Tag Archives: GHSA Basketball

Boys State Tournament First Round Recaps

February 17, 2016 KyleSandy

Class AAAAAA

R8 #4 Grayson 59, R5 #1 Wheeler 58: “As long as when we walked in we weren’t intimidated by their banners…just don’t get intimidated by what they’ve done in the past. Everybody is 0-0 now,” is what Coach Geoffrey Pierce told his Grayson Rams before heading into their first round meeting with No. 1 Wheeler, the defending state champs. His senior-laden group listened as the Rams stunned the home standing Wildcats 59-58 after senior Austin Dukes hit three free throws with 3.6 seconds left to win the game; the loss is Wheeler’s first in-state loss since the 2014 State Championship 710 days ago and first home loss since Feb. 7, 2013. Nick Edwards hadn’t played all game but the sophomore found Dukes on the perimeter for the open look. “I told Dukes just shoot it. Don’t try to pump fake or anything because they closed out pretty hard and fouled him on a jumper earlier.” Grayson had trailed 32-23 at the half and 44-35 at the end of three quarters, but remained in striking distance. Pierce noted that Wheeler hadn’t played many close games and if they kept it within arm’s length, they had a shot. His eyes lit up when he saw Wheeler in a man-to-man defense, meaning Dukes and fellow senior Alphonso Willis could create off the dribble. Dukes scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds while Willis finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds while being saddled with foul trouble. Dealing with the likes of Al-Wajid Aminu (North Florida) and Romello White (Georgia Tech) inside, the Rams were giving up size. Pierce knew heading into the game that controlling the glass would be important if they wanted to advance to the Sweet 16. “We worked in practice whenever a shot went up, we instructed them all to yell ‘shot’.” It worked out well as Brandon Uziewe and Hafeez Anifowoshe combined for 16 points and 11 rebounds battling the taller front line. With the win, Grayson now has sights set on a long road trip to Lee County. As pleased as the players and coaches are with tonight’s performance, Pierce reminded, “four more”.

R1 #1 Tift County 71, R4 #4 Hillgrove 47: Tyrie Jackson pumped in 18 points to help No. 4 Tift County put last year’s postseason failures in the rearview mirror. Micah Johnson added 15 and Iman Holley pitched in 12 points in the win. The Blue Devils host Milton in the Sweet 16.

R5 #2 Milton 92, R8 #3 Central Gwinnett 79: The Eagles jumped out to a 31-point lead but the Black Knights kept fighting back before falling by 13. Milton was just too big and too talented for the hard-nosed Knights. Alex O’Connell went for 28 points and 14 rebounds while Harvard signee Chris Lewis added 20 points, 15 rebounds and four assists. Kyrin Galloway posted 17 points and seven rebounds. Kendrick Summerour netted 13 points and dished out seven assists. Justin Brown tallied 10 assists on the night.

R6 #1 Lambert 70, R7 #4 Mill Creek 62: No. 9 Lambert held on at home against a tough Mill Creek team playing with nothing to lose. Connor Mannion scored 22 points in the win. Charles Botchway finished with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting and Evan Richardson scored 16 in the loss.

R7 #1 Collins Hill 62, R6 #4 Alpharetta 52: After leading 26-24 at the half, No. 10 Collins Hill found itself down 42-40 heading into the fourth quarter. But like they have all season long, in the end Coach Ty Baumgardner’s Eagles found a way to win. AJ Cheeseman scored a team-high 16 points and Kai Lambert netted 14 in the comeback. Kenny Stanciel scored 11. The Raiders were led by Carlos Carriere’s 18 points and David Swillum’s 14.

R3 #3 Campbell 71, R2 #2 Tucker 68 OT: Laz Walker poured in 26 points and grabbed six rebounds to escape Tucker. Mike Olmert finished with 14 points and seven assists while Jovahn Dunham went for 13 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks. Randy McClure posted his own double-double with 10 & 10. Kenton Eskridge led the Tigers with 21 points including three free throws at the buzzer to force OT.

