Tag Archives: Kennesaw Mountain

GHSA, GHSA Basketball

2017-18 Dark Horses

Ten Dark Horse teams that will be battling for statewide recognition and a playoff berth this season.

Etowah

R4-AAAAAAA
(20-10; 4-6)
Sweet 16

The Eagles finished 20-10 with a Sweet 16 appearance but struggled in Region 4, going just 4-6. Much of the continuity returns except at head coach where Jason Dasinger steps in to build on the quick momentum constructed by now Milton head coach Allen Whitehart. Dasinger racked up a 25-4 record at Alpharetta in his only year on the job and now turns to a new cast at Etowah to replicate his success. Tusculum-commit Adrian Cohen and junior Jaxon Etter power the Eagle offense. Cohen has size and versatility as a 6-foot-5 wing while Etter, a burgeoning college prospect, popped onto opposing teams’ radars last year as he surged his way into becoming a First Team All-Region 4 selection. The 6-foot-3 swingman is a crafty scorer and underrated athlete who can takeover games. Inside, Etowah is anchored by agile 6-foot-7 senior Julian Baldwin and 6-foot-5 dirty work rebounder Carter Ingersoll. Nick Nagy provides the outside shooting and rounds out the core of Etowah’s senior class. Playing to their potential and not down to competition will determine whether or not the Eagles can become a dangerous team come February.

Kennesaw Mountain

R3-AAAAAAA
(10-18; 4-6)
First Round State

All the ingredients for a winning recipe are in Coach Jesse Bonner’s kitchen this season. Following a 10-18 season out of Region 3 with a 64-51 road state playoff loss at Colquitt County, the Mustangs now have the experience and extra help ready to push them over the hump to fight for a top two seed. Senior guard Josh Strong really ignited his season after exploding at the Lake City Classic, averaging 22 points per game and dropping in 23 points in a win over state-ranked Riverwood. The Second Team All-Region pick has some homerun hitters to run with in 2017-18. Jalyn McCreary is now eligible after missing all of his sophomore season. The 6-foot-7 junior is a Preseason First Team All-State selection that can go toe-to-toe with any of Georgia’s premier stars. Junior Khalil Shaheed should bring a major boost to the backcourt come January, a transfer from Wheeler that likes to get out and run. Still in the mix are quality guards Jordan Barnes and Christian Ramsey along with forward Jalen Knight.

Douglas County

R5-AAAAAA
(10-15; 8-8)
No Playoffs

The Tigers sunk to 10-15 overall but finished a respectable 8-8 in the difficult Region 5. Douglas County has more than enough guard play to shake up the region and earn a state tournament berth but it won’t be easy. The tandem of junior Malik Battle and senior Rodney Lewis is a formidable one. Lewis at 5-foot-10 has a slight frame, but can drill threes when left open and also does a good job of getting his teammates involved, averaging a Tiger-best 3.8 helpers a game last year. 6-foot-3 senior Rickey Clark shot 44% from three while 6-foot-5 Ernest Randle brings a physical presence heading into his senior season.

Grovetown

R3-AAAAAA
(5-19; 3-7)
No Playoffs

Augusta-brand basketball hasn’t always translated well to the rest of the state in the bigger classifications lately, but in the weak Region 3, there’s no reason why Grovetown can’t grab a state playoff bid and improve from their 5-19 overall mark. The senior trio of Eric Graham II, Emmanuel Bryson III and Nick Tolbert bring experience to the backcourt. Graham is a steady producer that can shoot the ball and make the right decisions. Bryson relies on his defense to convert into offense. 2016 Class A-Private All-State Honorable Mention point guard Jelani Shakir moves in from Aquinas while 6-foot-8 project Jeremiah Smith is a load at 230 pounds that will help from Minnesota. The Warriors have more than enough talent to finish near the top of a region that saw only two teams finish above .500 and had all four teams swept in the first round of the state playoffs.

