The East Jackson baseball team is off to a 3-1 start, but it’s the one loss that might speak the most volume about this squad.
The Eagles fell 1-0 Monday on the road to a 5-0 Class AAAAAA Apalachee team that won 15 games a year ago.
“They showed me a lot,” third-year coach Tedd Sims said. “They showed me that they were going to fight for 21 outs. We had some good, quality at-bats late in the game and we made some really good, solid plays defensively. Just the resilience and the focus that they had from the first pitch to the last pitch showed me a lot.”
East Jackson is scheduled to host Riverside Military today (Wednesday) at 6 p.m., followed by two games Saturday at Hebron Christian. The team will play Hebron Christian at 10:30 a.m. and Peachtree Ridge at 1 p.m. Sims was an assistant coach at Peachtree Ridge before taking over at East Jackson.
Forecasted rain may interrupt this week’s schedule. Either way, the Eagles plan to make good use of the time, whether it be playing actual games or putting in work indoors.
“The one thing I’ve tried to stress to them (the players) all a long is that we’ve got to play the cards that we’re dealt,” Sims said. “We’re going to make the most out of any situation that we can.”
In Monday’s loss, East Jackson starting pitcher Cole Sealey threw six innings, allowing three hits and only a second-inning run while striking out two.
“Cole is a warrior,” Sims said. “He’s going to battle. In my opinion, I don’t think he had his best stuff (Monday) night either. He just competed. He pitched with a lot of heart.”
Facing Apalachee’s No. 1 and 2 pitchers, Josh Compton went 2-for-3 for the Eagles, while Dylan Varner and Josiah Stancell had the team’s only other hits.
Facing Apalachee after three straight lopsided wins, Sims said he knew the Wildcats would offer a challenge similar to what his team will see throughout Region 8-AAA play.
“I feel like we got more out of (Monday) night’s 1-0 loss than we have in any of our first three wins,” Sims said.
East Jackson ran roughshod through its first three games, beating Johnson 10-1 last Wednesday and blasting Cedar Shoals 16-1 and 13-3 in a Saturday doubleheader at home.
Sims said he’s found himself in something of a non-region scheduling dilemma, trying to balance games in which his team has an opportunity for success and confidence versus games against upper echelon teams that might lead to tough losses and prove detrimental to confidence.
“That’s the tough part about being a coach is just finding that happy medium as to which route you go,” Sims said.
That said, Sims was pleased with the way his squad handled the first three contests.
“We did a lot of good things the first three games,” he said. “We took care of business the way we were supposed to take care of business. It definitely showed that we’ve grown in the past three years.”
In last Wednesday’s season opener against Johnson, Sealey threw a gem, fanning 10 batters over six innings while allowing just two hits and one earned run. Caleb Adair worked two shutout innings of relief, allowing no hits and striking out six.
Sealey had a big night at the plate, too, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI with three runs scored. Varner went 2-for-3, while Adair (1-for-3) drove home two runs.
Then on Saturday, the Eagles piled up 15 runs in the first two innings in Game 1 of the doubleheader against Cedar Shoals — including 11 in the first — in a game that lasted just four innings.
East Jackson was aided by eight Jaguar errors. Cedar Shoals surrendered seven unearned runs.
Josh Compton threw an abbreviated one-hitter with eight strikeouts, allowing one earned run.
Halton Hardy doubled twice, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs. Luke Lindsey went 2-for-3 with three RBIs as well, while Sealey went 2-for-2 with an RBI. Adair went 2-for-2 with a double.
Game 2 followed a similar plot line as East Jackson sprinted out to a 13-0 lead after three innings to help bring the game to an early end in the fifth inning.
The Eagles finished with 12 hits in the contest, led by Braxton Standridge, who went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, and Gavin Beck, who went 1-for-1 with a double and three RBIs. Others contributing were Adair (2-for-4, RBI), Compton (2-for-2) and Varner (2-for-2, double)
Varner threw three perfect innings, striking out two, to start the game, before giving way to the Eagle bullpen.
EJCHS Sports - Topics from February, 2019
Spring sports round-up: Soccer
SOCCER
Tuesday
•East Jackson (boys) 4, Banks Co. 1: Brice Sandiver scored two goals to lead the Eagles to a non-region win over Banks County. Jesus Perez and Renee Torres added the other two goals.
•East Jackson (girls) 6, Banks Co. 0: East Jackson blanked Banks County to get a non-region win.
Tuesday
•East Jackson (boys) 4, Banks Co. 1: Brice Sandiver scored two goals to lead the Eagles to a non-region win over Banks County. Jesus Perez and Renee Torres added the other two goals.
•East Jackson (girls) 6, Banks Co. 0: East Jackson blanked Banks County to get a non-region win.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL: East Jackson’s breakthrough season ends in first round of state tourney
ATLANTA — The East Jackson girls’ basketball team enjoyed a historic season but was unable to extend that history an additional round in the postseason.
Playing in the program’s first-ever state tournament game, the Eagles fell to No. 2 seed Pace Academy 42-37 Friday on the road, finishing the season at 11-18.
“I’m proud of what these girls have accomplished,” Eagle coach Donnie Byrom said. “I hope in life they realize how much they can accomplish facing adversity … We’ve been working really hard to teach them in life you never give up.”
