 20-5, but he would not score again as Zae Gartrell shut him out the rest of the way.

The first quarter ended with the Red Devils in control 23-8. With Gartrell locking up Lawson on the perimeter, it was Ahmad Rand patrolling the paint. The 6-foot-7 junior has been deemed as the ‘best kept secret’ in Georgia, but won’t be much longer. He finished the night with 10 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks to stifle GMC. Halfway through the second quarter Lincoln County was cruising up 31-8, but Coach Lunsford’s Bulldogs began to claw back.

An 8-0 run cut the lead to 31-16 before Rand found Crite in the corner for three. The Red Devils took a 35-21 advantage into the half, but since trailing 18-3 to open the game, the Bulldogs had outscored Lincoln County 18-17.

The Bulldogs canned three three-pointers in the second quarter and 6-foot-6 senior Alex Moss began to go to work inside, finishing with eight first half points to breathe life into GMC. With Gunby on the bench, Coach Wesley Wuchte’s main ball handler, Ty Elam stepped in. The dreaded 5-foot-10 guard scored seven of his 15 points in the first half to keep the Devils in front.

In the third quarter, Von Holloway started making things happen in the high post. He caught and looked diagonal, hitting a cutting Javon Reid for two.

Then he took it himself and drew his second And-1 opportunity on his way to finishing with eight points and six rebounds.

Late in the third quarter, Rand continued his block party, picking up his seventh swat of the day before Lincoln County entered the final frame with a commanding 49-31 lead.

Things soured for Lincoln County in the fourth. Moss began to take over, playing the passing lanes to pick off a pass and score two of his game-high 23 points, 13 which came in the final eight minutes.

The onslaught was on as the Red Devils tried to weather the storm which came in the form of Moss, Malik Foston and the Bulldog press. Foston drilled four threes and finished with 15 points and five steals, keying the GMC pressure. With 2:37 remaining, Lincoln County held a 57-42 advantage but the lead did not feel safe, especially after Rand had to come out of the game after cutting his hand on the rim while blocking a shot.

With under two minutes to play, GMC sliced the deficit to 11 points. Feeling the heat and the momentum all in the visiting Bulldogs’ corner, Coach Wuchte turned to Rand, now heavily bandaged, to re-enter the game but upon subbing in the referees would not allow him back on the court due to a drop of blood on his shorts. Wuchte in disbelief hurried Rand back into the locker room to change shorts with a teammate. With 30 more crucial seconds off the clock with Rand not on the floor, the Bulldogs brought the game within single digits at 57-48 with 1:15 left, the closest they had been since the first three minutes of the first quarter.

Things continued to meltdown even with Rand back on the floor, as the Red Devils brain cramped and allowed GMC to throw the ball over their heads on a made basket for a wide open layup which was goaltended by Rand at the last second, making it 57-50 with 41.9 seconds to play, a frantic 14-4 run.

Gunby was sent to the line and sank both free throws. The Bulldogs would never climb any closer than a seven-point deficit as the Red Devils survived the late rally which saw the Bulldogs outscore Lincoln County 23-12 in the fourth quarter.

My Take: Lincoln County is not a team people are going to want to face in the state tournament. Class A-Public goes by the flawed “Power Ranking” system introduced by the GHSA, so it will be imperative for the Red Devils to do well in the region tournament to ensure they do not get shafted. Lincoln County lost back-to-back games before scoring a signature win over No. 1 Hancock Central, the Red Devils first win over the 1A-Public powerhouse in over 25 years. That momentum obviously carried over as they smoked Glascock County 82-40 on Friday and opened Saturday’s game on an 18-3 run. Zach Crite is a versatile scorer from his wing position. The senior has enough strength to barrel his way inside and also shows touch from beyond the arc. Maciah Gunby was slapped with foul trouble early but played well when he was on the floor. His two late free throws in the fourth quarter thwarted Georgia Military’s furious comeback. Von Holloway was like a bull in a china shop at times inside, showing off his football mentality when attacking the basket and going after rebounds. He needs more polish when finishing inside against contact, but he did an exceptional job of being patient working the high post and deciding whether to attack the cup or look down low for a dump off. Ahmad Rand was Ahmad Rand. The junior can’t be slept on anymore. He has come out of nowhere and exploded onto the scene with his season average of nearly a triple-double and he didn’t disappoint, flirting with another to add to his school-record, collecting 10 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks. Rand is a late bloomer and is just starting to scratch the surface of the potential he holds. Right now he is an elite rim protector. He showed a feathery touch from one foot inside the three-point line, burying a jumper. Inside, he displayed nice footwork, ducking in between defenders to score baskets. Rand is a gem in Lincolnton and could become something of a legned in the football town if he continues to put 110% into improving his game every single day. For me, the unsung heroes of the game were Zae Gartrell and Ty Elam. Elam stepped in when Gunby was saddled with three fouls and produced admirably, finishing with 15 points and four steals off the bench. Gartrell only scored two points, but his tenacious defense on Luke Lawson was spectacular, not even letting the gun slinger think about firing up shots.

Georgia Military witnessed Lawson’s worst game of the season, but in turn probably saw Alex Moss’ best game. The 6-foot-6 senior battled for 23 points and seven rebounds inside, working for every hoop he got against Rand and the Red Devil interior. He averages 11 points and 9 rebounds on the year and has been a workhorse inside all season for Coach James Lunsford. Malik Foston, a funky shooting freshman, looked good as well. He netted 15 points and picked up five steals leading the charge defensively as the Bulldogs quickly worked their way back into the game.

Top Performers

Lincoln County
Ahmad Rand – 10 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 9 blocks
Zach Crite – 16 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Ty Elam – 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals
Von Holloway – 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
Maciah Gunby – 8 points, 1 assist

Georgia Military
Alex Moss – 23 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
Malik Foston – 15 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 5 steals
Andrew Weimer – 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
Luke Lawson – 2 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
Markus Taylor – 4 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals
Dustin Hostetter – 1 point, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block