R2 #1 Newton 71, R3 #4 Douglas County 65: Jaquan Simms buried 18 points to help No. 8 Newton hold off Brandon Robinson and Douglas County. JD Notae scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while freshman Ashton Hagans finished with 15 points and eight assists. Josh Tukes chipped in nine points and seven rebounds. Robinson, a North Carolina signee, finished with 15 points and eight rebounds in his final game. Newton now meets Peachtree Ridge in the Sweet 16.

R8 #1 Shiloh 68, R5 #4 Woodstock 35: No. 6 Shiloh jumped to a 15-9 lead at the end of the first quarter and increased the lead to 55-30 entering the final frame. Josh Okogie led Shiloh with 16 points, all of which came in the first three periods and teammate Malik Chandler finished with 14. Tyreke Johnson led Woodstock with 14 points.

R7 #3 Peachtree Ridge 66, R6 #2 Johns Creek 58: Markel McCollum scored 22 points and Milz Tatum added 16 to advance the Lions over the Gladiators. Peachtree Ridge travels to No. 8 Newton in the Sweet 16.

Class AAAAA

R6 #2 Southwest DeKalb 66, R7 #3 Kell 42: Keith Gilmore scored 19 points to pace four Panthers in double figures. Mandarius Dickerson and TiQuan Lewis both netted 11 points while Nathaniel Ambersley chipped in 10. The Panthers now visit No. 7 Warner Robins in round two out of Region 2.

R7 #1 Riverwood 75, R6 #4 Tri-Cities 58: Charnchai Chantha flirted with a triple-double as No. 5 Riverwood rolled to its 28^th victory. Chantha finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. Kohl Roberts posted a double-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks. Elijah Jenkins added 12 points and five rebounds but it was senior Pryce Watkins, who came in averaging six points per game, that was the difference maker dropping 23.

R1 #1 LaGrange 81, R4 #4 Drew 60: LaPerion Perry (17), Rico Smith (16) and Alex Dantzler (13) over whelmed the Titans in the opening round of the state playoffs. No. 9 LaGrange now hosts No. 8 South Paulding in the Sweet 16.

R5 #1 Allatoona 61, R8 #4 Salem 49: No. 2 Allatoona remained unbeaten after grinding Salem to 49 points. Trey Doomes had an explosive night, scoring 22 points, grabbing seven rebounds, collecting five steals and dishing out six assists. Ephraim Tshimanga finished with 15 points, four rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Kevin Perry chipped in 13 points. The Bucs now host Morrow in the Sweet 16.

R6 #1 Miller Grove 101, R7 #4 Sprayberry 41: No. 1 Miller Grove cruised to a 48-20 halftime lead and outscored the visiting Yellow Jackets 18-13 in the third quarter before piling on a 25-7 advantage in the final frame. Tae Hardy and Aidan Saunders led the Wolverines with 20 points apiece while adding six and four steals, respectively. UConn signee and McDonalds All-American Alterique Gilbert added nine steals with 17 points and Aaron Augustin stuffed the stat sheet with five steals to go with his 13 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

R8 #1 Cedar Shoals 65, R5 #4 Hiram 48: No. 4 Cedar Shoals took a 43-33 lead at the end of the third quarter before piling on a 22-15 scoring advantage in the fourth. Jerrick Mitchell stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while teammates Stavion Stevenson (14) and Snipe Hall (11) also reached double-digits in the scoring column.

R5 #2 South Paulding 62, R8 #3 Heritage-Conyers 58: No. 8 South Paulding set a new school-record with 24 wins after surviving a dangerous Patriots team. Kane Williams finished with 14 points and 11 assists to lead the Spartans.