After starting the season 4-11, the team recovered and earned its way into the state tournament as a No. 3 seed. The team entered the tournament as winners of four of its last five games and gave itself a chance for a first-round upset, holding the Knights in the low 40s offensively. A hot-shooting team from the outside, Pace Academy (17-7) wasn’t shut down from beyond the arc but was contained somewhat with just seven made 3-point attempts. Ann Rafeedie finished with 18 points to lead Pace Academy.
Freshman Haven Rollins accounted for over two thirds of East Jackson’s offense with a stellar night, scoring 27 points.
But the Eagles got off to a slow start they couldn’t afford, quickly falling down 11-0.
“It’s been a problem,” Byrom said. “We have to coach attitude and effort, and that’s an East Jackson situation where the kids at East Jackson for years have thought that they were going to lose. We battle ourselves before we realize that, ‘Oh, wait, we might can win this.’’’
But the team stayed afloat in the first half in large part behind 16 points from Rollins in the first two quarters.
“I’m very pleased with Haven’s effort,” Byrom said. “Offensively, she has the ability to put the ball in the basket. She has a talent in basketball. She’s a very talented young lady.”
The Eagles trailed 28-22 at the half and never by more than nine points in the second half, twice cutting the lead to four points.
East Jackson remained within striking distance due to Rollins’ offensive contributions and Brynna Cozzens’ dogged defensive effort on Pace Academy’s top player, Joelle Zelony. Zelony, who will play at Tufts University next year, scored just one point.
“Brynna Cozzens has just continued to do the best she could to deny someone the ball,” Byrom said. “The girl she was guarding was their best player, and we kind of took her out of the game.”
East Jackson cut the lead to 41-37 with 2:31 left with a 3-pointer from Rollins, but Pace Academy clinched the win by holding the ball in the final minutes. The Eagles were never able to generate a turnover and were forced to foul.
After the loss, Byrom praised the efforts of senior Abbie Howington running the offense at point guard “when no one else wanted to” and the strides made by sophomore guard Kenzie Whitehead late in the season, in addition to the defensive contributions of Cozzens in stopping other teams’ best players.
Byrom said his team was able to make memories with its late-season run, which included two region tournament wins.
“This team played in more meaningful games in the last three weeks than the East Jackson girls have in their history,” he said. “That’s memories to last a lifetime. That was one of our goals when we started the season was, ‘Ladies, I want to help you make memories.’ I know this is a season that they’ll never forget.”
A state tournament banner will hang on the wall of the East Jackson gym as evidence of that for future teams. Byrom — who also led the school to a breakthrough with a softball state title in 2016 — hopes the success of this year’s team serves as motivation for the teams that follow.
“Somebody has to be first so that somebody can follow in those footsteps,” Byrom said. “The problem we have at East Jackson is we don’t have enough banners saying ‘state playoffs’ … The goal is to take your team to new heights and we’ve tried that in softball and were successful and now in girls’ basketball we’ve found a way to get to new heights and to experience a state playoff game.”
Playing in the program’s first-ever state tournament game, the Eagles fell to No. 2 seed Pace Academy 42-37 Friday on the road, finishing the season at 11-18.
“I’m proud of what these girls have accomplished,” Eagle coach Donnie Byrom said. “I hope in life they realize how much they can accomplish facing adversity … We’ve been working really hard to teach them in life you never give up.”
After starting the season 4-11, the team recovered and earned its way into the state tournament as a No. 3 seed. The team entered the tournament as winners of four of its last five games and gave itself a chance for a first-round upset, holding the Knights in the low 40s offensively. A hot-shooting team from the outside, Pace Academy (17-7) wasn’t shut down from beyond the arc but was contained somewhat with just seven made 3-point attempts. Ann Rafeedie finished with 18 points to lead Pace Academy.
Freshman Haven Rollins accounted for over two thirds of East Jackson’s offense with a stellar night, scoring 27 points.
But the Eagles got off to a slow start they couldn’t afford, quickly falling down 11-0.
“It’s been a problem,” Byrom said. “We have to coach attitude and effort, and that’s an East Jackson situation where the kids at East Jackson for years have thought that they were going to lose. We battle ourselves before we realize that, ‘Oh, wait, we might can win this.’’’
But the team stayed afloat in the first half in large part behind 16 points from Rollins in the first two quarters.
“I’m very pleased with Haven’s effort,” Byrom said. “Offensively, she has the ability to put the ball in the basket. She has a talent in basketball. She’s a very talented young lady.”
The Eagles trailed 28-22 at the half and never by more than nine points in the second half, twice cutting the lead to four points.
East Jackson remained within striking distance due to Rollins’ offensive contributions and Brynna Cozzens’ dogged defensive effort on Pace Academy’s top player, Joelle Zelony. Zelony, who will play at Tufts University next year, scored just one point.
“Brynna Cozzens has just continued to do the best she could to deny someone the ball,” Byrom said. “The girl she was guarding was their best player, and we kind of took her out of the game.”
East Jackson cut the lead to 41-37 with 2:31 left with a 3-pointer from Rollins, but Pace Academy clinched the win by holding the ball in the final minutes. The Eagles were never able to generate a turnover and were forced to foul.
After the loss, Byrom praised the efforts of senior Abbie Howington running the offense at point guard “when no one else wanted to” and the strides made by sophomore guard Kenzie Whitehead late in the season, in addition to the defensive contributions of Cozzens in stopping other teams’ best players.
Byrom said his team was able to make memories with its late-season run, which included two region tournament wins.
