GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Primer: No. 6 Holy Innocents’ at Riverwood

2A No. 6 Holy Innocents’ at 5A Riverwood

Separated by less than a mile, heated rival Holy Innocents’ (24-6) makes the walk over to Riverwood (20-9) to tip-off the 2015-16 regular season. In last season’s early meeting, Holy Innocents’ came away with a 63-48 win at home, but three of the four leading scorers from that team are now gone from the Golden Bears’ roster. Sam Asbury (12 points) and Ashton Meertins (11 points) both have graduated while Travis Anderson (14 points) has transferred to East Jackson for his sophomore campaign. Luckily for Coach Terry Kelly, senior big man Brent Duncan and junior wing Cole Smith are back.

Brent Duncan isn't afraid to fly | AJC
Brent Duncan isn’t afraid to fly | AJC

Smith can be lethal from beyond the arc while Duncan does his work inside. Smith chipped in 11 points last year while Duncan, a 6-foot-7 high-flying forward with offers from Navy and UMBC, battled for nine points and eight rebounds.

The difference last year proved to be at the foul line where the Golden Bears sank 20-of-27 while the Raiders were limited to 7-of-11.

Kohl Roberts is a monster on the glass
Kohl Roberts is a monster on the glass

The key for success not only tonight but for the season, will be for Coach Buck Jenkins to find consistent play around Riverwood big man Kohl Roberts. The 6-foot-7 power forward certified himself as one of the best rebounders in the state last season, averaging 14.4 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game. He scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against Holy Innocents’ and added five steals.

Senior guard Elijah Johnson will be asked to score a little more with the graduation of second leading scorer Jordan Renfro. Johnson scored 8.1 points per game in 2014-15, but was held to 1-of-7 shooting with three points against the Bears.

Key Matchup: Two of the state’s best kept secrets inside will tussle one last time in the low post. Kohl Roberts of Riverwood is an old-school post player that gets the job done with his body, but can also leak out and lead the fast break. Holy Innocents’ Brent Duncan is a high-flyer that can change the momentum of a game with his thunderous dunks. Whoever wins the battle inside will give their team a great chance to win, but it will be up to rest of the team to take it to the finish line.

X-Factors: Holy Innocents’ junior forward Jules Erving will take on a bigger role this year after showing flashes as a sophomore. The athletic 6-foot-5 big man is related to a certain NBA Hall of Famer, but I’ll let you guess who that is. His activity around the rim could spell problems for Riverwood. The Raiders’ Elijah Jenkins brings an outside threat that will be sorely needed after the graduation of Jordan Renfro. Jenkins, a junior, finished second on the team in three-pointers made, but will need to improve upon his 30 percent clip.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Schedules

Friday & Saturday’s Top Games (11-20/21)

Tyler Andrews (@TylerAndrews92) helps put together a list of interesting match ups over the first official weekend of the GHSA season:

11/20 – No. 6 Pebblebrook6A vs. Montverde Academy (FL) (Montverde Academy Invitational)
11/20 – No. 10 Rabun County2A at Dawson County3A
11/20 – Riverwood5A at Mount Vernon Presbyterian1A
11/20 – No. 5 SWAC1A at Griffin4A
11/20 – North Atlanta5A at No. 10 South Atlanta3A
11/20 – No. 10 Columbia4A at No. 1 Lithonia4A
11/20 – No. 5 Thomasville2A at Valdosta6A

                                             Saturday
11/21 – Westminster3A at No. 5 Sandy Creek4A(Hoops 4 the Cure)
11/21 – Cedar Grove3A vs. No. 2 St. Francis1A (Hoops 4 the Cure)
11/21 – No. 8 Henry County4A at No. 9 Newton6A
11/21 – Walton6A vs. Woodward Academy4A  (Run N’ Shoot Classic)

11/21 – No. 3 Westlake6A vs. Gray Collegiate Academy (SC) (Run N’ Shoot Classic)

