The Winder-Barrow wrestling team’s Senior Night showdown with Apalachee started out well for the Bulldoggs, but the Wildcats came roaring back late for a 48-30 victory in the “Best of Barrow” battle Tuesday night.
It was Apalachee’s third win this season against Winder-Barrow, following a 36-35 triumph over the Bulldoggs on Jan. 10 in the GHSA Area 8-AAAAAA duals.
The Wildcats also prevailed 39-27 in a match in November.
After winning on a couple of forfeits at 106 and 113 pounds Tuesday, the Bulldoggs picked up another decision win from Jett Clack over Ethan Delay at 120. Jack Folson put the Wildcats on the board with a decision at 126.
But Winder-Barrow fired back when Aaron Fields topped Allan Fulk at 132 and 138 went to the Bulldoggs in a forfeit to make it 24-3.
But then Apalachee went on the tear that made the difference. After cutting the lead to 24-15 with forfeit victories at 145, 152 and 160, the Wildcats got three got four consecutive pins from Preston Marlowe over Zach Brooks at 170, Jackson Wadsworth over Cody Walker at 182, Chance Wheeler over Caleb Charron at 195 and Corbin Lang over Jake Lynn at 220 to seal the deal.
Winder-Barrow picked up another win at 285 when Keyshawn Dottin topped Cody Tobiaz.
Both teams will be back in action Friday and Saturday in the East Metro Tournament at Alcovy High School.
The Bulldoggs will compete at Gainesville on Tuesday.
Then both teams will gear up for the Area 8-AAAAAA traditional tournament Jan. 27-28 at Lanier with sectionals and state to follow.
AHS Sports
Former Apalachee basketball standout Kamar Baldwin off to solid start at Butler
By Scott Thompson
Sports Editor
It’s become a routine for Apalachee boys basketball coach Kevin Morris.
When he sits down to watch former Wildcat standout Kamar Baldwin play for Butler University on television, a flood of text messages pour in from people in the community.
Naturally, they’re elated to watch the freshman shooting guard make a name for himself at the one of the top programs in the country.
Saturday was no different as Baldwin scored a career-high 16 points and helped lift the Bulldogs to an overtime victory at Georgetown in a Big East battle.
“It’s a great time to talk,” Morris beamed when reached by phone moments after the win.
Days earlier, Baldwin was front and center in an upset of top-ranked defending national champion Villanova. Earlier this year, he drained a game-winning 17-footer with 0.4 seconds left to topple Northwestern.
So there’s plenty of reason for Barrow County to be excited.
“It’s a lot of fun to watch him and the support and following of him out in the community is unreal,” Morris said. “Obviously a lot of that is because he’s a good player and they like watching him play. But more than that, I think everybody understands how good of a kid he is. Not only do people want to see him do well because he’s a Barrow County guy, but they appreciate and know how great a kid he is and all the hard work he has put in to get to this point.”
Less than a year ago, Baldwin was finishing up a record-setting career for the Wildcats, which earned him three all-state selections and saw him become Barrow County’s all-time leading scorer.
Fast-forward to now and Baldwin is a key cog — offensively and defensively — for the 12th-ranked Bulldogs (14-2) who visit No. 8 Creighton tonight at 9 p.m. in a game that will be televised on FS1.
“It’s just a big accomplishment to see your hard work and the many hours put in on the floor even as a little kid pay off,” said Baldwin, who was widely recruited and chose Butler over Clemson, Ole Miss and Providence among numerous other programs.
“Butler’s campus is kind of like Winder,” he said.
“Even though it’s in a big city (Indianapolis), the campus has a small town feel to it. All the students are close with each other. Everybody knows everybody and tries to help each other out. It reminds me of home.”
Baldwin has been just as much a fit for the Bulldogs and coach Chris Holtmann, who sought the sharpshooter out and knew he would be counting on him right away to help replace the production of a pair of all-conference guards who graduated.
“He’s an exceptional young man which helps allow him to be a good player,” Holtmann said of Baldwin this week. “He’s been raised really well by his family and we knew that when we recruited him. Sometimes he looks like a freshman out there, but sometimes he looks like a veteran. He’s had a great start and his level of maturity has helped him in his adjustment.”
The difficulty of the college game compared to high school has been a challenge, Baldwin said.
“It’s not just the speed and the pace, but the physicality is much different as well,” Baldwin said. “Guys are a lot stronger, just like when I was a freshman in high school playing against the older kids. So I have to use other ways to compete against guys who are stronger than me like getting around them and playing good defense.
“It all really comes down to attention to detail. If you don’t pay attention to detail and focus on doing things the right way, a lot of times that’s the difference between a win and a loss.”
Baldwin’s commitment to focusing on and bettering all aspects of his game makes for no surprise that he rarely leaves the floor. He played 43 minutes in the win over Georgetown, including the entire second half and overtime.
