After his team lost another tough game to Baldwin on Dec. 20 — their fourth loss this year by two points or fewer — Apalachee boys basketball coach Spencer Bernstein told his team not to get discouraged, that things would start to go their way.
The Wildcats responded big-time Dec. 21, overcoming an early deficit and rolling to an 84-65 victory at previously-unbeaten Banks County. The Leopards came into the contest 7-0 and ranked No. 2 in GHSA Class AA.
Apalachee, a Class AAAAAA program, improved to 6-4 with the win.
“It was good to end the week with a win and get a little momentum going past Christmas,” Bernstein said Friday. “I think a win like that gives our guys more confidence going forward.”
Banks County jumped on Apalachee early, going up by as many as 12 points in the first quarter before the Wildcats clawed their way back in it.
The key stretch came late in the third quarter and early in the fourth as the Wildcats broke a tie with a 7-0 run to go up 56-49 and never relinquished the lead. With the Wildcats up 51-49 following a basket by AJ Millbrooks and Banks County holding for the last shot in the third, Brandon Bannis made a steal and lay-up to make it 53-49. Then at the start of the fourth, Bannis knocked down a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 7.
The Wildcats will be back in action Thursday when they take on Butler at 5:30 p.m. in the first round of the Sweet South Classic at Morgan County High School.
The Apalachee girls basketball team, meanwhile, dropped a pair of games last week, falling 50-47 to undefeated Baldwin and then 49-27 to Banks County.
The Lady Wildcats were led in the Baldwin game by Nakia Hooks, who had 25 points and 21 rebounds. Briana Bryson scored 10 points.
Against Banks County, Hooks had 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Kate Thompson scored 5 points.
The Lady Wildcats will also compete in the Sweet South Classic this week and are scheduled to face Mill Creek at 1 p.m. Thursday.
See the full story in the Dec. 27 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
AHS Sports
3 local wrestlers place at Loganville
Three local high school wrestlers, two from Apalachee and one from Winder-Barrow, placed at the Eric Hill Memorial Tournament at Loganville High School last week.
Apalachee’s Sam Skinner finished second in the 170-pound weight class, while teammate Corbin Lang was third at 220. Zach Thomas of Winder-Barrow was fourth at 138.
Skinner went 3-1 for the tournament, defeating Nicholas Sims of Tucker, Gianni Aruajo of Dacula and Cameron Fortson of Elbert County to advance to the finals. There, he fell to Austin Ray of Jackson.
Lang also went 3-1, beating Michael Dinie of Grayson and Terrance Thorpe of George Walton Academy, before losing to Hamilton Cooper of Madison County in the semifinals. Lang recovered, defeating D’Monte Morris of Houston County in the third-place match.
Thomas went 2-2, notching wins over West Hall’s Thomas Vick and Jamire Sparks of Houston County to advance to the semifinals before losing to Blake Smith of Etowah and then falling to Jacob Morden of Lanier in the third-place match.
Allan Fulk (132 pounds) and Cody Tobiasz (285) also won matches for Apalachee to score points, while Caleb Charron (220) won a match for Winder-Barrow.
The Wildcats return to action this week when they compete in a tourney at Lambert High School on Thursday and Friday. The Bulldoggs are off until the GHSA Area 8-AAAAAA duals at Gainesvile on Jan. 6.
Apalachee’s Sam Skinner finished second in the 170-pound weight class, while teammate Corbin Lang was third at 220. Zach Thomas of Winder-Barrow was fourth at 138.
Skinner went 3-1 for the tournament, defeating Nicholas Sims of Tucker, Gianni Aruajo of Dacula and Cameron Fortson of Elbert County to advance to the finals. There, he fell to Austin Ray of Jackson.
Lang also went 3-1, beating Michael Dinie of Grayson and Terrance Thorpe of George Walton Academy, before losing to Hamilton Cooper of Madison County in the semifinals. Lang recovered, defeating D’Monte Morris of Houston County in the third-place match.
Thomas went 2-2, notching wins over West Hall’s Thomas Vick and Jamire Sparks of Houston County to advance to the semifinals before losing to Blake Smith of Etowah and then falling to Jacob Morden of Lanier in the third-place match.
Allan Fulk (132 pounds) and Cody Tobiasz (285) also won matches for Apalachee to score points, while Caleb Charron (220) won a match for Winder-Barrow.