R4 #1 McIntosh 100, R1 #4 Carver-Columbus 69: Carver-Columbus jumped on No. 3 McIntosh out of the gates with a 10-0 run before the Chiefs countered to pinch a 21-17 lead at the end of the first period. McIntosh outscored Carver 21-14 in the second quarter to take a 42-31 halftime lead and entered the final quarter with a comfortable 70-48 advantage. Furman signee Jordan Lyons led McIntosh with 31 points. Wofford signee Dishon Lowery scored 18 and Isaac Kellum chipped in 14, while Daniel Melvin and Timothy James paced Carver with 14 points apiece.

R8 #2 Gainesville 68, R5 #3 Villa Rica 62: After a sluggish start outside of Georgia State signee D’Marcus Simonds, No. 6 Gainesville got the ball rolling and fended off an upset-minded Villa Rica team. Simonds scored 15 of Gainesville’s 21 first quarter points as the Red Elephants entered the second quarter knotted up. Simonds scored 25 of his game-high 33 in the first half. The Wildcats cut the lead to 61-58 with 2:01 left, but the Red Elephants were able to put the game away late from the line.

R2 #2 Richmond Academy 85, R3 #3 Effingham County 74: No. 10 Effingham County’s season came to an abrupt end, losing to the Madison Williams-led Musketeers. The Illinois State signee poured in 32 points and Rashard Calloway added 14. Richmond Academy gets a chance to shock the world if they can knock off No. 1 Miller Grove, who beat Sprayberry 101-41 in the first round.

Class AAAA

R4 #1 Jonesboro 81, R1 #4 Worth County 47: The bigger Rams were no match for No. 1 Jonesboro. MJ Walker and Eric Lovett both scored 21 points while Tariq Jenkins pitched in 13. The Cardinals host Carrollton in round two, who comes off a 59-56 win over North Hall.

R6 #4 St. Pius 63, R7 #1 Cartersville 46: No. 8 St. Pius shook off a bad region tournament and took care of Cartersville in the opening round of state. The trek from DeKalb County to Bartow County didn’t hinder the Golden Lions led by Kerney Lane and Carson Seramur’s 20 points apiece. St. Pius now travels to Thomson in the Sweet 16.

R6 #2 Lithonia 88, R7 #3 Northwest Whitfield 36: The trip to DeKalb County wasn’t a pleasant one for the Bruins from Tunnel Hill. Jacara Cross posted 17 points, nine rebounds and five blocks to power the No. 4 Bulldogs. UTC signee Rodney Chatman finished with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Tylon Patterson added 11 points while Tyheem Freeman scored 12. The Bruins received 14 points from Luke Shiflett and 10 from Paxton Pardee.

R1 #3 Monroe 71, Walnut Grove R4 #2 45: Monroe pounded No. 6 Walnut Grove into submission with a decisive victory. Emeshaun Offord drilled five three-pointers and finished with 22 points to advance the Tornadoes to the Sweet 16.

R5 #1 Sandy Creek 84, R8 #4 North Oconee 38: No. 10 Sandy Creek breezed past an overmatched Titans team. Elias Harden scored a game-high 22 points to power the Patriots. Javon Jackson finished with 15 points and six steals. Evan Jester posted a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double while Christian Turner grabbed seven rebounds and tallied eight assists.

R6 #1 Grady 78, R7 #4 Pickens 44: Christian Bryant collected a triple-double in the No. 3 Knights’ romp over the Dragons. Bryant finished with 10 points, 12 assists and 10 steals. Javier Russell went off for 29 points and five rebounds. Avi Toomer, a Bucknell signee, tallied 12 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. DJ Brittian ended the night with 9 points and five steals while Tyron St. James chipped in 10 points and 11 rebounds.

R3 #4 New Hampstead 82, R2 #1 Upson-Lee 66: No. 5 Upson-Lee’s 17-game win streak was shattered by New Hampstead in the opening round of the AAAA state tournament. Out of Savannah, the Phoenix road Oronte Anderson to 32 points, 10 over his season average of 22, into the Sweet 16. Sophomore Ty Fagan went for 27 in the loss. New Hampstead now travels to No. 4 Lithonia for its second round matchup.