“We needed him in that game and felt like he was playing well,” Holtmann said. “We knew he was a gifted scorer, but his defensive ability and athleticism were two things we really looked at when recruiting him and felt like our program needed. And he’s helped us in those areas. He has a high basketball IQ. It’s obvious that he was well-coached in high school.”
Morris is well acquainted with Baldwin’s all-around game.
“He’s got a great mid-range jumper which is probably his best asset, but what makes him so great is that he does everything so well. He defends at a high level and that’s what really has gotten him the opportunity to play and start at Butler. He’s slippery and gets in behind the defense and gets open, but he’s also a very unselfish player.
“Kamar averaged over 29 points a game as a senior, but that wasn’t because he was taking all the shots. He didn’t mind passing up those shots to teammates who had better looks.”
While Baldwin has had plenty of personal highlights this season to boast about if he wanted to, the highlight, he said, has been building stronger relationships with the coaches and players — particularly the seniors.
“I look up to all of them,” Baldwin said. “You just try and take a little bit of their knowledge and apply it to your game. They’ve all been here four or five years and they have advice that can help anyone as a player.
“Our coaches are great all across the board and do a great job of getting us prepared for games and keeping us focused. Our goal is just to keep this thing rolling.”
And while Baldwin has moved on from his days at Apalachee, his legacy remains entrenched throughout the program.
“Our current players absolutely love him,” Morris said. “Every day after a game, you hear kids saying, ‘Did y’all see him do this? Did y’all see him do that?’ They’re definitely following and watching him closely and so is all of Barrow County.
“He’s doing such a good job of making us all proud of him, not just by the way he plays but the way he carries himself.”
“The support is greatly appreciated,” Baldwin added. “To have all those supporters back home just shows how great the people are back home and how the community will always have your back.”
Holtmann knows that Baldwin has only begun to tap into his potential and that like any other young player, there’s always room for improvement.
But the mental part is there, he said.
“I’m very proud of him and how he’s handled all this,” Holtmann said. “As a coach, it’s good to see your players enjoy some success.
“He’s going to continue to be a big part of our program going forward.”
Sports Editor
It’s become a routine for Apalachee boys basketball coach Kevin Morris.
When he sits down to watch former Wildcat standout Kamar Baldwin play for Butler University on television, a flood of text messages pour in from people in the community.
Naturally, they’re elated to watch the freshman shooting guard make a name for himself at the one of the top programs in the country.
Saturday was no different as Baldwin scored a career-high 16 points and helped lift the Bulldogs to an overtime victory at Georgetown in a Big East battle.
“It’s a great time to talk,” Morris beamed when reached by phone moments after the win.
Days earlier, Baldwin was front and center in an upset of top-ranked defending national champion Villanova. Earlier this year, he drained a game-winning 17-footer with 0.4 seconds left to topple Northwestern.
So there’s plenty of reason for Barrow County to be excited.
“It’s a lot of fun to watch him and the support and following of him out in the community is unreal,” Morris said. “Obviously a lot of that is because he’s a good player and they like watching him play. But more than that, I think everybody understands how good of a kid he is. Not only do people want to see him do well because he’s a Barrow County guy, but they appreciate and know how great a kid he is and all the hard work he has put in to get to this point.”
Less than a year ago, Baldwin was finishing up a record-setting career for the Wildcats, which earned him three all-state selections and saw him become Barrow County’s all-time leading scorer.
Fast-forward to now and Baldwin is a key cog — offensively and defensively — for the 12th-ranked Bulldogs (14-2) who visit No. 8 Creighton tonight at 9 p.m. in a game that will be televised on FS1.
“It’s just a big accomplishment to see your hard work and the many hours put in on the floor even as a little kid pay off,” said Baldwin, who was widely recruited and chose Butler over Clemson, Ole Miss and Providence among numerous other programs.
“Butler’s campus is kind of like Winder,” he said.
“Even though it’s in a big city (Indianapolis), the campus has a small town feel to it. All the students are close with each other. Everybody knows everybody and tries to help each other out. It reminds me of home.”
Baldwin has been just as much a fit for the Bulldogs and coach Chris Holtmann, who sought the sharpshooter out and knew he would be counting on him right away to help replace the production of a pair of all-conference guards who graduated.
“He’s an exceptional young man which helps allow him to be a good player,” Holtmann said of Baldwin this week. “He’s been raised really well by his family and we knew that when we recruited him. Sometimes he looks like a freshman out there, but sometimes he looks like a veteran. He’s had a great start and his level of maturity has helped him in his adjustment.”
The difficulty of the college game compared to high school has been a challenge, Baldwin said.
“It’s not just the speed and the pace, but the physicality is much different as well,” Baldwin said. “Guys are a lot stronger, just like when I was a freshman in high school playing against the older kids. So I have to use other ways to compete against guys who are stronger than me like getting around them and playing good defense.
“It all really comes down to attention to detail. If you don’t pay attention to detail and focus on doing things the right way, a lot of times that’s the difference between a win and a loss.”
Baldwin’s commitment to focusing on and bettering all aspects of his game makes for no surprise that he rarely leaves the floor. He played 43 minutes in the win over Georgetown, including the entire second half and overtime.