“This team played in more meaningful games in the last three weeks than the East Jackson girls have in their history,” he said. “That’s memories to last a lifetime. That was one of our goals when we started the season was, ‘Ladies, I want to help you make memories.’ I know this is a season that they’ll never forget.”
A state tournament banner will hang on the wall of the East Jackson gym as evidence of that for future teams. Byrom — who also led the school to a breakthrough with a softball state title in 2016 — hopes the success of this year’s team serves as motivation for the teams that follow.
“Somebody has to be first so that somebody can follow in those footsteps,” Byrom said. “The problem we have at East Jackson is we don’t have enough banners saying ‘state playoffs’ … The goal is to take your team to new heights and we’ve tried that in softball and were successful and now in girls’ basketball we’ve found a way to get to new heights and to experience a state playoff game.”
BASEBALL: East Jackson building momentum after tripling win total last year
While East Jackson coach Tedd Sims told his team it’s hard to be cocky after going 12-18 last year, there are plenty of reasons to be confident.
The Eagles surrendered 86 fewer runs in 2018 compared to 2017 and scored 75 more. What’s more, the 12 victories tripled the team’s win total over 2017 and set a school record.
“The first day I got here, I talked about trusting the process,” Sims said. “Year one was pretty tough for me, but I believe in the guys and I believe in our coaching staff, and I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
This year’s Eagles, who open the season today at home against Johnson, will look to build on those marks in year three of Sims’ tenure on the eastside.
Sims has added an assistant coach, Scott Myers, to his staff to go with assistant coach Caleb Hardy, who has worked alongside Sims since he arrived at East Jackson.
While this year’s team has no senior class, it does return a strong core of eight juniors (Cole Sealey, Halton Hardy, Caleb Adair, Josiah Stansell, Josh Compton, Jarrett Pursley, Jake Varner and Sawyer Irwin). Those eight juniors have played exclusively under Sims at East Jackson, which is no small footnote for a program that had four coaches in a five-year stretch (2013-2017). Sims said this class has bought into the coaching staff’s standard for the program. It’s also taken on a leadership role in the absence of seniors.
“The eight juniors have definitely taken on these younger kids and sort of mentored them, and that’s what you really want … I’m very proud of the way they’re leading by example with these younger backs,” Sims said.
Many of the players that headlined last year’s team are back.
The team’s top two pitchers — Sealey and Hardy — return after solid sophomore campaigns. Sealey went 3-5 with a 2.86 ERA, while Hardy was 2-4 with a 3.79 ERA. Adair and Compton have quality arms, according to Sims, and will be counted on this spring.
“In our region, we’re going to have to have some depth, and I’m very confident in the arms that we’re going to put on the bump,” Sims said.
The offensive lineup welcomes back two players who hit over .300 last year — Cole Sealey (.364) and Jake Varner (.319).
“I feel like we’ll be better offensively than we were last year just because it’s a confidence thing,” said Sims, whose team has benefitted from the addition of an indoor hitting facility.
The Eagles return experience in a number of spots defensively with Hardy (shortstop), Sealey (centerfield), Adair (utility), Compton (outfield) and Varner (catcher and outfield).
“Honestly, we’ve got some pieces to the puzzle that we can interchange this year, which is a good thing,” Sims said.
The coach added that Pursley and younger players like Gavin Beck, Dylan Varner, Luke Lindsey, Noah Watts and Brayden Redding will also compete for positions.
The Eagles find themselves in a tough region 8-AAA that got even tougher with the addition of Class AAAA state champion Jefferson, which dropped down to 8-AAA. Last year’s 8-AAA champion, Morgan County, reached the Class AAA Final Four last year. Runner-up Franklin County reached the Sweet 16.
“It’s a grind, and playing a three-game series against every team, your goal is to go out and take two out of three every series,” Sims said. “We’re going to have to play quality ball, pitch good, play defense and have timely hits. There’s not a region team in our region where you can just show up and win the game.”
That said, East Jackson’s goal is to reach the state tournament.
“When I got here, year one, I sort of looked at a four-year vision and like I said, with eight juniors this year, I really thought year three could be the year we could compete and I’m looking forward to a great year this year,” Sims said.
Entering his third season, Sims believes he’s finally instilling the culture he envisioned when he first took the East Jackson job.
“It’s something that I thought I could come in here and just snap my fingers and get it to go my direction, and it just wasn’t that easy,” Sims said. “But with these eight juniors who’ve only been underneath me and coach (Caleb) Hardy and now coach (Scott) Myers. I feel like the culture has definitely taken the right turn in the right direction.”
The Eagles surrendered 86 fewer runs in 2018 compared to 2017 and scored 75 more. What’s more, the 12 victories tripled the team’s win total over 2017 and set a school record.
“The first day I got here, I talked about trusting the process,” Sims said. “Year one was pretty tough for me, but I believe in the guys and I believe in our coaching staff, and I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
This year’s Eagles, who open the season today at home against Johnson, will look to build on those marks in year three of Sims’ tenure on the eastside.
Sims has added an assistant coach, Scott Myers, to his staff to go with assistant coach Caleb Hardy, who has worked alongside Sims since he arrived at East Jackson.
While this year’s team has no senior class, it does return a strong core of eight juniors (Cole Sealey, Halton Hardy, Caleb Adair, Josiah Stansell, Josh Compton, Jarrett Pursley, Jake Varner and Sawyer Irwin). Those eight juniors have played exclusively under Sims at East Jackson, which is no small footnote for a program that had four coaches in a five-year stretch (2013-2017). Sims said this class has bought into the coaching staff’s standard for the program. It’s also taken on a leadership role in the absence of seniors.
