Top Header

  
FINALS PREVIEW

Today, we preview the boys Class A-AAA state championships. Follow our continuing coverage leading up to this weekend's GHSA basketball state championships at scoreatl.com.


Join Our Mailing List
In This Issue


Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter 

 

 

Score is looking for writing interns!  

Call 404-256-1572
or click here  

for more information.

 

 
Join Our Mailing List

Tuesday, March 1, 2016




HS FOOTBALL COACHES FORUM
 




STATE FINALS PREVIEW
By Kyle Sandy
 


Class AAA
Did You Know: Morgan County freshman Alec Woodard set a school-record with 10 threes in a game this season.
 
R8 #1 Morgan County (25-4)
 
They meet again. Macon has become a March mainstay for the No. 1 ranked Bulldogs as they take their third straight trip to the Centreplex. In 2013-14 Charlemagne Gibbons oversaw Tookie Brown's destruction of Buford for the program's first and only title. In his first year as head coach Jamond Sims took the Bulldogs back to the title game last year but they fell to Jenkins on a last second layup from senior Eric Johnson 62-60. With 3,000-point scorer Tookie Brown now leading Georgia Southern in scoring as a freshman, Morgan County got its season off to an inauspicious start losing to Cherokee 57-52 at Rockdale County's Battle at the Rock tournament. Things quickly got better as they defeated Class AAAA's No. 4 Lithonia 44-41. After winning the Region 8 title and blowing out Pepperell in round one 71-30 and knocking off North Clayton 67-54 in the Sweet 16, the Bulldogs ran into Laney for the third time this year and sixth time in two seasons. Morgan County won the rubber match in the Elite Eight this year, beating Laney 55-50 while holding Charleston Southern signee Christian Keeling to five points after he entered averaging a team-high 24. Florida Atlantic signees Jailyn Ingram and DeVorious Brown were the difference makers as Ingram poured in 24 points and Brown netted 12. After the emotional victory the Bulldogs entered their Final Four meeting with No. 6 South Atlanta hungover, falling behind by as many as 16 points and taking a 40-25 deficit into the half. Freshman Alec Woodard and senior Jordan Ford helped key the comeback. Woodard sank all 10 of his free throw attempts in the fourth quarter en route to 18 points while Ford scored a team-high 22. Brown hit the game-winning three with one second left right after Frank Bailey of the Hornets tied the game with a three with 7 seconds left, stinging South Atlanta for a stunning 64-61 win.
 
R1 #1 Jenkins (28-4)
 
The defending state champions had a questionable start to their season, needing overtime to beat Creekview 74-67 at the Dai'Jon Parker Classic. No. 5 Jenkins has righted the ship since their sluggish start and are back to playing a fast brand of basketball centered around one of the state's best juniors and a guard who transferred in from nearby Savannah High School. 6-foot-5 junior forward Trevion Lamar does it all for Coach Bakari Bryant. He averages 16.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. The versatile big man can score both inside and out causing matchup problems for defenders. Zion Williams brings over stability at the point guard position and is the team's second leading scorer as a junior. Williams and Lamar have replaced the output left by Eric Johnson and Malik Benlevi (GSU). Johnson hit a layup with 3.6 seconds left to capture the Warriors' first-ever state title. On their march to Macon the Warriors have ended some of the state's best Cinderella stories. They eliminated Jackson-Atlanta in round one 79-69. The Jaguars snuck into the tournament after stunning 22-3 Westminster in the region tournament. In the Sweet 16 it was Jackson County falling to Jenkins 70-51. The Panthers going from 4-22 to 18-12 while winning their first state playoff game in 51 years before running into the Jenkins buzzsaw. Next it was No. 2 Calhoun seeing their 27-0 season come to an end without a state title, falling 84-78 in the Elite Eight. Lamar scored six points late in the fourth to stave off the comeback while Williams added a game-high 21 with three three-pointers in a row coming in the third quarter to extend their lead. The Warriors jumped out to a 35-20 halftime lead over No. 8 Cedar Grove in the Final Four. The Saints battled back to cut the gap to 62-59 with 3:20 to play, but Jenkins answered back with a 6-0 run of its own to close the game taking a 68-59 decision. Lamar scored a game-high 21 along with senior Dimetri Chambers.
 
 
Class AA
 
Did You Know: Pace Academy is 3-8 in neutral site games this year.
 