The Wildcats return to action this week when they compete in a tourney at Lambert High School on Thursday and Friday. The Bulldoggs are off until the GHSA Area 8-AAAAAA duals at Gainesvile on Jan. 6.
Basketball: Wildcats lose by 1 again to Monroe Area after blowing late advantage
Two weeks after losing to Monroe Area by a point, the Apalachee boys basketball team had the same fate Friday night, falling to the Purple Hurricanes 62-61 in a home non-region contest.
The Wildcats had an eight-point lead with around 2:30 to play but lost that lead within a matter of seconds. The Purple Hurricanes scored 4 quick points, then after a technical foul was assessed on the Apalachee bench, a free throw cut the lead to 3.
After getting the ball back, the Purple Hurricanes sank a 3-pointer to tie it.
They eventually would grab a four-point lead and the Wildcats cut the final deficit to 1 with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
It was the third 1-point loss this season for the Wildcats (5-3), all of which have come when they had a multi-possession lead in the final minutes.
“At some point, I think they feel like we’re OK and they’re losing a little focus,” Wildcats coach Spencer Bernstein said. “We have to learn how to finish games. When you have a lead in those situations, you need to be running your offense and making the other team play defense until they break down and you can get a good look. Instead, we’re in too much of a hurry. We’re playing like we’re behind in those situations when we should be slowing things down and playing like we’re ahead.”
Brandon Bannis led the Wildcats in scoring Friday with 20 points while Derek Miller added 13 points and Deron Collier scored 12.
Point guard Jamonte Wallace only played 14 minutes because he was in foul trouble, which Bernstein said “didn’t help” matters.
See more in the Dec. 20 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
The Wildcats had an eight-point lead with around 2:30 to play but lost that lead within a matter of seconds. The Purple Hurricanes scored 4 quick points, then after a technical foul was assessed on the Apalachee bench, a free throw cut the lead to 3.
After getting the ball back, the Purple Hurricanes sank a 3-pointer to tie it.
They eventually would grab a four-point lead and the Wildcats cut the final deficit to 1 with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
It was the third 1-point loss this season for the Wildcats (5-3), all of which have come when they had a multi-possession lead in the final minutes.
“At some point, I think they feel like we’re OK and they’re losing a little focus,” Wildcats coach Spencer Bernstein said. “We have to learn how to finish games. When you have a lead in those situations, you need to be running your offense and making the other team play defense until they break down and you can get a good look. Instead, we’re in too much of a hurry. We’re playing like we’re behind in those situations when we should be slowing things down and playing like we’re ahead.”
Brandon Bannis led the Wildcats in scoring Friday with 20 points while Derek Miller added 13 points and Deron Collier scored 12.
Point guard Jamonte Wallace only played 14 minutes because he was in foul trouble, which Bernstein said “didn’t help” matters.
See more in the Dec. 20 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
Basketball: Lady Wildcats even record with 56-35 victory over Monroe Area
After a sloppy start, the Apalachee girls basketball team had little trouble toppling Monroe Area on Friday, picking up an easy 56-35 win in a home non-region contest.
The Lady Wildcats (4-4) trailed 10-7 after the first quarter but put together a strong second quarter to grab a 30-23 halftime lead and continued to pad the cushion throughout the second half.
Junior forward Nakia Hooks turned in yet another strong performance, pouring in 22 points to go along with 19 rebounds. Ann Dominguez added 8 points while Kate Thompson had 7 points and 6 rebounds.
Hooks’ superlative effort was the latest in what has been a strong opening third of the season.
“She’s one of those players who can just take over a game,” Apalachee coach Gary Compton said of Hooks. “She’s hard to guard, she can handle the ball enough to take it to the basket and get fouled, and she’s a good free throw shooter. She’s so strong on the inside even the taller post players have a hard time working against her. She’s got great instincts. She’s all over the lane and can go from one side to the other to grab a rebound. She helps us stay in our offense and break presses.
“She can do it all.”
See more in the Dec. 20 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
The Lady Wildcats (4-4) trailed 10-7 after the first quarter but put together a strong second quarter to grab a 30-23 halftime lead and continued to pad the cushion throughout the second half.
Junior forward Nakia Hooks turned in yet another strong performance, pouring in 22 points to go along with 19 rebounds. Ann Dominguez added 8 points while Kate Thompson had 7 points and 6 rebounds.
Hooks’ superlative effort was the latest in what has been a strong opening third of the season.