Paulding County

R7-AAAAA
(11-18; 8-8)
First Round State

The Patriots earned a state playoff bid with an 11-18 record in Region 7 and have a chance to improve on that mark in 2017-18. Second Team All-Region selection Tyron Summerour paces the backcourt along with fellow seniors Vance Anderson and McEachern transfer KJ Shade. Junior Michael Seymour has seen success as a part of a growing stable of guards. The Patriots have some size as well with 6-foot-6 junior Josh Broughton returning and 6-foot-7 Elijah Brown-Kane transferring in from Minnesota for his senior season.  6-foot-3 sophomore Kevin Brown has impressed at forward this fall. Region 7 is up for grabs with Carrollton the slight favorite, but don’t be surprised if Paulding County crashes the party and posts their best win total in years.

Woodland-Stockbridge

R4-AAAAA
(10-13; 7-9)
No Playoffs

It will be a climb to grab a top four seed in the competitively deep Region 4, but the Wolfpack have reason for optimism coming off their 10-13 (7-9) season with junior point guard Jalen Mason taking over the reins. The former Miller Grove Wolverine is an outstanding athlete that has already made an impact on the football field as a wide receiver, but his long-term potential is on the hardwood. The highlight maker will join forces with 6-foot-6, 266-pound offensive lineman Shakeel Shaw who takes up space in the lane.

Dougherty

R1-AAA
(15-7; 3-3)
Not Eligible For Postseason

Quietly, Dougherty was one of South Georgia’s better programs last season but due to multiple infractions under former head coach Ty Randolph’s watch, the Trojans had to forfeit their 2016-17 postseason eligibility. Legendary head coach Rufus McDuffie, a five-time state champion at Mitchell-Baker High School, stepped in and guided the Trojans to impressive wins over state playoff teams Westover, Lee County and Glynn Academy, along with beating all four state tournament teams from Region 1 at least once including region champ and Sweet 16 finalist Crisp County. Dougherty is anchored by Georgia’s biggest blow up prospect from the summer, 6-foot-11 senior Carlos Curry. The mobile center has received offers from Power 5 conferences and will get a chance to prove his worth his senior season. Curry is comfortable taking the outside shot and rebounds well. He will need to finish stronger around the basket. He will team up with 2019 6-foot-5 banger Justin Jackson, another tough player to keep off the glass. As seen at the high school level, you don’t win with big men, so Dougherty’s guards will have to play a major role for the Trojans to have more success. Sophomore Rod Jones and junior Jordan Green, a transfer from Albany, are expected to see major minutes.

Monroe Area

R8-AAA
(15-15; 6-4)
Sweet 16

Only two seniors graduate from a mildly disappointing 2016-17 team that never quite cemented itself as the second-best team in the region behind state runner-up Morgan County. The Hurricanes still earned a postseason victory over Sonoraville before meeting their demise against Westside-Macon. All-Region 8 performers 6-foot-7 Elijah Goodman, Devin Sheets and Isaiah Glasper are set to return with major experience now under their belt. Bolling DuBose will be roaming an unfamiliar sideline after coaching 41 years at Jefferson. A fast start will be imperative for Monroe Area after they stumbled out of the gates to an 0-5 start last year.

Rabun County

R8-AA
(11-15; 5-7)
No Playoffs

They aren’t in a friendly region, but Rabun County returns nearly everybody back from last season’s streaky three-point shooting team. All-Region pick Bailey Fisher is coming off of a 17.3-point-per-game campaign and will be joined by fellow senior Tevan Dixon, who tore his ACL after 11 games. Dixon averaged a team-high 21.7 points while adding 6.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game before going down. A healthy Dixon provides an aggressive scorer that isn’t afraid to shoot from all three levels. Junior guard Chase Buchanan is a three-point specialist that drained 40-of-95 threes (42%) while attempting just 13 shots inside the arc. Rising sophomore Braxton Hicks averaged 9.7 points per game while senior Grayson Lane was the Wildcats best post presence chipping in 8.4 points, 5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a night. With Fisher and Hicks on the football field to open the season, Rabun County might take a while to hit their stride.