“We needed him in that game and felt like he was playing well,” Holtmann said. “We knew he was a gifted scorer, but his defensive ability and athleticism were two things we really looked at when recruiting him and felt like our program needed. And he’s helped us in those areas. He has a high basketball IQ. It’s obvious that he was well-coached in high school.”
Morris is well acquainted with Baldwin’s all-around game.
“He’s got a great mid-range jumper which is probably his best asset, but what makes him so great is that he does everything so well. He defends at a high level and that’s what really has gotten him the opportunity to play and start at Butler. He’s slippery and gets in behind the defense and gets open, but he’s also a very unselfish player.
“Kamar averaged over 29 points a game as a senior, but that wasn’t because he was taking all the shots. He didn’t mind passing up those shots to teammates who had better looks.”
While Baldwin has had plenty of personal highlights this season to boast about if he wanted to, the highlight, he said, has been building stronger relationships with the coaches and players — particularly the seniors.
“I look up to all of them,” Baldwin said. “You just try and take a little bit of their knowledge and apply it to your game. They’ve all been here four or five years and they have advice that can help anyone as a player.
“Our coaches are great all across the board and do a great job of getting us prepared for games and keeping us focused. Our goal is just to keep this thing rolling.”
And while Baldwin has moved on from his days at Apalachee, his legacy remains entrenched throughout the program.
“Our current players absolutely love him,” Morris said. “Every day after a game, you hear kids saying, ‘Did y’all see him do this? Did y’all see him do that?’ They’re definitely following and watching him closely and so is all of Barrow County.
“He’s doing such a good job of making us all proud of him, not just by the way he plays but the way he carries himself.”
“The support is greatly appreciated,” Baldwin added. “To have all those supporters back home just shows how great the people are back home and how the community will always have your back.”
Holtmann knows that Baldwin has only begun to tap into his potential and that like any other young player, there’s always room for improvement.
But the mental part is there, he said.
“I’m very proud of him and how he’s handled all this,” Holtmann said. “As a coach, it’s good to see your players enjoy some success.
“He’s going to continue to be a big part of our program going forward.”
Basketball: Apalachee teams finish strong at Discovery tournament, gear up for region opener at Winder-Barrow on Friday
LAWRENCEVILLE — With his team trailing by a point and under 10 seconds left against West Forsyth on Thursday, Apalachee girls basketball coach Gary Compton drew up the final play.
When the Lady Wolverines overplayed what was set up to be a double screen, that left open Cerey Bradford, who collected a pass and knocked down a 3-pointer with just 1.4 seconds remaining to lift the Lady Wildcats to a 43-41 win on the final day of the Holiday Hoops tournament at Discovery High School in Lawrenceville.
As the final buzzer sounded, Bradford was mobbed by her teammates as they celebrated the snapping of a five-game losing streak.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Compton, whose team improved to 5-8 after dropping its first two games of the tournament — 67-28 to Americus-Sumpter and 42-39 against Lassiter. “I felt like we had a chance to win (against Lassiter) as well, so to be able to come back in this game against a good team will hopefully give us a confidence boost.
The Lady Wildcats got off to a sluggish start against West Forsyth (9-4) and trailed 26-19 at halftime after the Lady Wolverines converted several baskets off Apalachee turnovers.
Apalachee steadily began to claw its way back into the game and took its first lead when Nakia Hooks put back a rebound and converted a 3-point play after being fouled to make it 31-30 with 6:13 to go.
The game swung back and forth from there with several lead changes until Bradford, who finished the afternoon with 6 points, hit the game-winner.
Hooks led the way for Apalachee with 22 points. Kate Thompson had 7 points, Shania Thomas scored 6 and Grace Hedges added a pair.
Apalachee now begins its quest for a state tournament berth. The Lady Wildcats open up their GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA schedule Friday night at crosstown rival and region favorite Winder-Barrow.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
“Everyone should be up for it, so I hope we can go out and make it a competitive game,” Compton said. “We’ve been competing hard and I think we’ve got a chance to be better than we’ve shown and better than people think we are.
“I think these games of late against good competition have been very good for us. And now we’re turning our focus on getting the highest possible seed come tournament time.”
Apalachee boys roll
Meanwhile, the Apalachee boys were able to excel Thursday afternoon after snapping their own six-game skid with a 54-48 triumph over West Forsyth to improve to 6-8 on the year
Omer Ahmed led the way with 16 points while Derek Miller and Brandon Bannis each scored 10 to lift the Wildcats to their first win since Dec. 13. The Wildcats played strong defense for three quarters, holding West Forsyth to just 18 points over the first 24 minutes of play and taking control of the game. But sloppy defense in the final period allowed the Wolverines to make things interesting before the Wildcats closed it out in the final minute.
“It’s good to end (the tournament) on a win,” Apalachee coach Kevin Morris said. “We were a lot more physical today and it paid off huge for us. Now we’ve got to go get ready for what counts and put some of this bad stuff behind us.”