R5 #4 Fayette County 69, R8 #1 Buford 62: The Tigers upset Buford with an impressive win, moving Fayette County to the Sweet 16. Jaylon Cheffin scored a team-high 24 points. Austin Nesmith collected a double-double with 13 points and 12 assists. Eric Williams chipped in 12 points and five rebounds while Noah Gurley scored 14 and blocked five shots.

R5 #2 Woodward Academy 53, R8 #3 Monroe Area 52: Leading 45-35 heading into the fourth quarter, the War Eagles had to cling on for a state playoff victory. Brennan McDaniel finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Maxwell Chester added 15 points and five rebounds. Jacob Robertson scored 10 in the win. Woodward now travels to Westover in the Sweet 16.

Class AAA

R8 #3 Jackson County 75, R5 #2 Rockmart 52: It had been 51 long years since Jackson County had won a state playoff game, but with this record-breaking season at hand for Coach Chuck Butler, the Panthers continued to EAT. Jackson County held a lead early in the game but couldn’t push it out past 10 points. With a 34-28 lead at the half, Jackson County quickly saw it cut in half after a Rockmart three. Coach Butler sensing the game tightening up decided to put on a full court press and the rest was history for Rockmart as the Panthers blitzed past the Yellow Jackets. Seniors led the way for Jackson County. Joel Ellis scored a team-high 20 points, Preston Giroux added 15, Malique Wade netted 14 and Stephen Fogarty chipped in 10 while junior Christian Smith scored 13. Jackson County is now 18-11 after a 4-22 season a year ago. They will travel to defending champion No. 5 Jenkins in the second round.

R2 #1 Central-Macon 77, R3 #4 Josey 45: The electrifying Chargers ran their winning streak up to 19 games following a blowout of Josey. 6-foot-10 center Kentravious Jones finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Anterious McCoy scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed six rebounds. Rakwon Iverson netted 17 and Derrick Evans Jr. went for 12 points and five steals.

R8 #1 Morgan County 71, R5 #4 Pepperell 30: Class AAA’s No. 1 ranked team looked the part picking up a 41-point first round victory. Florida Atlantic signees Jailyn Ingram (17) and Devorious Brown (10) combined for 27 points. Jordan Ford added 14 and Emmanuel Little 10 in the rout.

R4 #2 North Clayton 73, R1 #3 Tattnall County 68: Jamarcus Sanders scored a team-high 20 points and Ahsan Asadullah pitched in 17 to advance North Clayton to the Sweet 16. Kindle Vildor netted 13 in the win.

R4 #3 South Atlanta 63, R1 #2 Johnson-Savannah 57: In a game filled with lopsided scoring runs, No. 6 South Atlanta closed the game on a 12-5 run in the final two minutes. South Atlanta had what seemed like a comfortable 22-7 lead after the first quarter, but an 11-0 run sparked by Da’Monte Greene’s seven straight points chipped the Atomsmashers’ deficit to 26-18 at the half. South Atlanta grew the lead to 39-25 in the early in the third quarter, but a 14-0 run by Johnson tied it at 39-39 entering the fourth quarter. Johnson finally claimed the lead with just over two minutes left (52-51), but South Atlanta’s 12-5 run to close the game hushed the comeback.

R6 #1 Calhoun 68, R7 #4 West Hall 39: No. 2 Calhoun remained perfect and ran its record up to 26-0 after dispatching of the Spartans. Kaelan Riley led the charge with 15 points and 13 rebounds while Chapin Rierson added 14 points. Jireh Wilson scored 16 points and hauled in nine boards. Ray Reeves netted 10 points. Malik Lawrence scored nine from his guard position. In the second round, Calhoun hosts R2 #2 Westside-Macon and five-star sophomore Khavon Moore. The Seminoles downed Butler 79-67 in round one.