Northeast-Macon

R3-AA
(6-21; 3-9)
No Playoffs

It’s time. It’s time for Northeast-Macon to come of age and battle for a playoff spot. Juniors Darius Dunn and Ty’ree Gilbert are both locks to pass the 1,000-point plateau this season. There’s no debating that the slight-of-build guards can fill it up offensively, but now it’s time to rack up the wins. Dunn, 6-foot-1, poured in 20.7 points per game and is coming off of a hot summer while Gilbert dropped in a cool 17.3 as a sophomore. The third-head of the attack is sophomore Cameron Cherry, a 6-foot-3 guard that has all the physical tools to be the best of the bunch when all is said and done, but he has to lock in and not rely on his potential to carry him. The big three will be relied upon to score early and often. With Dunn and Gilbert now upperclassmen, youth should no longer be an issue.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Predictions

2017-18 Sleeper Teams

Out of last year’s three sleeper teams, both Lakeside-Evans and Mountain View had their best seasons in school history, winning their respective regions in the process. Alexander improved it’s win total by four games (17-8), but failed to reach the postseason.

While the transfer news hasn’t come in at a rapid pace just yet – and could most certainly change the landscape of the GHSA – here’s an early look at who could be this upcoming season’s most improved teams.

Kennesaw Mountain
R3-AAAAAAA (10-18, 4-6)

Jalyn McCreary

Jalyn. McCreary. Now eligible after having to sit out a season, the 2019 6-foot-6 forward is the ultimate game changer. With the ability to score inside and out and take over games on both sides of the court, the lanky lefty has All-State written all over him. With Houston and Oklahoma State already having shown interest before ever playing a varsity game, McCreary gives Coach Jesse Bonner a hell of a weapon to deploy against region rival McEachern and Isaac Okoro. McCreary joins a roster that graduates just two players and returns bucket-getter and All-Region Second Team selection, Josh Strong, who averaged 22 points per game at the Lake City Classic last season as a junior guard. Marietta is set to return their second and third-leading scorers while Hillgrove graduates eight players. If things go according to plan, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see Kennesaw Mountain battling for a two or three seed come region tournament time.

Coffee
R1-AAAAAA (16-10, 6-3)

The South Georgia region turned heads as they swept the paltry Region 3 in the state tournament. Coffee, who had the best regular season record out of the tiny five-team region, scored the most impressive first round victory, 77-71 in overtime against Heritage-Conyers. The Trojans let a double-digit second half lead slip through their fingers in the Sweet 16, falling 90-82 in overtime to South Paulding. In a region where no one stood out from the pack in 2016-17, that could change this upcoming year with Coffee seeming like the early favorite. With their top five scorers set to return, Coffee has an energizing blend of 2018’s and 2019’s now with postseason experience. They can sometimes play like they are wired on caffeine – frantic and out of control – but when they are clicking, the Trojans’ athleticism and quickness can burn teams. Jayce Moore returns for his junior season after powering the offense with team-highs of 16.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Dalrone Donaldson is a raw 6-foot-3 forward that pounds the glass and averaged 12.4 points and 6.8 rebounds as a junior. Twins Jarquavius and Marquavius Jefferson speed up opposing ball handlers. Coffee is a streaky three-point shooting team, but when they are on like they were in the playoffs, they are a handful to stop.

Monroe Area
R8-AAA (15-15, 6-4)

Coming off of a Sweet 16 appearance, the Hurricanes graduate just two players. Three All-Region performers return in Devin Sheats, Isaiah Glasper and intriguing 6-foot-7 wing Elijah Goodman. If Goodman can bring his game to the next level his senior season, Monroe Area should at least be able to grab the second-seed if they don’t overlook plucky teams like Franklin County and Hart County. The Hurricanes have shown glimpses of being able to compete at a high level, pushing Morgan County to overtime on the road before falling 63-59, and other times, they looked like a pretender, getting blown out at home by Morgan County 86-55 three weeks later. Consistency will be key for Monroe Area.