R6 #1 Pace Academy (19-10)
 
No. 3 Pace Academy has 10 losses, starting the year 2-8 after taking its lumps on the national circuit. After losses to Class AAAAAA No. 2 Westlake and 1A-Private No. 1 Greenforest to kick off the year, Pace's only other two in-state losses came to GAC 55-49 in the third game of the season dropping them to 0-3 and at No. 6 Lovett in overtime 66-63 on Jan. 30. All eyes will be on five-star junior center Wendell Carter Jr. and versatile 6-foot-7 sophomore forward Isaiah Kelly. Carter went for 35 points in Pace's 69-58 win over Jefferson County in the Sweet 16 while Kelly added 14. Penn-commit Zack Kaminsky stands 6-foot-6 at small forward and netted 14 in their win over Jefferson County. The Knights met one-loss No. 1 Thomasville in the Elite Eight and embarrassed the Bulldogs 75-48 in a jaw dropping performance. Carter thoroughly dominated the 6-foot-8 front line of Reggie Perry and Titus Wright posting 26 points, 14 rebounds, 12 blocks, four assists and two steals. The Knights only led by nine at the half but after Barrett Baker splashed in a pair of threes in the third quarter, the rout was on. Baker scored 17 on the night as Coach Demetrius Smith's fourth option. Pace faced another challenge on paper against No. 2 Crawford County. The Eagles' quickness however was no match for the Knights' size. Kelly finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, picking up the slack for Carter who hurt his toe but still managed 12 points and 10 rebounds. Crawford County's explosive tandem of William Jarrell and Marcal Knolton was held to just 23 points in Pace Academy's 61-51 physical win. For the Knights to win their first state title in basketball, expect a heavy dosage of Carter in the low post to exploit their size advantage over No. 10 Manchester.
 
R5 #1 Manchester (25-5)
 
No. 10 Manchester doesn't have the consistent size or the Division-I talent that No. 3 Pace has, but they do a strong belief that they can play with anyone and have two dynamic guards that can help Coach Curtis Noble try and hoist their first trophy since 2007. Coming out of Region 5, the Blue Devils hadn't been tested much during the regular season. Their main competition was Temple, who they beat 65-62 and 69-37. In non-region play, the Blue Devils scored an impressive 63-61 win over No. 2 Crawford County at the Merriweather County Holiday Tournament. On their road to Macon the Blue Devils have knocked off No. 5 Early County in the Sweet 16, 75-62 and dropped No. 6 Lovett 70-56 in the Elite Eight. Against Lovett, Manchester trailed 18-13 at the end of the first quarter but quickly took control behind a 21-6 second quarter. Senior Demarcus Addie exploded for 30 points while Jah'Nile Hill, a sophomore, added 13. In the Final Four the recipe was the same. Manchester eliminated Monticello 63-53 after Addie netted 22 points and Hill tacked on 14 more. Cadarian Brown emerged as a third threat scoring 11 points. Jerquavion Mahone is a 6-foot-4, 255-pounder that throws his weight around inside. Bobby Stevenson and Garrett Brown provide size at 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-7 and will likely see some time guarding Wendell Carter Jr. if needed. Manchester hurt Monticello on the glass. They will have to replicate that same type of intensity on the boards while battling Pace's larger frontcourt. The Blue Devils ride a 19-game winning streak into the state championship and should have the house packed at the Centreplex as Manchester is just an hour and thirty minutes away from Macon. Manchester last advanced to the state championship in 2011-12 when they lost to Laney 67-53.
 
 
Class A-Private
 
Did You Know: Kobi Simmons scored 20 points as a freshman in St. Francis' 55-41 state championship loss to Greenforest, the last team to win a state title outside of the Knights.
 
#1 Greenforest (29-2)
 
Region 5 has been home to the Green Machine also known as No. 1 Greenforest. The Eagles have held the top ranking the entire season and have been the most dominant team in the state. Widely regarded as the best team in the Peach state regardless of classification, Greenforest has also been ranked nationally. The Eagles' only in-state loss came to AAA No. 6 South Atlanta at the Blue Collar Basketball MLK Classic 62-57. Greenforest kicked off the season with a bang at Holiday Hoopsgiving, announcing their presence as an elite program. They destroyed two of Class AAAAAA's finest: No. 7 Pebblebrook 87-59 and No. 3 Norcross 77-48. Opponents get lost in Coach Larry Thompson's Greenforest trees. Five-star junior center caps the giant sequoias at 7-foot and is recognized as the nation's top shot blocker. He swatted away 20 No. 4 Our Lady of Mercy attempts in their 76-61 Region 5 championship. Abayomi Iyiola has improved his game by leaps and bounds and is a 6-foot-10 stretch forward. Mohammed Abdulsalem enters off the bench as a bull in a china shop at 6-foot-9, 250 pounds gobbling up rebounds at an alarming rate, nearly impossible to move out of the paint. Junior Victor Enoh is 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-7 forward Precious Ayah is a Miami (OH) signee. As good as Greenforest is at protecting the rim, guards Justin Forrest and John Ogwuche are who make the Eagles a national powerhouse. Forrest averages a team-high 20 points per game as a junior while Ogwuche, a New Hampshire signee, pitches in 14 a night. In their 78-62 Final Four victory over No. 5 Stratford Academy, Ogwuche poured in 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists while Forrest posted 24 points and six assists. They will get a crack at No. 2 St. Francis who beat them in the state championship last year 96-81.
 