The Wildcats’ region test begins 8:30 p.m. Friday at an improved Winder-Barrow squad.
“It should be a great game and it will help us to get off to a fast start,” Morris said. “I don’t think it will be an issue getting these guys motivated for that one.”
When the Lady Wolverines overplayed what was set up to be a double screen, that left open Cerey Bradford, who collected a pass and knocked down a 3-pointer with just 1.4 seconds remaining to lift the Lady Wildcats to a 43-41 win on the final day of the Holiday Hoops tournament at Discovery High School in Lawrenceville.
As the final buzzer sounded, Bradford was mobbed by her teammates as they celebrated the snapping of a five-game losing streak.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Compton, whose team improved to 5-8 after dropping its first two games of the tournament — 67-28 to Americus-Sumpter and 42-39 against Lassiter. “I felt like we had a chance to win (against Lassiter) as well, so to be able to come back in this game against a good team will hopefully give us a confidence boost.
The Lady Wildcats got off to a sluggish start against West Forsyth (9-4) and trailed 26-19 at halftime after the Lady Wolverines converted several baskets off Apalachee turnovers.
Apalachee steadily began to claw its way back into the game and took its first lead when Nakia Hooks put back a rebound and converted a 3-point play after being fouled to make it 31-30 with 6:13 to go.
The game swung back and forth from there with several lead changes until Bradford, who finished the afternoon with 6 points, hit the game-winner.
Hooks led the way for Apalachee with 22 points. Kate Thompson had 7 points, Shania Thomas scored 6 and Grace Hedges added a pair.
Apalachee now begins its quest for a state tournament berth. The Lady Wildcats open up their GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA schedule Friday night at crosstown rival and region favorite Winder-Barrow.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
“Everyone should be up for it, so I hope we can go out and make it a competitive game,” Compton said. “We’ve been competing hard and I think we’ve got a chance to be better than we’ve shown and better than people think we are.
“I think these games of late against good competition have been very good for us. And now we’re turning our focus on getting the highest possible seed come tournament time.”
Apalachee boys roll
Meanwhile, the Apalachee boys were able to excel Thursday afternoon after snapping their own six-game skid with a 54-48 triumph over West Forsyth to improve to 6-8 on the year
Omer Ahmed led the way with 16 points while Derek Miller and Brandon Bannis each scored 10 to lift the Wildcats to their first win since Dec. 13. The Wildcats played strong defense for three quarters, holding West Forsyth to just 18 points over the first 24 minutes of play and taking control of the game. But sloppy defense in the final period allowed the Wolverines to make things interesting before the Wildcats closed it out in the final minute.
“It’s good to end (the tournament) on a win,” Apalachee coach Kevin Morris said. “We were a lot more physical today and it paid off huge for us. Now we’ve got to go get ready for what counts and put some of this bad stuff behind us.”
The Wildcats’ region test begins 8:30 p.m. Friday at an improved Winder-Barrow squad.
“It should be a great game and it will help us to get off to a fast start,” Morris said. “I don’t think it will be an issue getting these guys motivated for that one.”
Basketball: Wildcat teams swept at Baldwin
Apalachee boys basketball coach Kevin Morris didn’t mince words Tuesday night when describing his disappointment over his team’s performance the past week.
The GHSA Class AAAAAA Wildcats dropped their third straight game Tuesday night, 52-35 against Class AAAA Baldwin in a non-region contest in Milledgeville to fall to 5-5 on the year.
The loss followed a 68-53 defeat at Cedar Shoals in Athens on Saturday and 57-51 loss at Monroe Area on Friday.
“We’ve got to get tougher,” Morris said. “The last two games, we’ve played against very tough opponents and we did not match their physicality. That’s something we’re going to fix and we’re either going to do with the guys we have playing now or we’re going to find different people — one way or the other.
“Something we really pride ourselves on is being tough and giving a great effort, and that hasn’t been there the last couple games.”
Rashad Eberhart led the way for the Wildcats on Tuesday with 7 points while four other players posted 6 apiece. Apalachee was without its leading scorer in point guard Omer Ahmed, who missed the game due to an illness.
“That hurt us a little bit depth-wise and in terms of scoring ability,” Morris said. “Overall, we just didn’t do a good job overall with the long trip.”
The Wildcats will return to action today at 6:30 p.m. when they host Class AAA Banks County.
Morris expects the Leopards and the teams the Wildcats will see in next week’s holiday tournament at Discovery High School to be tough competition.
“We want to play tough quality opponents,” he said. “Hopefully this stretch of the schedule will help prepare us for region play.”
Lady Wildcats
fall to Baldwin
Meanwhile, the Lady Wildcats also lost at Baldwin on Tuesday, 67-36, to drop to 4-5 on the season.
Shania Thomas led Apalachee with 15 points while Nakia Hooks had 12.
Baldwin led 12-10 after a quarter before stretching the lead to 32-15 at halftime.