Stratford Academy
R7-A (10-13, 3-7)

Sean Sweeney saw a steep drop off in his first-year as head coach but it wasn’t his fault. While O’Showen Williams and Quintez Cephus graduated in 2016, Sweeney couldn’t have prepared for a plethora of injuries and 6-foot-7 big man Nate Brooks to transfer out in the middle of the season. With that being said, Stratford Academy still made the postseason, winning on the road in overtime at Darlington 68-67 before losing a defensive battle with Aquinas 40-34. All-Region First Teamer Nathan Hunt is set to return for his senior season. Rising junior guard Devin Butts is an interesting looking ball handler at 6-foot-4. The Eagles still won’t be at the level they were at in 2015-16, but they should finish above .500 and punch another ticket to the big dance.

GHSA, GHSA Basketball, Transfers

Jalyn McCreary: The best player you WON’T be able to watch this year

2 Comments

Here we go again.

After the emotion-filled Isaac Kellum saga at McIntosh last season, it seems like common sense is escaping the GHSA yet again. This time the situation revolves around 6-foot-6 sophomore Jalyn McCreary. Haven’t heard of him? You’re not the only one.

McCreary’s case is much different than Kellum’s from a year ago, but still the ruling is a bitter pill to swallow for those involved.

McCreary, who has lived in the Kennesaw Mountain zoning district since 2008, decided to attend Wheeler his freshman year. McCreary’s mother, Kristie Gordon, explained why in her hardship letter which is attached below.

“I am a Cobb County employee and my son began his freshman year at Wheeler High School on the school choice. I chose this method (school choice instead of employee choice) because I wanted the decision to send Jalyn to Wheeler to be only possible through the intervention of God. So when school choice opened I submitted an application just as any other Cobb County parent. The slots at Wheeler were limited and to our surprise Jalyn was selected to attend.”

Things went sour when McCreary was involved in an altercation involving two other students on January 26 in the school cafeteria.

“I received a phone call from Mr. Jones (Assistant Principal) and he described a fight and indicated that Jalyn had been involved. I was floored. Jalyn had never been in a fight and was still very new to the school. I asked him if he was okay and if I could speak to my son. At that time, I was placed on speaker phone and Jalyn described purchasing glasses from a student for twenty dollars and later being approached from behind by two boys he did not know while eating his lunch. His exact words were, ‘I was jumped momma.’”

Back Home

Gordon felt like the best decision was to withdraw Jalyn after weeks of back and forth with the school district and reenrolled him to Kennesaw Mountain in February where he finished out the school year.

McCreary, back to his normal routine with lifelong friends, got back to the basketball court this summer with the Mustangs before receiving the call that he was ineligible and his hardship was denied. The GHSA ruled that he cannot play varsity this year and must spend his season on the junior varsity, potentially stymieing his development.

Bad Optics

Both McCreary and Gordon would be the first to admit that attending Wheeler over Kennesaw Mountain was a poor choice, but the fact that he is ruled ineligible is not a good look for the GHSA.

With over 93 transfers collected for this upcoming season, it always seems that the GHSA puts the kibosh on the most logical movement.

  1. He still lives in the KMHS district
  2. His mother is a school counselor
  3. He withdrew after being the victim in a fracas
  4. He finished the 2015-16 school year at KMHS

It looks even worse that Wheeler has seven transfers in – from all over the country, some committing via YouTube – but when a player leaves the school, he isn’t cleared.

There needs to be a case by case basis where everything is taken into account.

The GHSA has become the Wild Wild West with player movement as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The fact that McCreary must sit out a year after emerging as a game-changing talent is a disappointing outcome for him, his family and Kennesaw Mountain.

