In last night's Elite 8 games, Kell and Pebblebrook's boys teams took the court to try to keep their state championship dreams alive. Kell traveled to Sequoyah and Pebblebrook hosted Milton.
After a uncharacteristic 5-6 beginning to their season, the Kell Longhorns righted the ship and gained traction with a 7-2 record in January. The improvement continued in February, losing only to Region 6-6A top-seed Wheeler. The Longhorns entered the state tournament as the #2 seed in the region and faced Habersham Central in the first round.
The Longhorns' state play was exceptional. They beat Habersham at home by 15 points (81-66), and moved on to face Region 4 leader Tucker. In similar fashion, they ended Tucker's season with a 15-point victory (76-61) and advanced to the Elite 8, where they faced the Region 7 champ Sequoyah Chiefs.
The Chiefs were also improving as their season progressed. After losing twice to them in the regular season, Sequoyah beat River Ridge in their region tournament to secure the #1 seed. This gave them home court in the Elite 8, which they used to their advantage to eek out a one-point victory over the Longhorns, 71-70. Kell finished their season with an overall record of 19-11, and 12-4 in Region 6.
Meanwhile in Mableton, in a sold-out, maximum capacity game at Kay Jackson Gymnasium, the Pebblebrook Falcons hosted the Milton Eagles. The Falcons had already beaten the Eagles earlier in the season, but as last year's heartbreaking elimination loss in the Final Four can attest, the playoffs are a different story. Both teams are top-ranked teams in the state, as well as nationally. It was the sort of game and environment that only happens this time of year, and the Pebblebrook faithful were ready for it. The winner would advance to the Final Four and the loser would go home.
"We have been playing the tougher side of the bracket," said Falcon head coach George Washington. "We told the players it's all on them. As coaches, we have prepared them, but what happens on the court depends on them. We have made some bad coaching decisions along the way, but this group of guys have listened and done everything we asked them to do. I am very proud of them and confident they will continue to execute."
Execute they did. The first quarter was all Pebblebrook, as the offense put up 22 points and the defense was strong off the boards and inside. Jaiun Simon continued his rebound dominance and was given the monumental task of keeping Milton's 6'3" powerhouse LT Overton from becoming a factor. As the top football prospect in the state, LT is a 5-star defensive end and a major force inside the paint for the Eagles. While Simon had the height edge, keeping LT off the glass was a big-time assignment.
"We knew Jaiun had an advantage on LT offensively," Coach Washington continued, "and we have to exploit that. But he also needs to score for us. We are asking a lot of him tonight."
Jaiun obliged and used his athleticism and length to keep the Eagle offense from getting momentum in the first quarter. The Falcons controlled the score and the tempo at the first buzzer, 22-12.
The momentum swung Milton's way in the second quarter as the Eagles finished the first half on a 12-0 run to take the halftime lead, 33-28. None of this was a surprise to Coach Washington though. "Basketball is all about runs," he said. "Whoever makes the run at the end will win."
The Eagle momentum continued in the early third quarter, as Milton jumped out to a 15-point lead, 43-28. After scoring only a single point in the first half, Jaiun Simon began to score in the third quarter. As if he was waiting for Milton to exhaust their offense, he began to reveal his. A 14-point quarter for Simon brought the crowd to life and sparked a resurgence among his teammates. The Falcons went into the final quarter down by only three, 51-48, and they had the momentum once again.
Senior Kami Young scored the go-ahead basket midway through the fourth quarter, 54-53, but the real hero of the final minutes of the game was Nyle Hillmon. While he scored two clutch buckets in the first part of the quarter, it was his six points from the foul line that proved to be the deciding factor. Pebblebrook took the victory, 65-59, and the home crowd erupted in celebration.
"At halftime, I told them we needed to get stops," Coach Washington said after the game. "We came out in the second half and said 'we're going to Jaiun' and he responded. He played like a grown man tonight. This was Jaiun's game. I'm proud of these guys and I'm proud of their effort."
"Now we've got a tough Berkmar team," he said looking ahead. "We can't have quarters like we had in the second quarter tonight. We will have to put together stops and scores like we normally do."
Congratulations to Coach Washington and the Falcons! Great game and an exciting entrance into the 7A Final Four. As the lone boys team left in the state title hunt for Cobb Schools, all eyes will be on you. We're with you!