“We played a better game the last two quarters, but they were able to hit some shots that normally don’t fall,” Lady Wildcat coach Gary Compton said. “Every time we made a run, they answered. But the overall effort was a lot better, which is encouraging.”
The Lady Wildcats will also host Banks County today with tip-off set for 5 p.m. They will then join the boys at the tournament at Discovery Dec. 27-29.
The holiday tournament will be the final tune-up for both teams before they open up Region 8-AAAAAA play at crosstown rival Winder-Barrow on Jan. 6.
The GHSA Class AAAAAA Wildcats dropped their third straight game Tuesday night, 52-35 against Class AAAA Baldwin in a non-region contest in Milledgeville to fall to 5-5 on the year.
The loss followed a 68-53 defeat at Cedar Shoals in Athens on Saturday and 57-51 loss at Monroe Area on Friday.
“We’ve got to get tougher,” Morris said. “The last two games, we’ve played against very tough opponents and we did not match their physicality. That’s something we’re going to fix and we’re either going to do with the guys we have playing now or we’re going to find different people — one way or the other.
“Something we really pride ourselves on is being tough and giving a great effort, and that hasn’t been there the last couple games.”
Rashad Eberhart led the way for the Wildcats on Tuesday with 7 points while four other players posted 6 apiece. Apalachee was without its leading scorer in point guard Omer Ahmed, who missed the game due to an illness.
“That hurt us a little bit depth-wise and in terms of scoring ability,” Morris said. “Overall, we just didn’t do a good job overall with the long trip.”
The Wildcats will return to action today at 6:30 p.m. when they host Class AAA Banks County.
Morris expects the Leopards and the teams the Wildcats will see in next week’s holiday tournament at Discovery High School to be tough competition.
“We want to play tough quality opponents,” he said. “Hopefully this stretch of the schedule will help prepare us for region play.”
Lady Wildcats
fall to Baldwin
Meanwhile, the Lady Wildcats also lost at Baldwin on Tuesday, 67-36, to drop to 4-5 on the season.
Shania Thomas led Apalachee with 15 points while Nakia Hooks had 12.
Baldwin led 12-10 after a quarter before stretching the lead to 32-15 at halftime.
“We played a better game the last two quarters, but they were able to hit some shots that normally don’t fall,” Lady Wildcat coach Gary Compton said. “Every time we made a run, they answered. But the overall effort was a lot better, which is encouraging.”
The Lady Wildcats will also host Banks County today with tip-off set for 5 p.m. They will then join the boys at the tournament at Discovery Dec. 27-29.
The holiday tournament will be the final tune-up for both teams before they open up Region 8-AAAAAA play at crosstown rival Winder-Barrow on Jan. 6.
Basketball: AHS boys top Hebron Christian
The Apalachee boys basketball team played another thriller Tuesday night, rallying for a 73-70 win on the road over Hebron Christian in a non-region contest.
Junior big man Derek Miller led the way for the Wildcats (4-1) with a double-double, scoring 21 points and recording 15 rebounds while adding 2 blocks and a steal that led to a slam dunk in the fourth quarter.
Miller scored the first 11 points of the final period for the Wildcats as they erased a 4-point deficit.
Omer Ahmed added 19 points with 4 assists and 4 rebounds and put the game away late, going 5-of-6 from the free throw line down the final stretch.
Ethan Morris had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, while Brandon Bannis chipped in with 10 points off the bench.
“They do a lot offensively that make them very difficult to guard,” Apalachee assistant coach Dan Woschitz said Tuesday night. “But we made the good defensive stops when we needed to. We really played tough half-court defense, and we’re happy with the way we’re building right now.”
Apalachee’s girls (3-1) did not play Hebron on Tuesday due to a scheduling conflict.
Both teams will resume action Friday when they travel to Jefferson.
Tip-off for the girls game will be at 7 p.m. with the boys to follow.
Junior big man Derek Miller led the way for the Wildcats (4-1) with a double-double, scoring 21 points and recording 15 rebounds while adding 2 blocks and a steal that led to a slam dunk in the fourth quarter.
Miller scored the first 11 points of the final period for the Wildcats as they erased a 4-point deficit.
Omer Ahmed added 19 points with 4 assists and 4 rebounds and put the game away late, going 5-of-6 from the free throw line down the final stretch.
Ethan Morris had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, while Brandon Bannis chipped in with 10 points off the bench.
“They do a lot offensively that make them very difficult to guard,” Apalachee assistant coach Dan Woschitz said Tuesday night. “But we made the good defensive stops when we needed to. We really played tough half-court defense, and we’re happy with the way we’re building right now.”
Apalachee’s girls (3-1) did not play Hebron on Tuesday due to a scheduling conflict.
Both teams will resume action Friday when they travel to Jefferson.
Tip-off for the girls game will be at 7 p.m. with the boys to follow.
Apalachee basketball teams swept by Loganville
The Apalachee High School basketball team was hot and cold Tuesday night.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the inconsistency proved to be their undoing against Loganville in a 69-53 loss on the road to the Red Devils.