Don’t Forget

Jalyn McCreary likely won’t play varsity basketball this year after Kennesaw Mountain, Gordon and everyone involved have exhausted all avenues of justice. McCreary isn’t the first and won’t be last student-athlete that gets the short end of the stick when it comes to GHSA rulings.

While it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel as far as eligibility goes, McCreary’s eye-opening play at the HoopSeen Fall Preview has opened doors for him moving forward. He landed a spot on the EYBL Southern Stampede’s 2019 team following the conclusion of the upcoming high school season.

In a matchup with one of the nation’s top ranked sophomores, Terry Armstrong (who moved into Wheeler from Michigan this summer), McCreary cemented his upside posting 23 points and nine rebounds. Whenever the lanky lefty is cleared to play, he will make an immediate statewide impact at Kennesaw Mountain and will become a name college coaches need to take notice of.

 

Hardship Letter sent to the GHSA:

May 18, 2016

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing this letter of request for a hardship in order for my son, Jalyn McCreary, to be eligible to play varsity sports this upcoming 2016-17 school year at Kennesaw Mountain High School. Just to give you some history, I am a Cobb County employee and my son began his freshman year at Wheeler High School on the school choice. I chose this method (school choice instead of employee choice) because I wanted the decision to send Jalyn to Wheeler to be only possible through the intervention of God. So when school choice opened I submitted an application just as any other Cobb County parent. The slots at Wheeler were limited and to our surprise Jalyn was selected to attend. We were hesitant but as parents trusted that this must be what was intended for his future.

However a very unfortunate incident took place in January that changed our outlook on everything. The incident occurred on January 26th in the school cafeteria.  I received a phone call from Mr. Jones (Assistant Principal) and he described a fight and indicated that Jalyn had been involved. I was floored. Jalyn had never been in a fight and was still very new to the school.  I asked him if he was okay and if I could speak to my son. At that time, I was placed on speaker phone and Jalyn described purchasing glasses from a student for twenty dollars and later being approached from behind by two boys he did not know while eating his lunch. His exact words were, “I was jumped momma.” My initial response was to scold Jalyn for being disobedient. We have a rule in our home that there is absolutely no buying or trading with students at school. This is a common thing but something we did not want Jalyn to participate in because of the potential to cause confusion. It was then that I asked Mr. Jones if this was true and he said “yes, that is pretty accurate”. I asked if I needed to leave work and pick up Jalyn and I was told because of his calm demeanor he could stay and finish the day. However from my knowledge the other students were required to leave because of their actions in initiating this event.  An hour later, I arrived to pick up Jalyn and he was leaving ISS. I approached the office and requested to see Mr. Jones. When he arrived I asked to view the video footage where my son was jumped. I was told that should not be a problem and that he would get back to me the following day. The next day, I was told I could not view the tape because of the rights of the other parents. I asked them to check with other parents and I was never contacted again about it until I reached out to higher authorities. I then requested to speak to Mr. Giles (school principal). I was later contacted by him and he begin to verbalize what he viewed on the tape. He said my son was seated and two gentlemen approached him. At this time, Jalyn was put in a headlock and glasses were ripped off of his face by an unknown student. Jalyn’s face was cut by this assault and his shirt was ripped. Understandably, he proceeded to stand up to defend himself. When he stood up, the second student shoved him to the ground from behind.

Ultimately, Jalyn was given the same consequences as the other students, I totally disagreed with this decision because he has attended Cobb County schools since 2nd grade and has never been suspended from school. Jalyn has always been described as the “gentle giant” by his teachers and is even still described as having a pretty impressive moral compass. He was a part of the Mustang Leadership Academy at Hayes Elementary and a part of the Amigos Leadership Academy at Pine Mountain Middle. For this reason, I was disappointed and decided to advocate for his reputation and most importantly his FUTURE. The outcome was grim and nothing changed as we approached day 6 of the suspension.