“The eight juniors have definitely taken on these younger kids and sort of mentored them, and that’s what you really want … I’m very proud of the way they’re leading by example with these younger backs,” Sims said.
Many of the players that headlined last year’s team are back.
The team’s top two pitchers — Sealey and Hardy — return after solid sophomore campaigns. Sealey went 3-5 with a 2.86 ERA, while Hardy was 2-4 with a 3.79 ERA. Adair and Compton have quality arms, according to Sims, and will be counted on this spring.
“In our region, we’re going to have to have some depth, and I’m very confident in the arms that we’re going to put on the bump,” Sims said.
The offensive lineup welcomes back two players who hit over .300 last year — Cole Sealey (.364) and Jake Varner (.319).
“I feel like we’ll be better offensively than we were last year just because it’s a confidence thing,” said Sims, whose team has benefitted from the addition of an indoor hitting facility.
The Eagles return experience in a number of spots defensively with Hardy (shortstop), Sealey (centerfield), Adair (utility), Compton (outfield) and Varner (catcher and outfield).
“Honestly, we’ve got some pieces to the puzzle that we can interchange this year, which is a good thing,” Sims said.
The coach added that Pursley and younger players like Gavin Beck, Dylan Varner, Luke Lindsey, Noah Watts and Brayden Redding will also compete for positions.
The Eagles find themselves in a tough region 8-AAA that got even tougher with the addition of Class AAAA state champion Jefferson, which dropped down to 8-AAA. Last year’s 8-AAA champion, Morgan County, reached the Class AAA Final Four last year. Runner-up Franklin County reached the Sweet 16.
“It’s a grind, and playing a three-game series against every team, your goal is to go out and take two out of three every series,” Sims said. “We’re going to have to play quality ball, pitch good, play defense and have timely hits. There’s not a region team in our region where you can just show up and win the game.”
That said, East Jackson’s goal is to reach the state tournament.
“When I got here, year one, I sort of looked at a four-year vision and like I said, with eight juniors this year, I really thought year three could be the year we could compete and I’m looking forward to a great year this year,” Sims said.
Entering his third season, Sims believes he’s finally instilling the culture he envisioned when he first took the East Jackson job.
“It’s something that I thought I could come in here and just snap my fingers and get it to go my direction, and it just wasn’t that easy,” Sims said. “But with these eight juniors who’ve only been underneath me and coach (Caleb) Hardy and now coach (Scott) Myers. I feel like the culture has definitely taken the right turn in the right direction.”
BOYS' BASKETBALL: EJCHS coach calls loss ‘perhaps toughest ever’
The East Jackson boys’ basketball season ended last Monday with a 71-55 loss to rival Jackson County in the region tournament, and coach David Akin didn’t sugarcoat the defeat.
“This loss is a tough one, perhaps one of the toughest ever in my career considering the circumstances,” Akin said.
The circumstances included the team’s two best players not being 100 percent. Tay Howard was recovering from the flu and Makayl Rakestraw played with a severely sprained wrist. Howard finished with 10 points, and Rakestraw had just five.
“As much as I wish we could have been at full strength, I certainly do not want to take anything away from Jackson County,” Akin said. “Tay Howard certainly dedicated himself to this program and to have to play in the condition he did, truly says a lot about his character and drive to win. He could barely stand up after the game. I just hate it for him and our seniors that this is how it ends.”
Jackson County also employed box-and-one and triangle-and-two defenses to slow the duo.
“We had a good feeling they were going to a box-and-one and triangle-and-two,” Akin said. “We worked on how to handle it and had a good game plan for it. We just didn’t execute it very well. Instead, we let the crowd dictate what we did instead of listening to the coaches and sticking to what was working. Unfortunately, sometimes that happens with young players.”
Akin said he hopes the loss will motivate his returning players.
“I am afraid some of our younger players thought this season was going to be easy based off last year’s success,” he said. “Perhaps now they will be more willing to work hard in the off season. Looking forward, we return seven players who now have plenty of game experience to be successful.”
•NOTE: Howard was named to the all-region team for 8-AAA.
“This loss is a tough one, perhaps one of the toughest ever in my career considering the circumstances,” Akin said.
The circumstances included the team’s two best players not being 100 percent. Tay Howard was recovering from the flu and Makayl Rakestraw played with a severely sprained wrist. Howard finished with 10 points, and Rakestraw had just five.
“As much as I wish we could have been at full strength, I certainly do not want to take anything away from Jackson County,” Akin said. “Tay Howard certainly dedicated himself to this program and to have to play in the condition he did, truly says a lot about his character and drive to win. He could barely stand up after the game. I just hate it for him and our seniors that this is how it ends.”
Jackson County also employed box-and-one and triangle-and-two defenses to slow the duo.
“We had a good feeling they were going to a box-and-one and triangle-and-two,” Akin said. “We worked on how to handle it and had a good game plan for it. We just didn’t execute it very well. Instead, we let the crowd dictate what we did instead of listening to the coaches and sticking to what was working. Unfortunately, sometimes that happens with young players.”
Akin said he hopes the loss will motivate his returning players.
“I am afraid some of our younger players thought this season was going to be easy based off last year’s success,” he said. “Perhaps now they will be more willing to work hard in the off season. Looking forward, we return seven players who now have plenty of game experience to be successful.”