Apalachee (3-1) fell behind 13-5 after a quarter but quickly rallied to take a 20-16 lead.
The Red Devils, though, came roaring back with a 9-0 run and then hit a 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to take a 28-22 lead at the break.
Ethan Morris led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points. Derek Miller added 9 points and 9 rebounds, while Ohmer Ahmed chipped in with 7 points.
The Wildcats also got some production from their bench as Jaden Haeper finished with 6 points on a pair of threes and Brandon Bannis added 5 assists.
Freshman Jamonte Wallace also gave the Wildcats a spark, finishing with 4 points and a pair of steals.
The Apalachee girls didn’t fare much better Tuesday as the Lady Wildcats also dropped their first game of the season, 49-26 to high-powered Loganville.
Apalachee (3-1) was led by Shania Thomas with 17 points.
The Apalachee teams return to action on Dec. 6 at Hebron Christian Academy, a team the boys beat last week at home, 70-62.
The girls game will tip off at 6 p.m. followed by the boys at 7:30 p.m.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the inconsistency proved to be their undoing against Loganville in a 69-53 loss on the road to the Red Devils.
Apalachee (3-1) fell behind 13-5 after a quarter but quickly rallied to take a 20-16 lead.
The Red Devils, though, came roaring back with a 9-0 run and then hit a 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to take a 28-22 lead at the break.
Ethan Morris led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points. Derek Miller added 9 points and 9 rebounds, while Ohmer Ahmed chipped in with 7 points.
The Wildcats also got some production from their bench as Jaden Haeper finished with 6 points on a pair of threes and Brandon Bannis added 5 assists.
Freshman Jamonte Wallace also gave the Wildcats a spark, finishing with 4 points and a pair of steals.
The Apalachee girls didn’t fare much better Tuesday as the Lady Wildcats also dropped their first game of the season, 49-26 to high-powered Loganville.
Apalachee (3-1) was led by Shania Thomas with 17 points.
The Apalachee teams return to action on Dec. 6 at Hebron Christian Academy, a team the boys beat last week at home, 70-62.
The girls game will tip off at 6 p.m. followed by the boys at 7:30 p.m.
Wildcat basketball teams start 3-0
Through its scrimmage and the first week of the regular season, the Apalachee High School boys basketball team has shown it may have one of the most important traits in a successful team — the ability to win close games.
That trait was on display Saturday night as the Wildcats rallied from down 4 points in the final two minutes to win 53-49 over Walnut Grove on the opening night of the Apalachee Thanksgiving Tournament.
“Every one of our games have been so close so far,” Apalachee coach Kevin Morris said after the victory.
“We’re doing a good job at the end of the games. We’ve been making some clutch free throws down the stretch and done a lot of other good things, which have been able to outweigh the not-so-good things.
“We’re working toward playing more complete basketball games and being a more complete basketball team and building toward January, when region play starts.”
The Wildcats (3-0), who beat Monroe Area 83-77 on Nov. 15 to open the season, improved to 3-0 on Tuesday with a 70-62 victory over Hebron Christian.
Trailing Walnut Grove 28-25 at halftime, Apalachee outscored the Warriors 16-7 in the third quarter to turn the deficit into a 41-35 advantage.
But the Warriors came roaring back with a 13-3 run and went up 48-44 when Nick Jones drained a 3-pointer with 2:53 remaining in the contest.
That would be the last field goal Walnut Grove would make.
Apalachee forward Derek Miller cut the lead down to 49-48 with 56.1 seconds left and then with 47 seconds to go, Walnut Grove was unable to inbound the ball, even after being forced by the Wildcats to burn two timeouts.
After the Wildcats regained possession, Brandon Bannis was fouled while driving to the basket and went to the free throw line with 39 seconds left.
After sinking the first, Bannis missed the second one, but the 6-foot-6 Miller was there to grab the rebound and put it back up to give Apalachee the lead for good.
On the ensuing possession, Walnut Grove missed a would-be game-tying shot with 2.2 seconds left and was forced to foul. Wildcat senior point guard Omer Ahmed, who led all scorers with 17 points, then knocked down both free throws to seal the victory.
“That was a very good job we did all the way around at the end,” Morris said. “When they had the ball, we were able to make them burn those timeouts. And then we had an unusual problem in that we didn’t have enough team fouls. So we were also able to make some quick fouls without letting too much time run off the clock.
“I was just very proud of how our kids executed there.”
LADY WILDCATS ROLL
Earlier Saturday evening, Apalachee’s girls team was able to generate some sorely-needed offense in a 49-31 win over Walnut Grove to improve to 2-0 on the year.
Senior guard/forward Shania Thomas led the way with 17 points as the Lady Wildcats never trailed throughout the contest.
“It was huge for us to be able to come out and score some points and put a solid game together,” said Apalachee coach Gary Compton, whose team won its opener with Monroe Area in a 33-27 defensive struggle. “I was a little worried going into halftime because we’ve had a tendency to start slow in the third quarter, but we held our own there.