Following this event, I received contact from teachers and parents in the community expressing their regret that something like this happened to Jalyn. I notified the school about possible retaliation and accusations of gang affiliation too from individuals in the community. In the end, I was still denied the right to view the video of my son and the story changed from person to person each time it was recollected. There was very little consistency. However, the part that never wavered is that Jalyn was put in a headlock and violently shoved to the ground before he responded. In my opinion, this is a clear indicator of bullying and intimidation. As I described to administration, Jalyn is asthmatic and is medicated for this daily and if that headlock had gone wrong or been too long, we could be discussing much more than a fight.

Fearful of Jalyn being labeled, I continued to have email and phone communication with Mr. Ragsdale (CCSD Superintendent), Dr. Daniels (CCSD Assistant Superintendent), Dr. Giles, and Mr. Jones. I also refused to sign the write up of the disciplinary action because it indicated that Jalyn was involved in a fight. It never indicated that he was victim of a premeditated attack by these unknown students. I requested school mediation with the school counselor per my emails. I was told that boys will be boys and that we didn’t need to rehash something that the kids were already past. I was also told that none of this was an attempt to label my otherwise “good” student and that no one would look at Jalyn differently. Jalyn returned back to school for a little over a week with no issue and then we received a notification from the Cobb County Juvenile Courts. At this time, I felt the need to withdraw Jalyn from Wheeler and take him to his home school, Kennesaw Mountain. This decision was made because even through all of our communications, the school and CCSD in no way contacted me or revealed to me that they would be putting my son through this. They were very evasive about what occurred on that day and what would follow for my child. With our backs in a corner we hired an attorney and reported to court. At the court proceeding one of the other parents discussed watching the video footage with administration and clearly seeing that Jalyn was a victim. Her son even admitted to Jalyn paying for the glasses. At this time, the charges of affray and disruption of a public school were thrown out and the mom requested additional community service for her son and apologized profusely to Jalyn. The other student involved was given probation.

After hearing from her that the same administration that denied me seeing the footage sat down with her to view the footage, I knew I made the right choice by withdrawing him. Children die in schools all the time and I continuously expressed to all that I spoke to the need for my son to stand his ground and to be safe every day that he is outside of my care and protection. Sadly, the school policies are completely contradictory to the state law.

When I asked what Jalyn could have done differently, I was told he could have went and found a staff member to assist. I guess they were referring to the same staff members who were supervising this cafeteria when my son’s health and safety was initially put in danger. At this point other than loving the opportunity to participate in a basketball program with his AAU teammates there was nothing good I could attribute to his attendance at Wheeler. The most unfortunate thing is that Jalyn enjoyed playing on the freshman team there and had great stats on his first season of high school basketball. Another unfortunate thing is that because of the transition at the time he transitioned, Jalyn will now be required to attend summer school in order to have sophomore status next year.

Since enrolling at Kennesaw Mountain in February, Jalyn has made much better grades and adjusted well. I am sure the reason for this is that he has known most of the students since 2nd grade. The final step in putting this behind us would be for this hardship to be granted in order for him to go on as planned in the world of basketball.

Jalyn was not at all recruited by Kennesaw but has played basketball since he was 5 years old and it is a major part of our lives. Although, the fight was unfortunate we have reflected back on it with a different perspective. We feel that Jalyn needed to learn a lesson of resilience and overcoming adversity and he has done just that.  Due to the fact that we have lived at the same address for several years and he has been a part of this community for so long, we are hopeful that he will be approved to play this next season and not have to suffer through another consequence for something out of his control. However we are prepared to find the “teachable moment” in this process as well, and if not in our favor we are still appreciative of the opportunity to share our story and be given consideration. Jalyn will not give up but continue with relentless tenacity to achieve his goals no matter the outcome.

            My Sincere Thanks,

                        Kristie Gordon