•NOTE: Howard was named to the all-region team for 8-AAA.
Spring sports round-up: Soccer
SOCCER
Tuesday
•APALACHEE 5, EAST JACKSON (BOYS) 2: Brice Vandiver and Matthew Balaban scored the lone goals for East Jackson.
•APALACHEE 10, EAST JACKSON (GIRLS) 0: The Eagles were shutout.
Friday
•LUMPKIN COUNTY 2, EAST JACKSON 1 (BOYS): Owen Gates scored the lone goal in regulation. The Eagles lost the shootout 4-3, giving Lumpkin County a 2-1 win.
•LUMPKIN COUNTY 8, EAST JACKSON (GIRLS) 0: The Eagles were shutout.
Monday
•EAST JACKSON (BOYS) 5, ELBERT COUNTY 1: The Eagles scored five goals for their first win of the season.
•EAST JACKSON (GIRLS) 8, ELBERT COUNTY 0: Emily Crow scored three of the team’s eight goals. Caylin Bousquet added two goals. Emily Worley, Ellenah Hang and Kissel Garcia scored one goal apiece.
Tuesday
•APALACHEE 5, EAST JACKSON (BOYS) 2: Brice Vandiver and Matthew Balaban scored the lone goals for East Jackson.
•APALACHEE 10, EAST JACKSON (GIRLS) 0: The Eagles were shutout.
Friday
•LUMPKIN COUNTY 2, EAST JACKSON 1 (BOYS): Owen Gates scored the lone goal in regulation. The Eagles lost the shootout 4-3, giving Lumpkin County a 2-1 win.
•LUMPKIN COUNTY 8, EAST JACKSON (GIRLS) 0: The Eagles were shutout.
Monday
•EAST JACKSON (BOYS) 5, ELBERT COUNTY 1: The Eagles scored five goals for their first win of the season.
•EAST JACKSON (GIRLS) 8, ELBERT COUNTY 0: Emily Crow scored three of the team’s eight goals. Caylin Bousquet added two goals. Emily Worley, Ellenah Hang and Kissel Garcia scored one goal apiece.
GIRLS' BASKETBALL: East Jackson headed to its first state tournament as a No. 3 seed
East Jackson shook off a semifinal loss to Jefferson and locked down a No. 3 seed in the state tournament with a 58-41 win over Monroe Area Saturday in the Region 8-AAA consolation finals.
The Eagles will make the program’s first-ever state-tournament appearance with a first-round game at Region 5-AAA No. 2 seed Pace Academy either Friday or Saturday. The date and time are still being decided.
With the victory, East Jackson (11-17) tied the record for school wins in a season in its first year under coach Donnie Byrom. The team has also broke the record for region victories. The Eagles won four region games during the regular season and won two more in the 8-AAA tournament.
Maurissa Thomas poured in 23 points with 14 rebounds in the victory over Monroe Area, while Kenzie Whitehead added 18 points. Haven Rollins finished with 12 points. Abbie Howington produced a solid floor game with four points, five assists and four rebounds.
“Maurissa had a nice double-double tonight … We actually played well other than a few times we got careless with the ball,” Byrom said. “What a great finish by this team to get into the state playoffs and finish third in what arguably could be the toughest girls’ basketball region in the state.”
Rollins, who is averaging 14.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, was voted to the all-region team for 8-AAA.
Howington (7.4 points, 6.1 rebounds), Thomas (10.4 points, 7.0 rebounds) and Whitehead (9.7 points) all received honorable mention recognition.
The Eagles will make the program’s first-ever state-tournament appearance with a first-round game at Region 5-AAA No. 2 seed Pace Academy either Friday or Saturday. The date and time are still being decided.
With the victory, East Jackson (11-17) tied the record for school wins in a season in its first year under coach Donnie Byrom. The team has also broke the record for region victories. The Eagles won four region games during the regular season and won two more in the 8-AAA tournament.
Maurissa Thomas poured in 23 points with 14 rebounds in the victory over Monroe Area, while Kenzie Whitehead added 18 points. Haven Rollins finished with 12 points. Abbie Howington produced a solid floor game with four points, five assists and four rebounds.
“Maurissa had a nice double-double tonight … We actually played well other than a few times we got careless with the ball,” Byrom said. “What a great finish by this team to get into the state playoffs and finish third in what arguably could be the toughest girls’ basketball region in the state.”
Rollins, who is averaging 14.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, was voted to the all-region team for 8-AAA.
Howington (7.4 points, 6.1 rebounds), Thomas (10.4 points, 7.0 rebounds) and Whitehead (9.7 points) all received honorable mention recognition.
History delivered:East Jackson girls’ basketball team headed to state tournament for the first time
From the walls of the East Jackson gym hang plenty of banners that honor past Eagle athletic teams — just none for girls’ basketball.
That will change.
With a 64-42 win over Franklin County last Tuesday in the region tournament, the East Jackson girls’ basketball team qualified for the state tournament for the first time in school history en route to securing the No. 3 seed for the postseason.
“Someone always had to be the team,” Eagle coach Donnie Byrom said of securing the spot at state. “I’m glad it’s these girls.”
The Eagles will play Region 5-AAA No. 2 seed Pace Academy Friday at 5:30 p.m.
In the region tournament, the team fell to Jefferson 61-51 in the semifinals round Thursday but bounced back with a convincing win over Monroe Area in the consolation finals Saturday to earn the No. 3 seed out of the region.