“We out-rebounded them. We played solid defense and I thought we did a pretty good job of handling their pressure and not getting rattled at any point. Overall, we just played faster and smarter and we need to keep doing that each time out.”
Aiding in the more productive offensive night was sophomore forward Nakia Hooks, who scored all 15 of her points after the break and was a force down low, grabbing several rebounds.
“She’s a big key for us inside and is able to kick it outside, and we’ve got some pretty good 3-point shooters,” Compton said of Hooks. “For us to be successful, it’s important for her to play like she did tonight.”
The Lady Wildcats defeated Stephens County 43-34 on Tuesday to run their record to 3-0.
Both Apalachee teams return to action Tuesday at Loganville with the girls set to tip off at 5:45 p.m. and the boys to follow.
That trait was on display Saturday night as the Wildcats rallied from down 4 points in the final two minutes to win 53-49 over Walnut Grove on the opening night of the Apalachee Thanksgiving Tournament.
“Every one of our games have been so close so far,” Apalachee coach Kevin Morris said after the victory.
“We’re doing a good job at the end of the games. We’ve been making some clutch free throws down the stretch and done a lot of other good things, which have been able to outweigh the not-so-good things.
“We’re working toward playing more complete basketball games and being a more complete basketball team and building toward January, when region play starts.”
The Wildcats (3-0), who beat Monroe Area 83-77 on Nov. 15 to open the season, improved to 3-0 on Tuesday with a 70-62 victory over Hebron Christian.
Trailing Walnut Grove 28-25 at halftime, Apalachee outscored the Warriors 16-7 in the third quarter to turn the deficit into a 41-35 advantage.
But the Warriors came roaring back with a 13-3 run and went up 48-44 when Nick Jones drained a 3-pointer with 2:53 remaining in the contest.
That would be the last field goal Walnut Grove would make.
Apalachee forward Derek Miller cut the lead down to 49-48 with 56.1 seconds left and then with 47 seconds to go, Walnut Grove was unable to inbound the ball, even after being forced by the Wildcats to burn two timeouts.
After the Wildcats regained possession, Brandon Bannis was fouled while driving to the basket and went to the free throw line with 39 seconds left.
After sinking the first, Bannis missed the second one, but the 6-foot-6 Miller was there to grab the rebound and put it back up to give Apalachee the lead for good.
On the ensuing possession, Walnut Grove missed a would-be game-tying shot with 2.2 seconds left and was forced to foul. Wildcat senior point guard Omer Ahmed, who led all scorers with 17 points, then knocked down both free throws to seal the victory.
“That was a very good job we did all the way around at the end,” Morris said. “When they had the ball, we were able to make them burn those timeouts. And then we had an unusual problem in that we didn’t have enough team fouls. So we were also able to make some quick fouls without letting too much time run off the clock.
“I was just very proud of how our kids executed there.”
LADY WILDCATS ROLL
Earlier Saturday evening, Apalachee’s girls team was able to generate some sorely-needed offense in a 49-31 win over Walnut Grove to improve to 2-0 on the year.
Senior guard/forward Shania Thomas led the way with 17 points as the Lady Wildcats never trailed throughout the contest.
“It was huge for us to be able to come out and score some points and put a solid game together,” said Apalachee coach Gary Compton, whose team won its opener with Monroe Area in a 33-27 defensive struggle. “I was a little worried going into halftime because we’ve had a tendency to start slow in the third quarter, but we held our own there.
“We out-rebounded them. We played solid defense and I thought we did a pretty good job of handling their pressure and not getting rattled at any point. Overall, we just played faster and smarter and we need to keep doing that each time out.”
Aiding in the more productive offensive night was sophomore forward Nakia Hooks, who scored all 15 of her points after the break and was a force down low, grabbing several rebounds.
“She’s a big key for us inside and is able to kick it outside, and we’ve got some pretty good 3-point shooters,” Compton said of Hooks. “For us to be successful, it’s important for her to play like she did tonight.”
The Lady Wildcats defeated Stephens County 43-34 on Tuesday to run their record to 3-0.
Both Apalachee teams return to action Tuesday at Loganville with the girls set to tip off at 5:45 p.m. and the boys to follow.
Apalachee seeks help from younger wrestlers this season
Second-year Apalachee High School wrestling coach Randy Hill is still in building mode as he tries to help the Wildcats get back to the point of sending several wrestlers to the state competition.
“It’s always a struggle trying to build a program up when you’re going against tough opponents like we have in this area,” Hill said last week.
“The young kids we’ve had in there keep getting more experience and better and if they hang in there, they’ve got a chance to see much better results.”
The Wildcats lost only two seniors last year and return three this season, including Chance Wheeler, who was an alternate in the 182-pound weight class at the GHSA Class AAAAA state competition.
Wheeler will wrestle at 190 pounds, while fellow seniors Jackson Wadsworth at 170 pounds and Preston Marlowe at 160 are also back.
Other returners include sophomores Corbin Lang at 220 pounds and Mathew Davis at 145.