“She’s one of those players who can just take over a game,” Apalachee coach Gary Compton said of Hooks. “She’s hard to guard, she can handle the ball enough to take it to the basket and get fouled, and she’s a good free throw shooter. She’s so strong on the inside even the taller post players have a hard time working against her. She’s got great instincts. She’s all over the lane and can go from one side to the other to grab a rebound. She helps us stay in our offense and break presses.
“She can do it all.”
See more in the Dec. 20 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
Basketball: Wildcats run winning streak to three games with non-region victories over Jefferson, North Oconee
The Apalachee boys’ basketball team had a significant advantage over North Oconee in talent and athleticism, but it was the execution that allowed the Wildcats to win.
The Wildcats defeated the Titans Tuesday night 65-41. Four players posted double digits in the scoring column. Derek Miller led the team with 14 points. Jamonte Wallace and Brandon Bannis had 12 points each; Deron Collier added 11 points.
“I told our guys to run our stuff and let’s get ready for games in the future,” Apalachee coach Spencer Bernstein said. “It wasn’t so much about this game in particular, but let’s try to run our stuff and see what we can do, and we still have a lot of work to do.”
Apalachee (5-2) never allowed the game to get too close, but it did have to work for its 33-20 halftime lead. The Wildcats held North Oconee to just three points for much of the first quarter and at one point led 15-3.
But the Titans came back and cut the score to 17-10 after the first quarter.
But Miller, Collier and Bannis stepped up with a combined 14 points to extend the Wildcats’ lead heading into halftime.
“I told them I thought we did a good job defensively,” Bernstein said. “Against Jefferson we got up and started being crazy and gambling. The biggest thing I wanted to do was clean up the rebounding, sometimes when we got the lead, we want to go down court before we secure the rebound. But I really think it was a good defensive job.”
Tuesday’s win followed a 75-60 victory at Jefferson on Saturday. The Wildcats led 17-2 after the opening period and 31-24 at halftime. Apalachee gradually pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring the Dragons 19-10 to take a 50-34 lead into fourth quarter. The Wildcats led by as many as 21 points in the final period. The Wildcats were led in that game by Bannis, who had 21 points and four 3-pointers in the first half. Miller had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The Wildcats have six more games remaining until GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA play but they still have two huge tests before then. Friday, they host Monroe Area. They lost to the Purple Hurricanes 62-61 on Dec. 1. On Dec. 21, they play a Banks County squad that is ranked in the top 10 in AA. Then they could possibly play Morgan County in the Sweet South Classic. Morgan is a top-10 team in AAA.
See more in the Dec. 13 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
The Wildcats defeated the Titans Tuesday night 65-41. Four players posted double digits in the scoring column. Derek Miller led the team with 14 points. Jamonte Wallace and Brandon Bannis had 12 points each; Deron Collier added 11 points.
“I told our guys to run our stuff and let’s get ready for games in the future,” Apalachee coach Spencer Bernstein said. “It wasn’t so much about this game in particular, but let’s try to run our stuff and see what we can do, and we still have a lot of work to do.”
Apalachee (5-2) never allowed the game to get too close, but it did have to work for its 33-20 halftime lead. The Wildcats held North Oconee to just three points for much of the first quarter and at one point led 15-3.
But the Titans came back and cut the score to 17-10 after the first quarter.
But Miller, Collier and Bannis stepped up with a combined 14 points to extend the Wildcats’ lead heading into halftime.
“I told them I thought we did a good job defensively,” Bernstein said. “Against Jefferson we got up and started being crazy and gambling. The biggest thing I wanted to do was clean up the rebounding, sometimes when we got the lead, we want to go down court before we secure the rebound. But I really think it was a good defensive job.”
Tuesday’s win followed a 75-60 victory at Jefferson on Saturday. The Wildcats led 17-2 after the opening period and 31-24 at halftime. Apalachee gradually pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring the Dragons 19-10 to take a 50-34 lead into fourth quarter. The Wildcats led by as many as 21 points in the final period. The Wildcats were led in that game by Bannis, who had 21 points and four 3-pointers in the first half. Miller had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The Wildcats have six more games remaining until GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA play but they still have two huge tests before then. Friday, they host Monroe Area. They lost to the Purple Hurricanes 62-61 on Dec. 1. On Dec. 21, they play a Banks County squad that is ranked in the top 10 in AA. Then they could possibly play Morgan County in the Sweet South Classic. Morgan is a top-10 team in AAA.