“What a great finish by this team to get into the state playoffs and finish third in what arguably could be the toughest girls’ basketball region in the state,” Byrom said.
East Jackson has overcome its share of trials to reach this moment. Byrom noted the vast improvement this team has made since December and the journey this team has taken to shape itself into a state-tournament squad. East Jackson started 0-6, was a mere 4-11 just before the start of the New Year and weathered a litany of injuries which left the team abnormally short on depth.
“It’s evident how much these girls have grown,” Byrom said. “They have been open to coaching in the second half (of the season) that they pushed back on in the beginning. We have, because of absences and injuries, had to reinvent ourselves three times. We really have adjusted our practices and they have shown a lot of interest in increasing their basketball IQ. That has been huge in our development. ‘Play hard, play smart, play together’ is an old saying but they have grown into a team that does these things.”
Byrom also made a note of the contributions of former coach Matt Gibbs, who left after last season to take a boys’ assistant coaching position at Hart County. He said Gibbs deserves credit for the foundation he built with the program.
“He has coached players, like Abbie (Howington), since fifth grade,” Byrom said. “We use a lot of things he taught me. As a coach, I have always strived to learn and improve and that has helped this team finish strong, becoming the team to put a state banner on the wall.”
•EAST JACKSON 64, FRANKLIN CO. 42 (FIRST ROUND): Haven Rollins poured in 26 points with five rebounds to pace East Jackson offensively in last Tuesday’s state-qualifying win. Kenzie Whitehead finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Maurissa Thomas added nine points and nine boards, while Abbie Howington had seven points, five assists and three steals.
Brynna Cozzens, who had two points and three assists, shined defensively, holding the Lions’ top guard to one basket.
East Jackson set the tone early, sprinting out to a 17-2 lead after a quarter which led to a 29-13 halftime lead over a Lion team that beat the Eagles by 21 points in their previous meeting.
“The key to victory was the hot start and Abbie’s floor game handling the press and pushing it ahead to Kenzie and Haven, who were finishing,” Byrom said.
He also praised the effort on defense and on the glass.
“A big key always to winning is defense and rebounding and the girls took that seriously, holding Franklin County to two points in the first quarter,” Byrom said.
•JEFFERSON 61, EAST JACKSON 51 (REGION SEMIFINALS): The Eagles trailed by as many as 17 points in the contest and by 15 points in the fourth quarter but cut the deficit to just five points with two minutes left in the game. Jefferson, however, sealed the win at the free-throw line.
Kenzie Whitehead led East Jackson with 18 points.
Jefferson ran out to fast starts in both halves but East Jackson never went away.
The Dragons scored the first eight points of the game but East Jackson bounced back with a 9-4 run and managed to keep the halftime deficit in single digits — 25-17 — despite carrying a significant foul load. Four Eagle players had three fouls by halftime.
The Dragons, however, went on a 15-6 spurt over the first four minutes of the third quarter to build a 40-23 lead.
Jefferson later led 48-33 early in the fourth quarter after a bucket from Natalia Bolden. But East Jackson stormed back behind Whitehead. The sophomore hit two 3-pointers and converted a traditional 3-point play as part of a 13-4 run that reduced the lead to 52-46 with 3:08 left. Rollins later buried a 3-pointer with 2:01 left to pull East Jackson within five points, 54-49.
But, with under two minutes to play, Howington was called for a charge after completing a layup that would have cut the lead to 55-51.
“When those things go against you, it’s just tough to overcome that,” Byrom said of the call.
Jefferson, leading 55-49, worked the clock down to 52 seconds, forcing East Jackson to foul and send the Dragons to three-throw line where Bolden put the game away, going 6-for-6 in the final minute.
•EAST JACKSON 58, MONROE AREA 41 (CONSOLATION FINALS): East Jackson shook off its semifinal loss to Jefferson and locked down a No. 3 seed in the state tournament with a 58-41 win over Monroe Area Saturday in the Region 8-AAA consolation finals.
Thomas poured in 23 points with 14 rebounds in the victory over Monroe Area, while Whitehead added 18 points. Rollins finished with 12 points. Howington produced a solid floor game with four points, five assists and four rebounds.
“Maurissa had a nice double-double tonight … We actually played well other than a few times we got careless with the ball,” Byrom said.
With the victory, East Jackson tied the record for school wins in a season (11) in its first year under Byrom. The team has also broke the record for region victories. The Eagles won four region games during the regular season and won two more in the 8-AAA tournament.
•ALL-REGION: Haven Rollins, who is averaging 14.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, was voted to the all-region team for 8-AAA. Howington (7.4 points, 6.1 rebounds), Thomas (10.4 points, 7.0 rebounds) and Whitehead (9.7 points) all received honorable mention recognition.
That will change.
With a 64-42 win over Franklin County last Tuesday in the region tournament, the East Jackson girls’ basketball team qualified for the state tournament for the first time in school history en route to securing the No. 3 seed for the postseason.
“Someone always had to be the team,” Eagle coach Donnie Byrom said of securing the spot at state. “I’m glad it’s these girls.”
The Eagles will play Region 5-AAA No. 2 seed Pace Academy Friday at 5:30 p.m.
In the region tournament, the team fell to Jefferson 61-51 in the semifinals round Thursday but bounced back with a convincing win over Monroe Area in the consolation finals Saturday to earn the No. 3 seed out of the region.
“What a great finish by this team to get into the state playoffs and finish third in what arguably could be the toughest girls’ basketball region in the state,” Byrom said.