“A lot of our wrestlers are ninth and 10th graders, and they have to be able to step it up and get better in a hurry,” Hill said.
The coach expects a tough Region 8-AAAAAA slate this season with Dacula, Gainesville, Lanier, Winder-Barrow and Habersham Central all in the mix.
“Each of those teams has very good wrestlers, and Dacula, especially, always has a real strong program,” Hill said. “For us, a successful season would be getting some kids to the state tournament, hopefully with our three seniors going as far as they can go.
“You also hope that these younger guys who don’t have the experience on this level will get a good taste of the program that will help them going forward.
The hardest thing with a group like this is in practice when you’re trying to keep the pace manageable for the younger kids and fast enough for the older, more experienced ones to get better and on the level they need to be to compete and finish strong in tournaments.”
“It’s always a struggle trying to build a program up when you’re going against tough opponents like we have in this area,” Hill said last week.
“The young kids we’ve had in there keep getting more experience and better and if they hang in there, they’ve got a chance to see much better results.”
The Wildcats lost only two seniors last year and return three this season, including Chance Wheeler, who was an alternate in the 182-pound weight class at the GHSA Class AAAAA state competition.
Wheeler will wrestle at 190 pounds, while fellow seniors Jackson Wadsworth at 170 pounds and Preston Marlowe at 160 are also back.
Other returners include sophomores Corbin Lang at 220 pounds and Mathew Davis at 145.
“A lot of our wrestlers are ninth and 10th graders, and they have to be able to step it up and get better in a hurry,” Hill said.
The coach expects a tough Region 8-AAAAAA slate this season with Dacula, Gainesville, Lanier, Winder-Barrow and Habersham Central all in the mix.
“Each of those teams has very good wrestlers, and Dacula, especially, always has a real strong program,” Hill said. “For us, a successful season would be getting some kids to the state tournament, hopefully with our three seniors going as far as they can go.
“You also hope that these younger guys who don’t have the experience on this level will get a good taste of the program that will help them going forward.
The hardest thing with a group like this is in practice when you’re trying to keep the pace manageable for the younger kids and fast enough for the older, more experienced ones to get better and on the level they need to be to compete and finish strong in tournaments.”
Apalachee girls basketball seeks improvement on offense this season
By Scott Thompson
Sports Editor
Apalachee girls basketball coach Gary Compton knows that if his team wants any chance at improving on its 7-18 mark from last season and competing for a spot in the state playoffs, it will have to dramatically improve its offensive production.
The production was not there last week in the Wildcats’ scrimmage when they scored only 16 points and shut out in the first quarter of their scrimmage against a strong Loganville squad.
“I thought the summer went pretty well for us, but we didn’t see that progress (against Loganville),” said Compton, whose team opened its season Tuesday against Monroe Area with a 33-27 win. “We’ve gotten better offensively, but in years past, we’ve always had to rely on our defense. But against Loganville, we missed too many free throws and missed too many shots in the paint. We’ve got a long way to go.”
[Full Story »]
Sports Editor
Apalachee girls basketball coach Gary Compton knows that if his team wants any chance at improving on its 7-18 mark from last season and competing for a spot in the state playoffs, it will have to dramatically improve its offensive production.
The production was not there last week in the Wildcats’ scrimmage when they scored only 16 points and shut out in the first quarter of their scrimmage against a strong Loganville squad.
“I thought the summer went pretty well for us, but we didn’t see that progress (against Loganville),” said Compton, whose team opened its season Tuesday against Monroe Area with a 33-27 win. “We’ve gotten better offensively, but in years past, we’ve always had to rely on our defense. But against Loganville, we missed too many free throws and missed too many shots in the paint. We’ve got a long way to go.”
[Full Story »]
Apalachee boys basketball leans on experience, aims for return to playoffs
By Scott Thompson
Sports Editor
A year after a Sweet 16 berth, the 2015-16 season came to a disappointing and premature end for the Apalachee boys basketball team which was bounced by Conyers in the GHSA Region 8-AAAAA tournament.
But even as he seeks to replace three senior starters from a 19-6 squad, including one of the all-time Barrow County basketball greats, Wildcat coach Kevin Morris is confident in his team’s chances of making it back to the state playoffs.
“Our goal like always is to get in and see what happens,” said Morris, whose Wildcats opened their season Tuesday night with an 83-77 win at home against Monroe Area.
[Full Story »]
Sports Editor
A year after a Sweet 16 berth, the 2015-16 season came to a disappointing and premature end for the Apalachee boys basketball team which was bounced by Conyers in the GHSA Region 8-AAAAA tournament.
But even as he seeks to replace three senior starters from a 19-6 squad, including one of the all-time Barrow County basketball greats, Wildcat coach Kevin Morris is confident in his team’s chances of making it back to the state playoffs.
“Our goal like always is to get in and see what happens,” said Morris, whose Wildcats opened their season Tuesday night with an 83-77 win at home against Monroe Area.
[Full Story »]
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