R7 #1 East Hall 86, R6 #4 Ringgold 59: No. 10 East Hall rained down threes in Valhalla, sinking 12 in the first half and 18 in the game. Andy Lara led the Vikings with 16 points while Triston Cooper added 15. Luke Holtzclaw and Tylor Brown scored 12 and 11 respectively.

Class AA

R6 #2 Lovett 64, R7 #3 Coosa 49: For the first time, since their Final Four team of 2008, the No. 6 Lovett Lions are advancing past the first round of the State Tourney, as they defeated Coosa 64-49 at Lovett’s Wallace Gymnasium on Wednesday night. Lovett got off to a quick start and led 16-9 at the end of the first quarter, and held on to a 31-25 lead at the half, thanks to 10 first half points from Senior guard Ford Coleman, including 2 3-pointers. In the 3rd quarter, the Lions pushed the lead to double digits, and Coosa never got closer than 8 the rest of the way. Lovett pushed the lead to 18 in the final minutes, before a 3-pointer at the buzzer cut the lead to 64-49 for the final score. Lovett had 9 players score, and were led by Senior Charles Nastopoulos, who had 18 points to go with his 9 rebounds Ford Coleman added 13 points, on 3-4 from 3-point range. Sophomore guard Crawford Schwieger came off the bench to add 12 points. The Lions leading scorers for the season, Senior Guard Henry Richardson, and Freshman Point Guard Ryan Greer were held to just 5 points and 4 points respectively, but the game showed just how deep and talented the Lions were, regardless of not getting huge point production from their main 2 scorers. Greer did finish with 9 assists and 7 rebounds to go with his 4 points, and was instrumental all night in breaking the full court press from Coosa. Lovett hit 7 of 18 from 3-point range, and held Coosa’s leading scorer, Senior guard Xavier Bailey to just 11 points, as he was the only Coosa player in double figures. Coosa finishes the season 13-17. Lovett is now 21-6 on the season, and advances to the Sweet 16 and will travel to play Long County on Saturday. Furthermore, all four Region 6-AA teams won, as Pace, Holy Innocents’, and Greater Atlanta Christian each advanced to the Sweet 16 as well.

R8 #3 Union County 56, R5 #2 Bowdon 51: Behind 21 points and eight rebounds from Crawford Colwell, the Panthers were able to hold off the Red Devils. Union County led 12-8 at the end of one while CJ Brewer scored all eight for Bowdon. The Panthers extended their lead to 23-18 at the half, but to open the third quarter it was the Red Devils coming out on an 11-0 run to take a 29-23 lead. Union County quickly regained its footing and took a 39-32 lead into the fourth quarter before holding on. Chase Shook scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the win Lawson Baenniger chipped in 11 points. Bowdon was led by Brewer’s 23 points and 17 rebounds. Octavius Meadows finished with 21 points and nine rebounds.

R4 #1 Crawford County 95, R1 #4 Seminole County 64: The rematch of last year’s AA state title game turned out much different. No. 2 Crawford County hammered No. 7 Seminole County, who limped its way to the finish line. Will Jarrell posted 27 points and 10 rebounds while Marcal Knolton went for 23 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks inside. Monkeize Moore was the crucial third piece to the puzzle, adding 17 points. UGA signee Jordan Harris finished with 37 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in the final game of his historic Seminole County career.

R6 #1 Pace Academy 70, R7 #4 Darlington 48: Darlington took the host No. 3 Knights into the half with a 26-25 lead, but a 21-2 scoring advantage in favor of Pace Academy in the third quarter turned the tides as Darlington trailed 46-28 entering the final frame. Kyle Tackeberry led Darlington with 18 points. Pace Academy was led by Isaiah Kelly’s game-high 19 points, while teammate Wendall Carter Jr.’s netted 15.