East Jackson has overcome its share of trials to reach this moment. Byrom noted the vast improvement this team has made since December and the journey this team has taken to shape itself into a state-tournament squad. East Jackson started 0-6, was a mere 4-11 just before the start of the New Year and weathered a litany of injuries which left the team abnormally short on depth.
“It’s evident how much these girls have grown,” Byrom said. “They have been open to coaching in the second half (of the season) that they pushed back on in the beginning. We have, because of absences and injuries, had to reinvent ourselves three times. We really have adjusted our practices and they have shown a lot of interest in increasing their basketball IQ. That has been huge in our development. ‘Play hard, play smart, play together’ is an old saying but they have grown into a team that does these things.”
Byrom also made a note of the contributions of former coach Matt Gibbs, who left after last season to take a boys’ assistant coaching position at Hart County. He said Gibbs deserves credit for the foundation he built with the program.
“He has coached players, like Abbie (Howington), since fifth grade,” Byrom said. “We use a lot of things he taught me. As a coach, I have always strived to learn and improve and that has helped this team finish strong, becoming the team to put a state banner on the wall.”
•EAST JACKSON 64, FRANKLIN CO. 42 (FIRST ROUND): Haven Rollins poured in 26 points with five rebounds to pace East Jackson offensively in last Tuesday’s state-qualifying win. Kenzie Whitehead finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Maurissa Thomas added nine points and nine boards, while Abbie Howington had seven points, five assists and three steals.
Brynna Cozzens, who had two points and three assists, shined defensively, holding the Lions’ top guard to one basket.
East Jackson set the tone early, sprinting out to a 17-2 lead after a quarter which led to a 29-13 halftime lead over a Lion team that beat the Eagles by 21 points in their previous meeting.
“The key to victory was the hot start and Abbie’s floor game handling the press and pushing it ahead to Kenzie and Haven, who were finishing,” Byrom said.
He also praised the effort on defense and on the glass.
“A big key always to winning is defense and rebounding and the girls took that seriously, holding Franklin County to two points in the first quarter,” Byrom said.
•JEFFERSON 61, EAST JACKSON 51 (REGION SEMIFINALS): The Eagles trailed by as many as 17 points in the contest and by 15 points in the fourth quarter but cut the deficit to just five points with two minutes left in the game. Jefferson, however, sealed the win at the free-throw line.
Kenzie Whitehead led East Jackson with 18 points.
Jefferson ran out to fast starts in both halves but East Jackson never went away.
The Dragons scored the first eight points of the game but East Jackson bounced back with a 9-4 run and managed to keep the halftime deficit in single digits — 25-17 — despite carrying a significant foul load. Four Eagle players had three fouls by halftime.
The Dragons, however, went on a 15-6 spurt over the first four minutes of the third quarter to build a 40-23 lead.
Jefferson later led 48-33 early in the fourth quarter after a bucket from Natalia Bolden. But East Jackson stormed back behind Whitehead. The sophomore hit two 3-pointers and converted a traditional 3-point play as part of a 13-4 run that reduced the lead to 52-46 with 3:08 left. Rollins later buried a 3-pointer with 2:01 left to pull East Jackson within five points, 54-49.
But, with under two minutes to play, Howington was called for a charge after completing a layup that would have cut the lead to 55-51.
“When those things go against you, it’s just tough to overcome that,” Byrom said of the call.
Jefferson, leading 55-49, worked the clock down to 52 seconds, forcing East Jackson to foul and send the Dragons to three-throw line where Bolden put the game away, going 6-for-6 in the final minute.
•EAST JACKSON 58, MONROE AREA 41 (CONSOLATION FINALS): East Jackson shook off its semifinal loss to Jefferson and locked down a No. 3 seed in the state tournament with a 58-41 win over Monroe Area Saturday in the Region 8-AAA consolation finals.
Thomas poured in 23 points with 14 rebounds in the victory over Monroe Area, while Whitehead added 18 points. Rollins finished with 12 points. Howington produced a solid floor game with four points, five assists and four rebounds.
“Maurissa had a nice double-double tonight … We actually played well other than a few times we got careless with the ball,” Byrom said.
With the victory, East Jackson tied the record for school wins in a season (11) in its first year under Byrom. The team has also broke the record for region victories. The Eagles won four region games during the regular season and won two more in the 8-AAA tournament.
•ALL-REGION: Haven Rollins, who is averaging 14.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, was voted to the all-region team for 8-AAA. Howington (7.4 points, 6.1 rebounds), Thomas (10.4 points, 7.0 rebounds) and Whitehead (9.7 points) all received honorable mention recognition.
GIRLS' BASKETBALL: East Jackson girls pull out road win, one win away from state tourney berth
Placed in a scenario in which the program has fallen short in the past, the East Jackson showed this team was different.
The East Jackson girls pulled out a 53-49 victory on the road at Monroe Area Friday in a winner-take-all game for the No. 5 seed in the Region 8-AAA tournament.
“Of course, this was a great win for the program,” East Jackson coach Donnie Byrom said. “In the past when faced with a must-win game, the East girls have not risen to the challenge, and we faced plenty of difficulties tonight, but they kept battling and found a way to pull ahead at the end.”
By earning that seeding, the Eagles (9-16, 4-8) avoid the No. 6 versus No. 7 seed play-in game Monday. East Jackson now has to win just one game in the region tournament to qualify for the state tournament for the first time in program history. The Eagles will play No. 4 seed Franklin County (15-10, 6-6) Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Hart County. The two teams split the regular season series.
