In only their second year, the East Jackson Eagles are heading for state tournament play after taking third in region competition, knocking off Rabun County and Union County in the process.
Now the Eagles will prepare for Saturday, and a trip to Rome to face Coosa High School in the first round of state tournament play.
Coosa went 12-15 overall, and 5-6 in the region.
Evan Williamson (22) works to prevent a Riverside player from making a pass Friday night. Photo by Brandon Reed
Eagles start state tourney play Saturday
“Coosa got off to a rough start but has really been playing its best ball over the past month,” said coach Brian Turner. “I believe it is a good match up for both teams and a game that could go either way.
They are led by their size up front and rely heavily on scoring in the low post area. One change is that we should see plenty of man defense from them, which we have rarely seen all year.
“The kids are excited about the trip and the opportunity we have to represent our school and community. We hope that as many people as possible will come out to support us as well.”
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Rabun County
The first team the Eagles had to face on the road to the state tournament was the Wildcats of Rabun County. Earlier in the month, East Jackson had defeated Rabun by a five-point margin, 55-50.
The first half of the game went back and forth, as both teams seemed evenly matched. The Eagles held a slim 22-21 lead going into the half. In the third quarter, East Jackson’s defense put the pressure on the Wildcats, resulting in the Eagles outscoring Rabun 27-4 in the third to take a 49-25 lead. East Jackson held their advantage through the fourth quarter to win the quarterfinal round 63-43, and giving the Eagles their first trip to the state playoffs.
Kolby Gilbert led in scoring with 17 points, while Standrick Stephens had 12 and Terry Cox scored ten.
Riverside
Up next was the semi-final round and a pairing with the Eagles of Riverside Military Academy Friday night. The two had met previously in the season, with East Jackson taking a decisive victory.
But things didn’t go as well for East Jackson on this night. Riverside took control early, but East Jackson was able to stay within shouting distance in the first quarter, with Riverside leading 17-13. Riverside built up their lead in the second quarter, holding East Jackson to only two points as they carried a 27-15 lead into halftime.
The Eagles made a charge in the third quarter, cutting the lead to six. Late in the fourth quarter, East Jackson was able to move within two points, but could get no closer, as Riverside won 59-57.
Gilbert led East Jackson in scoring with 15 points, while Stephens scored 14.
“I do not know if we were happy just being in but we did not come out and play East Jackson basketball in the semi-final against Riverside,” Turner said. “The second team did a good job keeping us in the game with their defense but was unable to muster any offense against the size of Riverside.”
Riverside would go on to win the region championship.
Union County
After a disappointing outing in the semi-finals, the Eagles came back on Saturday looking to end their tournament on a high note, as they faced Union County in the tournament consolation round.
The Eagles came out playing hard against Panthers, and came away with a 57-45 victory, securing third place in the region tournament.
Gilbert set a new school record by scoring 30 points against Union County. Stephens followed with nine points.
For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Commerce News or The Jackson Herald.
They are led by their size up front and rely heavily on scoring in the low post area. One change is that we should see plenty of man defense from them, which we have rarely seen all year.
“The kids are excited about the trip and the opportunity we have to represent our school and community. We hope that as many people as possible will come out to support us as well.”
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Rabun County
The first team the Eagles had to face on the road to the state tournament was the Wildcats of Rabun County. Earlier in the month, East Jackson had defeated Rabun by a five-point margin, 55-50.
The first half of the game went back and forth, as both teams seemed evenly matched. The Eagles held a slim 22-21 lead going into the half. In the third quarter, East Jackson’s defense put the pressure on the Wildcats, resulting in the Eagles outscoring Rabun 27-4 in the third to take a 49-25 lead. East Jackson held their advantage through the fourth quarter to win the quarterfinal round 63-43, and giving the Eagles their first trip to the state playoffs.
Kolby Gilbert led in scoring with 17 points, while Standrick Stephens had 12 and Terry Cox scored ten.
Riverside
Up next was the semi-final round and a pairing with the Eagles of Riverside Military Academy Friday night. The two had met previously in the season, with East Jackson taking a decisive victory.
But things didn’t go as well for East Jackson on this night. Riverside took control early, but East Jackson was able to stay within shouting distance in the first quarter, with Riverside leading 17-13. Riverside built up their lead in the second quarter, holding East Jackson to only two points as they carried a 27-15 lead into halftime.
The Eagles made a charge in the third quarter, cutting the lead to six. Late in the fourth quarter, East Jackson was able to move within two points, but could get no closer, as Riverside won 59-57.
Gilbert led East Jackson in scoring with 15 points, while Stephens scored 14.
“I do not know if we were happy just being in but we did not come out and play East Jackson basketball in the semi-final against Riverside,” Turner said. “The second team did a good job keeping us in the game with their defense but was unable to muster any offense against the size of Riverside.”
Riverside would go on to win the region championship.
Union County
After a disappointing outing in the semi-finals, the Eagles came back on Saturday looking to end their tournament on a high note, as they faced Union County in the tournament consolation round.
The Eagles came out playing hard against Panthers, and came away with a 57-45 victory, securing third place in the region tournament.
Gilbert set a new school record by scoring 30 points against Union County. Stephens followed with nine points.
For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Commerce News or The Jackson Herald.
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