See more in the Dec. 13 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
Basketball: Scoring troubles plague Lady Wildcats in pair of non-region losses
Against North Oconee, the Apalachee girls’ basketball team wasn’t outplayed. They just couldn’t score.
That was the sentiment of head coach Gary Compton after his girls lost 45-28. However, they trailed by just four points going after the third quarter and the margin was just five points for most of the fourth.
Beside Nakia Hooks, no one else could score for the Wildcats. She scored 18 of the team’s 28 points. No one else had more than three points.
Fourteen of Hooks’ points came in the first half, she was the only reason why they only trailed 20-16 at the break.
But she couldn’t score in the fourth quarter and that’s when the Titans finally pulled away for the win.
“I said to the bench at one point, we just had the same shots but they (North Oconee) made theirs and we didn’t make ours,” Compton said.
“When you shoot 15-footers and can’t make them, you know it’s going to be a long night. We went cold. You have to tip your hats to North Oconee; they played hard defensively and really fast. They were able to finish and we weren’t.”
The Lady Wildcats (3-4) also had trouble scoring at Jefferson on Saturday in a 50-34 loss. Hooks was the leading scorer for Apalachee in that game with 13 points.
Apalachee will host Monroe Area at 7 p.m. Friday.
That was the sentiment of head coach Gary Compton after his girls lost 45-28. However, they trailed by just four points going after the third quarter and the margin was just five points for most of the fourth.
Beside Nakia Hooks, no one else could score for the Wildcats. She scored 18 of the team’s 28 points. No one else had more than three points.
Fourteen of Hooks’ points came in the first half, she was the only reason why they only trailed 20-16 at the break.
But she couldn’t score in the fourth quarter and that’s when the Titans finally pulled away for the win.
“I said to the bench at one point, we just had the same shots but they (North Oconee) made theirs and we didn’t make ours,” Compton said.
“When you shoot 15-footers and can’t make them, you know it’s going to be a long night. We went cold. You have to tip your hats to North Oconee; they played hard defensively and really fast. They were able to finish and we weren’t.”
The Lady Wildcats (3-4) also had trouble scoring at Jefferson on Saturday in a 50-34 loss. Hooks was the leading scorer for Apalachee in that game with 13 points.
Apalachee will host Monroe Area at 7 p.m. Friday.
Football: Sims resigns as Wildcats' head football coach
Apalachee High School head football coach Steve Sims has resigned.
When reached Wednesday, Sims said he is stepping down to focus more time and attention on his family. He said he plans to seek a job as an assistant coach elsewhere.
Prior to joining Apalachee as an assistant in 2014, Sims spent nearly 20 years as an assistant at Buford and Norcross. He took over as the Wildcats' head coach in 2015, but the program struggled during his time at the helm, going just 3-26-1 over that span — including a 1-9 mark this fall — and going winless against region opponents.
"It wasn't any one thing or reason," Sims said Wednesday of his decision to resign. "Some things are easier to deal with if you're moving in the right direction. I just felt like it was time to step aside, go coach a position somewhere and have a little more fun coaching."
Despite the Wildcats' continued struggles in 2017, Sims said he believes the program has a bright future.
"This was a tough year to make this decision because I really think they'll be better next year," he said. "We played a lot of young kids this year. Our numbers are getting better, our performance in the weight room is getting better, and I think some of those things will start to show up. We've got a lot of starters and probably more leadership coming back, which would have helped some this year. In terms of laying a foundation and other things we've been able to do, I feel like we did right by the kids."
Apalachee athletic director Ralph Neeley could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
See more in the Dec. 13 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
When reached Wednesday, Sims said he is stepping down to focus more time and attention on his family. He said he plans to seek a job as an assistant coach elsewhere.
Prior to joining Apalachee as an assistant in 2014, Sims spent nearly 20 years as an assistant at Buford and Norcross. He took over as the Wildcats' head coach in 2015, but the program struggled during his time at the helm, going just 3-26-1 over that span — including a 1-9 mark this fall — and going winless against region opponents.
"It wasn't any one thing or reason," Sims said Wednesday of his decision to resign. "Some things are easier to deal with if you're moving in the right direction. I just felt like it was time to step aside, go coach a position somewhere and have a little more fun coaching."
Despite the Wildcats' continued struggles in 2017, Sims said he believes the program has a bright future.