11/21 – No. 8 Berkmar6A vs. No. 8 Heritage-Conyers5A (Run N’ Shoot Classic)
11/21 – No. 1 Greenforest1A vs. Peachtree Ridge6A (Jared Cook Classic)
11/21 – No. 6 Landmark Christian1A at Ola5A
11/21 – No. 4 GAC2A at Roswell6A
11/21 – No. 3 Morgan County3A vs. Cherokee6A (Battle at the Rock)
11/21 – No. 6 Blessed Trinity3A at Lithia Springs5A
11/21 – Houston County5A at Westside-Macon3A
11/21 – Buford4A at Tift County6A
11/21 – Sequoyah5A vs. Dacula6A (Jared Cook Classic)
11/21 – No. 6 Pebblebrook6A vs. Blanche Ely (FL) (Montverde Academy Invitational)
11/21 No. 4 Wheeler6A vs. Montverde Academy FL) (Montverde Academy Invitational)

 

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Swashbuckling Defense Propels Allatoona Over Harrison

5A No. 4 Allatoona 56,  6A Harrison 45

The city of Acworth hosted a preseason meeting between my 5A preseason No. 4 Allatoona Buccaneers against the visiting 6A Harrison Hoyas, who I deemed as one of my Super Sleepers (https://sandysspiel.com/sandys-spiels-super-sleepers/) this upcoming season.

The Hoyas managed to hang around with the Bucs in the first half, trailing 16-14 at the end of one and 25-22 at the half thanks to strong starts from big men Austin York and Ryan Boler, who scored 6 and 7 points respectively in the first two quarters. But once the second half rolled around, it was all Allatoona.

IMG_7676
Allatoona’s trapping defense led to 17 steals

The full court trapping defense of the Buccaneers collected 10 first half steals and eventually wore down on the Hoyas who were without guard DJ Rowe. In the first 16 minutes of play alone, Ephraim Tshimanga of Allatoona had 6 steals to his credit while Trey Doomes pick-pocketed 3.  The duo of Doomes and Tshimanga was relentless all night as Tshimanga finished with 8 steals while Doomes collected 5.

The Bucs busted the game open in the second half using a 10-0 run to open up a 35-22 advantage they would never be threatened to relinquish. Harrison found its first points of the second half on a York bucket inside at the 4:33 mark. York scored six of the Hoyas’ eight third quarter points and would score 15 in the half to total a game-high 21.

Trey Doomes strokes a free throw
Trey Doomes strokes a free throw

Allatoona outscored Harrison 16-to-8 in the third quarter to take a comfortable 41-30 lead into the fourth. Coach Markus Hood and the Bucs cruised to victory in the final frame and were able to play its bench big minutes to prepare for the regular season.

Turning Point: A 10-0 run to start the second half changed the momentum of the game and gave Allatoona the cushion it needed to hold off the Hoyas. The constant pressure defense applied by the Allatoona guards, primarily Ephraim Tshimanga and Trey Doomes, helped account for 17 Buccaneer steals.

My Take: Allatoona will once again be a dangerous team come state playoff time. The Bucs lost a lot of seniors from last year’s state runner-up team, but in talking with Assistant Coach Craig Gaskins before the game, a few players are ready to step up and shoulder a bigger load. The Bucs’ trapping press was ultra-effective tonight. Ephraim Tshimanga and Trey Doomes were like pitbulls at times, hounding the Hoya ball handlers and not letting them advance the ball without harassing them. Kevin Perry, who signs with Coastal Georgia tomorrow morning, looked great as well tonight and showed a feathery touch, sinking two threes and going 6-of-6 from the line. As it did in the state championship last year, size inside could be the achilles heel for Allatoona. The cohesion along the perimeter will be as strong as it gets in the state, but Randy Legros will need to hold his own down low and give the Buccaneers second chances on the offensive glass and alter shots on defense. Chima Ogboi, a sophomore transfer from Mt. Paran Christian, impressed me with his hustle off the bench and could help spark the team at times this season. He finished with 6 rebounds. For Harrison, I am not aware of where DJ Rowe was (unless someone put another player’s name in his place in the scorebook). He was expected to be a big piece of the puzzle this season at the guard spot. Austin York performed admirably and carried the Hoyas. He can bang inside and showed nice footwork. York can also step outside and knock down the jumper. If someone can step up and help take some of the offensive burden off of York, the Hoyas have a chance to be sneaky team this season.