R6 #4 Holy Innocents’ 54, R7 #1 Model 51: Cole Smith buried a 30-footer at the buzzer for his 10^th point of the night, advancing the Golden Bears to the second round. Holy Innocents’, a trendy “upset” pick heading into the tournament, proved bracket connoisseurs correct. Brent Duncan was at full health posting 23 points and 10 rebounds. Matt Meadows added nine in the win.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

Most Dangerous 4-Seeds

February 17, 2016 KyleSandy

February Frenzy is finally here. Over 100 brackets have been submitted to the Sandy’s Spiel bracket challenge so now it is time to highlight a couple of the most dangerous 4-seeds looming in the tournament throughout each classification.

Class AAAAAA

Two 4-seeds stand above the rest in the state’s highest classification. Grayson (20-8) and Douglas County (16-11) will not be pushovers. Both teams spent time in the top ten this year before faltering late. The Rams looked as if the 2-seed or at worst 3-seed was going to be theirs coming out of Region 8, but instead the Central Gwinnett Black Knights stunned them in the consolation game, 87-78. The Rams draw No. 1 ranked Wheeler in round one, the defending state champs. Grayson will need heroic performances from senior guards Alphonso Willis and Austin Dukes. Both average over 17 points per game and have been groomed in one of this year’s deepest regions. Wheeler’s weakest spot on the floor is point guard. If Dukes and Willis can exploit that position as a liability, the Rams have a chance to hang around. Tre Sconiers is an active forward that hits the glass well. He and freshman Kenyon Jackson, a 6-foot-5 center averaging just under 10 rebounds and four blocks a game, will have their hands full with Georgia Tech signee Romello White and North Florida signee Al-Wajid Aminu.

Douglas County doesn’t have a sexy record, but it isn’t for a lack of competition. Region 3 was an all-out war with No. 2 Westlake and No. 7 Pebblebrook leading the pack. The Tigers still managed a 10-4 region record, powered by North Carolina signee Brandon Robinson. The swingman can take games over as he averaged 23 points per game and netted 33 at Holiday Hooopsgiving in a win over 5A No. 3 McIntosh. The Tigers get the guard-heavy No. 8 Newton Rams out of Region 2. JD Notae, Jaquan Simms and Ashton Hagans can all score the ball, but their ability to defend will be put to the test against the explosive Tigers.

Class AAAAA

Jones County (15-12) opened the season ranked No. 9 but quickly fell out of the poll and never returned. It has become the Devin Wooten show for Coach Dennis Woolfolk. The senior guard pops in 24.5 points per game and is one of the state’s leading scorers. Landravious Bowden has picked up his play as of late averaging over 16 points and close to seven rebounds a night. The Greyhounds are still looking for their signature victory, falling three times to No. 7 Warner Robins: 76-68, 96-90 2OT and 78-72 in the Region 2 semis. They are matched up with Region 3’s Camden County. The Wildcats started out the year 13-0 and cracked the top ten before falling back to the pack. Camden heated up again at the end of the season and marched to the region title, defeating Statesboro in the championship. Point guard Johnathon Canada presents an interesting challenge for Jones County as he averages 8.7 points and 9.8 assists.

Class AAAA

No. 8 St. Pius (22-6) is a 4-seed. It doesn’t get much scarier than that. Ranked in the top five for most of the season, the Golden Lions faltered as they let a 15-point lead slip away to No. 3 Grady in the semifinals before falling in overtime to Columbia. Luckily for Coach Aaron Parr and senior forward Kerney Lane, they draw one of the weakest regions in the state in terms of competition level in Region 7. Cartersville will have more athletes than the Golden Lions but it will be Coach Mike Tobin’s job to take advantage of it. The Golden Lions have seen and defeated athletes and talented teams, scoring wins over Grady and No. 4 Lithonia throughout the year, so they will not be intimidated. St. Pius is a trendy pick to meet No. 1 Jonesboro in a rematch of last year’s Sweet 16 showdown. Another dangerous team is Eastside (20-9). Junior guard Isaiah Miller pumps in 25.3 points a night and will be tested by Westover, a 17-11 1-seed out of Region 1, and its trio of talented guards Allec Williams, Jordan Brown and Kris Gardner.