In the win over Monroe Area, Haven Rollins and Maurissa Thomas scored 18 points each. Thomas went 8-for-11 from the floor and also grabbed seven rebounds.
“Maurissa had a very efficient game and worked hard in the post,” he said.
Abbie Howington, who had five assists on the night, played a role in Thomas’s production.
“Abbie got in deep foul trouble early with three (fouls) in the first quarter, but her court vision late making some key passes on inbounds plays and getting Maurissa touches in the post was a huge key,” Byrom said.
Rollins managed to score 18 points despite not having a sharp night, shooting just 33.3 percent from the floor.
“Haven did what scorers do,” Byrom said. “Her shot was not falling. It was close but it kept finding a way to bounce out. But we told her ‘you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take, so keep shooting.’”East Jackson shot just 38.7 percent from the free-throw line, which helped keep Monroe Area in the game.
“In reality, we really out-played our opponent, but with poor free throw shooting and foul difficulties combined with the energy and effort Monroe brought to the glass, it was a difficult game that wasn't secured until the last seconds,” Byrom said.
But now, because of the victory, East Jackson is one win away from program history when it faces Franklin County Tuesday night.
“Our goal is to put the first banner on the wall for girls’ basketball at East Jackson,” Byrom said. “They are more skilled, deeper, and a well-coached team, so it will be a tough challenge especially with us down to seven girls but we will be prepared and we will represent East with all we have got left in the tank.”
The East Jackson girls pulled out a 53-49 victory on the road at Monroe Area Friday in a winner-take-all game for the No. 5 seed in the Region 8-AAA tournament.
“Of course, this was a great win for the program,” East Jackson coach Donnie Byrom said. “In the past when faced with a must-win game, the East girls have not risen to the challenge, and we faced plenty of difficulties tonight, but they kept battling and found a way to pull ahead at the end.”
By earning that seeding, the Eagles (9-16, 4-8) avoid the No. 6 versus No. 7 seed play-in game Monday. East Jackson now has to win just one game in the region tournament to qualify for the state tournament for the first time in program history. The Eagles will play No. 4 seed Franklin County (15-10, 6-6) Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Hart County. The two teams split the regular season series.
In the win over Monroe Area, Haven Rollins and Maurissa Thomas scored 18 points each. Thomas went 8-for-11 from the floor and also grabbed seven rebounds.
“Maurissa had a very efficient game and worked hard in the post,” he said.
Abbie Howington, who had five assists on the night, played a role in Thomas’s production.
“Abbie got in deep foul trouble early with three (fouls) in the first quarter, but her court vision late making some key passes on inbounds plays and getting Maurissa touches in the post was a huge key,” Byrom said.
Rollins managed to score 18 points despite not having a sharp night, shooting just 33.3 percent from the floor.
“Haven did what scorers do,” Byrom said. “Her shot was not falling. It was close but it kept finding a way to bounce out. But we told her ‘you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take, so keep shooting.’”East Jackson shot just 38.7 percent from the free-throw line, which helped keep Monroe Area in the game.
“In reality, we really out-played our opponent, but with poor free throw shooting and foul difficulties combined with the energy and effort Monroe brought to the glass, it was a difficult game that wasn't secured until the last seconds,” Byrom said.
But now, because of the victory, East Jackson is one win away from program history when it faces Franklin County Tuesday night.
“Our goal is to put the first banner on the wall for girls’ basketball at East Jackson,” Byrom said. “They are more skilled, deeper, and a well-coached team, so it will be a tough challenge especially with us down to seven girls but we will be prepared and we will represent East with all we have got left in the tank.”
BOYS' BASKETBALL: Shorthanded Eagles drop regular-season finale
Winning on the road at Monroe Area was going to be a tough enough chore for East Jackson.
But the Eagles were also missing their top two scorers Friday night.
Minus Tay Howard and Makayl Rakestraw, East Jackson (10-15, 3-9) wasn’t able to overcome either obstacle in a 60-37 loss to the Purple Hurricanes.
Jay Watson, Jimmie Jackson and Shawn Cunning scored nine points each to lead the Eagles, which finished the regular season with a No. 6 seed for the region tournament.
"I was proud of our hustle and effort tonight,” East Jackson coach David Akin said. “We played without Makayl Rakestraw and Tay Howard and thus it was a very difficult task.”
Howard was out sick, while Rakestraw has a severely sprained wrist. Akin is unsure if Rakestraw will return should East Jackson advance in the post season but hopes Howard can play Monday in the Region 8-AAA play-in game against Jackson County.
But the Eagles were also missing their top two scorers Friday night.
Minus Tay Howard and Makayl Rakestraw, East Jackson (10-15, 3-9) wasn’t able to overcome either obstacle in a 60-37 loss to the Purple Hurricanes.
Jay Watson, Jimmie Jackson and Shawn Cunning scored nine points each to lead the Eagles, which finished the regular season with a No. 6 seed for the region tournament.
"I was proud of our hustle and effort tonight,” East Jackson coach David Akin said. “We played without Makayl Rakestraw and Tay Howard and thus it was a very difficult task.”
Howard was out sick, while Rakestraw has a severely sprained wrist. Akin is unsure if Rakestraw will return should East Jackson advance in the post season but hopes Howard can play Monday in the Region 8-AAA play-in game against Jackson County.
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