Top Performers:

Allatoona
Kevin Perry – 16 points, 3 rebounds
Ephraim Tshimanga – 11 points, 5 rebounds, 8 steals
Trey Doomes – 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 stealsIMG_7685

Harrison
Austin York – 21 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks
Ryan Boler – 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 blockIMG_7686

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Player Feature

Freshman of the Year Jacques Holmes to put Clinch County on the Map

Sophomore Jacques Holmes quietly turned heads as a freshman at Clinch County High School in south Georgia. Clinch County, home of less than 500 students and a part of the Class A-Public field, hasn’t won a state championship in basketball since the years of 1987 and 1989. A program that hasn’t seen that type of success in years, the Panthers aren’t one of the most publicized programs in the state, but after a freshman season which saw Holmes average 13.7 points per game and lead the Panthers in scoring, the playmaking guard hopes to put Clinch County back on the map.

Holmes was named HoopSeen Class-A Freshman of the Year after his play helped the Panthers increase their win total by four games and finish the season 9-11. For those who haven’t heard of Holmes yet or don’t know his style of play, Jacques or his nickname pronounced “Joc”, gave me the inside scoop.

“I like to push the tempo and penetrate the defense and get my big men open. I like to reward my big men for running. I pass a lot, but I’m a pretty good shooter,” explained Holmes. “I’m really an all-around player.”

To build on his rookie season success, Holmes stayed in the gym to fine tune his game.

“I played AAU. I did a lot of staying after school doing drills, just constantly working.”

Playing for a team out of Brunswick called Elite, Jacques is ready to translate his summer circuit progress into the high school season. Recalling how he felt about being named the Freshman of the Year, Holmes said, “It wasn’t really a surprise, but it was kind of. Coming in as a freshman I didn’t think I was going to start or get the minutes that I got, but I worked hard.”

Panthers On The Prowl

With its leading scorer another year older with a full-year of playing experience under his belt, Clinch County has high expectations this season to compete for a top seed in the region tournament and scrap for a state playoff berth. Holmes says that the team has put an emphasis on improving their defense and feels like their blend of size and speed can give opposing teams trouble.

Junior Jerrod Jones will be one of Clinch County’s leading scorers to compliment Holmes’ abilities. He averaged over 10 points and 6 rebounds a game while handing out nearly 3 assists per night.

“He’s a pretty good player. He’s very unselfish,” said Holmes of his teammate.

In the halfcourt offense, Holmes and Jones should thrive in Coach Terrence George’s five-out pass-and-cut offense. The constant movement and ball-screens allow Holmes to drive and dish or finish at the basket.

Hitting The Headlines

Playing at such a small school, I wondered what it was like and if it is difficult to get noticed by college scouts.

“It is kind of. If you’re not playing AAU down here or if you’re not getting out of the city to play ball, you can get recognized, but you got to be a great player.”

One great player that Jacques looks forward to matching up with is Tamarrion Terry of the defending three-time Region 2-A champion, Turner County (25-4, 16-0). At his forward position, Terry garnered All-State Honorable Mention after averaging 17.1 points and 11.5 rebounds per contest.

“I just watch film on him a lot…If we can just play good perimeter defense, him being 6’4”, it’s pretty hard to stop him, he’s pretty quick, but if we just play good perimeter defense on him we’ll be okay.”

Becoming A Leader

Coach George has taken the young Holmes under his wing and has helped mold him into the player he is now becoming.

“He’s taught me a lot of things. The main thing he’s taught me is how to deal with certain situations, game situations,” he said.

One part of the growing process has been being able to keep a level head during the rebuilding process that Clinch County has been undergoing. It has been a fight for the Panthers to reach .500.

“I get frustrated a little bit, but I know I can’t be frustrated. I know being the best player on the team I have to motivate my guys to just get better at the next practice and next game. Just go out and be better.”

Leadership is something he has taken serious and wants to improve on over the next three years of his career.

“I’m going to be a bigger leader this year; I should have been last year, but I didn’t know everything that I know now. I plan on being the biggest leader I can be.”

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Experience Reigns as Miller Grove Storms Past East Jackson


5ANo. 1 Miller Grove 94,  3ANo. 4 East Jackson 68

*Contributed by Colin Hubbard (@__Chubs__)

HOSCHTON — The No. 1 Miller Grove Wolverines made the 72-mile trip up I-85 to take on the No. 4 East Jackson Eagles in a scrimmage that had everyone around the state of Georgia buzzing.

The Eagles had a very tough task coming into the game, but they weren’t going to let that get to them.