"This was a tough year to make this decision because I really think they'll be better next year," he said. "We played a lot of young kids this year. Our numbers are getting better, our performance in the weight room is getting better, and I think some of those things will start to show up. We've got a lot of starters and probably more leadership coming back, which would have helped some this year. In terms of laying a foundation and other things we've been able to do, I feel like we did right by the kids."
Apalachee athletic director Ralph Neeley could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
See more in the Dec. 13 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
Basketball: Apalachee teams sweep Hebron Christian on road; set to take on Jefferson Friday
After a tough loss at Monroe Area on Friday — their second one-point defeat on the year — the Apalachee boys basketball team bounced back in a big way, routing Hebron Christian Academy 86-59 in Dacula on Tuesday.
Five Wildcat players finished in double digits scoring as Derek Miller led the way with 15 points, while DeMarcus Wester and Brandon Bannis both had 14, Deron Collier added 13 and AJ Millbrooks chipped in with 10.
Apalachee (3-2) fell behind 10-2 early but then went on an 18-2 run to grab a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Hebron was able to cut the deficit down to 32-29 at the half and 32-31 to start the third quarter, but the Wildcats went on a 32-9 run to salt the game away.
The Wildcats will play a huge non-region game Friday when they visit Jefferson at 8:30 p.m. The Dragons are coached by longtime former Apalachee coach Kevin Morris, who left for Jefferson at the end of last school year.
Meanwhile, the Apalachee girls won their third straight game Tuesday, easily defeating Hebron 46-26. Nakia Hooks scored 15 points and had 12 rebounds while Briana Bryson had 15 points and freshman Kinsley Kraus had 8.
The Lady Wildcats will also travel to Jefferson on Friday for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
See more in the Dec. 6 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
Five Wildcat players finished in double digits scoring as Derek Miller led the way with 15 points, while DeMarcus Wester and Brandon Bannis both had 14, Deron Collier added 13 and AJ Millbrooks chipped in with 10.
Apalachee (3-2) fell behind 10-2 early but then went on an 18-2 run to grab a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Hebron was able to cut the deficit down to 32-29 at the half and 32-31 to start the third quarter, but the Wildcats went on a 32-9 run to salt the game away.
The Wildcats will play a huge non-region game Friday when they visit Jefferson at 8:30 p.m. The Dragons are coached by longtime former Apalachee coach Kevin Morris, who left for Jefferson at the end of last school year.
Meanwhile, the Apalachee girls won their third straight game Tuesday, easily defeating Hebron 46-26. Nakia Hooks scored 15 points and had 12 rebounds while Briana Bryson had 15 points and freshman Kinsley Kraus had 8.
The Lady Wildcats will also travel to Jefferson on Friday for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
See more in the Dec. 6 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
Basketball: Lady Wildcats hold off Loganville in OT; boys cruise to 83-65 victory
It looked like for a moment Tuesday night that the Apalachee girls basketball team’s struggles to finish off games would get the better of the Lady Wildcats again.
But this time they weren’t going to be denied. After blowing a 15-point fourth-quarter lead, the Lady Wildcats composed themselves in time and rallied for a 44-39 overtime victory at home against Loganville.
It was the first win of the young season for Apalachee (1-2), which lost 52-41 to Union Grove on Nov. 18 and 58-51 to Walton on Nov. 21 in the Apalachee Thanksgiving tournament.
“For this team to hang in there, fight until the end and find a way to win, that was huge for us and this season,” Lady Wildcats coach Gary Compton said. “(Loganville is) a good team so this is big for us. I’m so proud of our players.”
The Lady Wildcats got an outstanding performance from junior forward Nakia Hooks, who scored 17 points and was a dominant force on the boards, pulling down 18 rebounds. Hooks scored 11 of her 17 points after halftime and 6 of the Lady Wildcats’ 10 points in the extra period.
Apalachee appeared to be on its way to a comfortable victory after jumping out to an 18-11 lead at halftime and then outscoring Loganville 10-2 in a third quarter in which they allowed just two free throws and held the Lady Red Devils (3-2) without a field goal over the eight-minute span.
But the fourth quarter was a much different story.
The Lady Devils turned up the heat on their press defense and took advantage of several Lady Wildcat turnovers and miscues to steadily chip away.
Alerriya Butler, who finished with a game-high 18 points, knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the game at 33-33 with 15.7 seconds left.
As a bonus, Charlotte Sende was fouled during the shot by an Apalachee player and hit one of two free throws to put the Lady Devils up 34-33.