#2 St. Francis (23-7)
 
Gone are Malik Beasley (FSU) and Kaiser Gates (Xavier) from last year's powerful state championship team, but back is five-star Arizona-commit Kobi Simmons who ranks out as the state's best player. The McDonalds All-American has paced Coach Drew Catlett's offense scoring 26.5 points per game. He erupted for 44 in a 105-79 win over St. Anne-Pacelli in the Elite Eight. Simmons will likely need a heroic effort to best No. 1 Greenforest, but he has the firepower to do so. He dropped in a team-high 27 in the title game last year while John Ogwuche led all scorers with 28 for Greenforest. Simmons is the focal point of the offense but Anthony Showell and Chance Anderson are dangerous as well. Showell moved in from Duluth over the offseason and brought with him a 13.8 point per game average and 5.3 rebounds from his point guard position. Anderson has been the unsung hero for the No. 2 ranked Knights this year. The 6-foot-7 senior posts 12.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a skilled forward that can also block shots and find the open man. He will be tested inside by Greenforest's superior size and needs to hold his own. Since their loss to St. Johns (DC) at the Peachtree Corners Invitational back on Jan. 23, St. Francis has played their best basketball of the season. They have won 10-straight by an average margin of victory of 28.7 points. During that span the Knights crushed No. 10 Walker 81-64, No. 3 North Cobb Christian 88-64 in the Region 6 championship and No. 8 Whitefield Academy, who they split the regular season series with, 81-58 in the Final Four. St. Francis is searching for its third consecutive championship, the last team to win one other than the Knights? Greenforest in 2012-13 when they beat the Knights 55-41.
 
Class A-Public
 
Did You Know: Hancock Central is 4-2 in their last six meetings with Wilkinson County dating back to last season.
 
#5 Wilkinson County (25-6)
 
The seven-time state champs are ranked No. 1 in the state but drew the fifth-seed in the power ratings. The Warriors continue to draw talent to Irwinton. The biggest frontcourt in Class A-Public consists of 6-foot-9 Jonathan Baehre, 6-foot-7 Greg Couson, 6-foot-6 Tylan Grable and 6-foot-5 wing Clarence Jackson. Jackson is a sophomore that initiates the offense averaging over 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game. In their Elite Eight win over No. 10 Lincoln County 76-39, Dr. Aaron Geter saw his team use a tenacious defense and balanced approach offensively to shut down Ahmad Rand and Zach Crite. The Warriors blocked 20 shots and Crite was denied the ball, disrupting Coach Wesley Wuchte's offense. The Red Devils jumped out to a 9-4 lead but after that it was all Wilkinson. Aaron Geter III scored a game-high 12 points while Jackson (10), Baehre (9) and Grable (8) all chipped in. A stingy defense keyed by pressure up top and length inside has been a recipe for success. Wilkinson County played a tough schedule coming out of Region 7 and will see No. 4 Hancock Central for the third time this year after winning 68-55 to open the season and losing 70-62 in January. Aside from competition within their region, the Warriors have played AA No. 9 Swainsboro three times and AAAAA No. 7 Warner Robins during the regular season. In the postseason they thumped No. 9 Atkinson County in round one 71-39 and cruised by 1-seed and No. 3 ranked Treutlen 69-56 in the Final Four. Wilkinson County took a 35-27 lead into the half and outscored Treutlen 12-10 in the third quarter to increase the lead to double-digits before breezing to the finish line. The Warriors won back-to-back titles before Hancock Central stunned them last year in the Elite Eight 72-71 in double overtime.
 
#7 Hancock Central (24-6)
 
The Bulldogs take a seven-seed into the state championship but are ranked No. 4 in the state. Coach Anthony Webb's team has taken a tough route to Macon but has passed every test it has faced.  In the opening round of the state playoffs Hancock Central used a 22-10 third quarter advantage to gain separation and pull away from 10-seed Marion County 86-75, ending elusive scorer Lorenzo Smothers' career after a 26-point game on 10-of-26 shooting. In the Elite Eight it was No. 5 Taylor County's turn to get bit by the Bulldogs, 75-66. Hancock Central broke open a 41-41 tie and outscored No. 5 Taylor County 34-25 in the fourth quarter to advance to the Final Four. Alex Brooks was one of four Hancock players that finished in double-figures as he paced the Bulldogs with a team-high 22 points. Teammates Devojia Tucker netted 14 points, Martravious Smith finished with 13 and Phillipe Scott chipped in 12. It was a wild finish in the semifinals as the Bulldogs knocked off No. 2 Turner County 68-66. Hancock Central led 49-46 entering the final quarter. Scott was the hero for the Bulldogs hitting the game-winner with eight seconds left. Scott made 8-of-13 attempts from the foul line and netted 10 of Hancock Central's 19 points. Hancock Central took a 66-60 lead after a pair of Scott foul shots as just 44 seconds remained on the clock. Turner County's Deandre Pierce drilled a three-pointer to cut it to 66-63 and then Scott was fouled and missed both attempts to keep Turner County within a possession. Pierce hit a corner three on the next possession, tying it up 66-66 with 14 seconds left. Neither team had a timeout left so Scott took the inbounds and dribbled straight to the rim where he drew the foul and hit the game-winning basket. Scott missed the free-throw but Turner County could not convert with eight seconds left as a desperation shot came up short.










� Score Publishing, LLC 2011