Class AAA

Southwest-Macon (17-9) enjoyed a lengthy stay in the top ten before tumbling late in the year, but they are still a scary team for No. 3 Laney to draw. Senior forward Justin Slocum stands 6-foot-6 and is a beast to guard, averaging 22.4 points and 13.6 rebounds. Junior point guard Nick Hargrove is a gem as well posting 21.1 points and 5.9 assists. Hargrove especially, will be tested by the most seasoned backcourt in the state, Zep Jasper (College of Charleston) and Christian Keeling (Charleston Southern). The two are the epitome of the word “winner” and have rallied the Wildcats from the jaws of defeat countless times this year to run up a 24-2 record. Keeling averages 24 points and 6.5 rebounds while Jasper adds 20.6 points, 4.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds. If the Patriots are able to exploit their size advantage inside with Slocum and if Hargrove can hold his own, this could turn into one of the best first round games in the state.

Class AA

No. 7 Seminole County (19-7). Do I need to say any more? The defending state champs saw their season end on rocky terms, losing three of their last four games, but the dynamic duo of Jordan Harris (UGA) and Anfernee King still remain. The two combine for over 48 points, 17 rebounds, 13 assists, 9 steals and 3 blocks per game. The Indians are still the only team to have beaten No. 1 Thomasville, proving they can turn things on. First they will have the challenge of defeating No. 2 Crawford County, the team the Indians beat in the finals last year. The forward combo of Will Jarrell and Marcal Knolton put up video game numbers similar to that of the guards of Seminole County. Expect points to be scored in bunches and for the Eagles to make sure Harris doesn’t hang another 41-piece on them again.

Game Stories, GHSA, GHSA Basketball

East Jackson & Jackson County finish 2-3 in Region 8AAA

February 15, 2016 KyleSandy

Contributed by Colin Hubbard (@__Chubs__)

Region 8-AAA just might be the best top-to-bottom region in all of AAA this season and the top four teams were put on display at Emmanuel College on Friday and Saturday to determine the region champion and the state tournament seedings.

The lionhearted Jackson County Panthers who eclipsed the 16-win mark and a spot in the state playoffs for the first time in 14 years faced off with the up and coming East Jackson Eagles in the second round of the tournament in what was a much-anticipated third meeting of the two rival schools.

The Panthers got the best of the Eagles in the teams’ first two meetings but all of that was thrown out the window when the two met at a neutral venue.

Coming off a 6-game win streak, the Eagles jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead to start the game after forward Jaylen Morgan knocked down a 3-pointer and hammered down a baseline dunk.

The Panthers knocked down back-to-back shots to cut the Eagles’ lead to three points but a Drue Drinnon pass to Travis Anderson resulted in a 3-point swish to give East Jackson a 10-4 advantage.

The Panthers then answered with three straight buckets to tie the game up at 10-10 and then took the lead 12-10 but Drinnon quickly tied the game up at 12-12 seconds later.

Then entered 5-9 sophomore guard Xavier Clark.

Clark who has been a minor contributor for the Eagles for much of the season entered into the game due to some foul trouble for East Jackson and made the most of the opportunity.

Clark quickly stole a pass from the Panthers and converted it into a contested layup to give the Eagles the lead back at 14-12. Seconds later, Anderson threw a pass to Clark who then launched up a 3-pointer and drained it as the crowd erupted in East Jackson’s favor.

East Jackson head coach David Boyd was extremely pleased with the spark that Clark gave the East Jackson squad.

“Tremendous, just tremendous,” Boyd said. “We were in foul trouble and he came in and played great he really did.”

However, the scrappy Panthers would not go away quietly and took an 18-17 lead with just over a minute left in the first. Drinnon and Anderson were none too pleased with the result and quickly took the game into their own hands and drained one 3-pointer apiece to give the Eagles a 23-18 lead heading into the second quarter.