The  Wolverines had won six consecutive state titles before falling in the quarterfinals to Warner Robins last season, but the Eagles have built one of the best backcourts in the state led by sophomores Drue Drinnon, Travis Anderson II and Lamont Smith.

New addition Travis Anderson
New addition Travis Anderson

East Jackson head coach David Boyd is no stranger to top competition after leading Milton High School to several state title games in the last few years and has quickly turned East Jackson into an unlikely high school basketball powerhouse on the rise.

Miller Grove on the other hand was looking forward to taking on a team built on tempo and was excited to see how they would be able to handle a hostile road environment.

Things didn’t start off great for the high flying Eagles as they found themselves in 5-0 hole after three turnovers.

The Wolverines extended their lead to 14-7 with 3:56 remaining in the first quarter, but Anderson and the Eagles would not go away.

Anderson drained two three pointers late in the first quarter to cut the lead to 21-17 heading into the second quarter.

Midway through the second quarter, the Wolverines built a 10-point lead after an Alterique Gilbert three-pointer, but Drinnon answered back with a three of his own.

Drue Drinnon streaking past Aaron Augustin
Drue Drinnon streaking past Aaron Augustin

The Eagles matched the Wolverines shot-for-shot from that point on and trailed Miller Grove 44-37 at halftime.

Gilbert led all scorers with 14 points at the break while Drinnon and Anderson each had 13, respectively.

Anderson nailed a three-pointer to start the third quarter to cut the lead to just four points, but the Wolverines answered with a three of their own to bring the lead back to seven points, 47-40.

Miller Grove extended their lead to nine after a quick layup, but back-to-back Drinnon field-goals cut the lead back to six points midway through the third quarter.

After Drinnon split a pair of free throws, Miller Grove’s advantage was at five, but that would be the closest the Eagles would get the rest of the way.

Miller Grove's size inside hurt the Eagles
Miller Grove’s size inside hurt the Eagles

Miller Grove went on a 9-2 run to give the Wolverines a 58-42 lead that would eventually settle at 69-55 entering the final frame.

The experienced Wolverines wore down East Jackson and outscored the Eagles 25-13 in the fourth quarter en route to a 94-68 victory.

Post-Game Thoughts:

The story of the night was rebounds and turnovers. The Wolverines out-hustled and out-rebounded the Eagles all game long.

Despite 42 percent shooting from the field for East Jackson, the Eagles turned the ball over 22 times and managed just 28 rebounds on the night.

“Our rebounding has got to improve tremendously moving forward and we have to grow up fast because we’re young but I thought we competed well, especially in the first half and didn’t quit so I’m pleased with the effort,” Boyd said.

“We hope to get into a transition game and pick up the pace during games but the way you do that is great defense so there is a lot of work for us to do on the defensive side.”

East Jackson’s top three scorers were all sophomores and now have just one game under their belt as teammates.

Both Drinnon and Anderson praised one another for what they can bring to the table which has both players extremely excited to see where they can go.

“We don’t both have to score and I’m able to take some of the pressure he had last year off and make it easier for each of us to play better,” Anderson said.

“I’m really happy to have Travis here this year,” Drinnon said. “It’s just another scorer to work with and help me play better as well.”

Turning Point: After a great first half by both teams, the Eagles were unable to keep up with the Wolverines in the second half. East Jackson was outscored 50-31 in the second half despite shooting 44 percent from the field.

Colin’s Take: It’s safe to say that both teams will be extremely successful this season. East Jackson has an extremely loaded back court with three to four players who can all score 20 plus points a game, but none of that will matter unless they can take care of the ball and crash the boards. Coach David Boyd, Drue Drinnon and Travis Anderson all made it a point of emphasis to improve their rebounding in the coming weeks. Miller Grove on the other hand has a very balanced team. UConn-commit Alterique Gilbert is the leader of the team and will need to put the team on his back at times, especially on offense. There is a reason why the Wolverines had won six consecutive state titles. Look for them to be in the mix for another one this year.

Top Performers:

Miller Grove
Alterique Gilbert – 24 points
Tae Hardy – 17 points
Aaron Augustin – 14 points, 7 assists, 5 steals
Colin Young – 12 points, 10 rebounds

East Jackson
Drue Drinnon – 27 points (9-20 FG)
Travis Anderson – 21 points (4-8 3PT)
Lamont Smith – 10 points

 

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