The second quarter featured turnover after turnover for both teams which resulted in just 19 points being scored between the two schools. However, it was the Eagles who held a 32-25 lead with just three seconds before the half.

With the score likely to stand going into the break, Anderson had other ideas. Anderson buried a corner 3-pointer right in front of the Jackson County crowd as the buzzer sound which gave the Eagles a 10-point advantage at the break.

The third quarter was the best showing by the Eagles. As a team they shot 50 percent from the field on 6-of-12 shooting and knocked down six free throws as well. Drinnon connected on four buckets while Anderson added three, respectively.

The quarter also featured a dunk from Andrew Scott, a player in which the Panthers had announced was no longer apart of the East Jackson basketball team.

The Panthers held things close for much of the quarter, but the Eagles outscored them 18-14 which gave East Jackson a 14-point advantage with one quarter to play.

The fourth quarter belonged to senior Kamron Walters who knocked down three huge shots, two of which came on put backs. The senior had a chance to tie the game in overtime against the Panthers in their second meeting but failed to do so. He got his revenge on Friday night.

“Kameron has just been outstanding,” Boyd said. “He only started playing basketball in his sophomore year so he’s inexperienced but he’s just been great to have. He understands his role and came up big for us tonight.”

Boyd felt especially happy for Walters after what happened to him in Game 2 against the Panthers just a few short weeks back.

“I felt bad about what happened to him at the end of that game,” he said. “It’s hard to come in and be asked to make a big play when you haven’t played much in the game so I blamed myself for that but he came up really big tonight.”

The Eagles took all of the eat out of the Panthers late in the fourth quarter and cruised to a 71-49 win to secure no worse than a No. 2 seed in the state playoffs. The loss moved the Panthers into a game with the Jefferson Dragons to determine the No. 3 seed.

“I thought that the difference between the first two times we played them (Jackson Co.) and this time was the defense,” Boyd said. “They hurt us on the inside with their post players playing very well in the first two games but we did an excellent job of slowing Ellis and Giroux down tonight.”

East Jackson’s goal for the game was to get into transition as much as they could and that’s exactly what they did.

“We felt that our big four did a great job of spreading the floor and that helped us get into transition and run all night,” Boyd said. “We haven’t had all of our guys all season long until the very end so we’re happy. Anytime you can beat Jackson County is a plus.”

Drinnon finished with a game-high 23 points on 7-of-16 shooting including 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. On what might have been a up and down shooting night for Drinnon, he couldn’t have been more happy with the outcome.

“That was the best team effort we have had all year,” Drinnon said. “Everyone played their role, played hard and helped us win the game”

Drinnon was especially happy for Walters.

“That was probably one of his best games all season,” he said. “His best game came against Oconee but that was definitely a close second.”

When asked how good it felt to shut up all of the doubters and knock off the rival Panthers in the biggest game of the season, Drinnon answered calmly and gracefully.

“It feels good, there’s nothing they can say.” he said. “We just beat them to go to the region finals. That it.”

Anderson, who has been Drinnon’s right-hand man all season long put together a solid game of his own. He finished with 22 points on 8-of-19 shooting and had five rebounds and three steals to go along with it.

“Coach told us that we had to play like a team in order to win today and we did just that,” Anderson said. There is no I in team.”

Anderson was equally if not more happy to knock off Jackson County as well.

“It feels really good, especially with the amount of trash they talk and them saying a lot of negative stuff in their little newsletter and stuff like that. We beat them in the one that mattered.”

The win moved the Eagles into the region tournament finale for the first time in school history but waited for them was Morgan County who is the No. 1 ranked AAA team in the state of Georgia.

After a valiant effort, the Eagles were sent home with a 9-point loss, 60-51 against the Bulldogs and will take on Central-Carroll in the first round of the state playoffs as a No. 2 seed.

Jackson County took care of business against Jefferson, 57-54 and will take on Rockmart in the first round of the playoffs.