The Lady Wildcats raced it down the court and after Briana Bryson missed a potential game-winning shot, Hooks was there to grab the rebound and drew a foul with 2.7 seconds remaining. Hooks knocked down her first free-throw attempt, but missed the second one to send the game into overtime.
Apalachee finally took the lead for good with just under two minutes remaining in OT.
Down 39-36, the Lady Wildcats got a free throw from Takiah Stanford. Stanford missed her second shot, but Hooks came up with another rebound, put up a shot that rolled in and was fouled on the play.
She sank her free throw to complete the three-point play and give the Lady Wildcats the 40-39 edge, which they would not relinquish.
Compton was glad his team was able to weather the storm of a more aggressive Loganville defense in the fourth quarter and overtime.
“They forced us to break press a little differently than we’re used to,” he said. “We were handling it OK, but just one bad pass a little off the mark here and there can really get things rolling in a bad direction.
“Hopefully we can take all of that and learn from it, but I’m proud of the girls for fighting through it.”
Apalachee boys 83, Loganville 65
Meanwhile, the boys game Tuesday was never really in doubt.
Apalachee raced out to an early 11-0 lead and the closest Loganville ever got was 17-12 late in the first quarter.
The win showed continued improvement for the Wildcats (2-1), who won their second straight contest after a season-opening 63-62 loss to Flowery Branch on Nov. 18.
The Wildcats previously defeated Hebron Christian Academy 77-62 on Nov. 21.
First-year Apalachee coach Spencer Bernstein said it was also a more complete performance for the Wildcats against Loganville than the two teams’ preseason scrimmage earlier this month.
“We were up the whole game in the scrimmage but it didn’t feel like we finished it the way we needed to,” Bernstein said.
“I talked to the guys (Tuesday) about playing entire games, playing four quarters. I thought we did a good job of jumping out to a big lead and staying focused.”
The Wildcats had nine players score and four reach double figures. Junior guard Brandon Bannis led the way with 16 points and 6 assists.
Derek Miller had 15 points, three slam dunks and 5 rebounds, Deron Collier had 15 points and Jamonte Wallace chipped in 14 points and 7 assists.
“I really preach to these guys that I don’t feel like we have any superstars out there, but it’s about playing team basketball, sharing the ball, hustling and getting after it,” Bernstein said.
“I feel good about the way things are going. It’s a new system, a new coach and a new era, and these guys have just got to learn how I want them to do things. But we’re making progress.”
Both Apalachee teams return to action Friday when they travel to Monroe Area.
The girls game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. with the boys to follow at 7 p.m. The teams will then have another road game at Hebron Christian on Tuesday with the girls tipping off at 6 p.m. and the boys following at 7 p.m.
But this time they weren’t going to be denied. After blowing a 15-point fourth-quarter lead, the Lady Wildcats composed themselves in time and rallied for a 44-39 overtime victory at home against Loganville.
It was the first win of the young season for Apalachee (1-2), which lost 52-41 to Union Grove on Nov. 18 and 58-51 to Walton on Nov. 21 in the Apalachee Thanksgiving tournament.
“For this team to hang in there, fight until the end and find a way to win, that was huge for us and this season,” Lady Wildcats coach Gary Compton said. “(Loganville is) a good team so this is big for us. I’m so proud of our players.”
The Lady Wildcats got an outstanding performance from junior forward Nakia Hooks, who scored 17 points and was a dominant force on the boards, pulling down 18 rebounds. Hooks scored 11 of her 17 points after halftime and 6 of the Lady Wildcats’ 10 points in the extra period.
Apalachee appeared to be on its way to a comfortable victory after jumping out to an 18-11 lead at halftime and then outscoring Loganville 10-2 in a third quarter in which they allowed just two free throws and held the Lady Red Devils (3-2) without a field goal over the eight-minute span.
But the fourth quarter was a much different story.
The Lady Devils turned up the heat on their press defense and took advantage of several Lady Wildcat turnovers and miscues to steadily chip away.
Alerriya Butler, who finished with a game-high 18 points, knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the game at 33-33 with 15.7 seconds left.
As a bonus, Charlotte Sende was fouled during the shot by an Apalachee player and hit one of two free throws to put the Lady Devils up 34-33.
The Lady Wildcats raced it down the court and after Briana Bryson missed a potential game-winning shot, Hooks was there to grab the rebound and drew a foul with 2.7 seconds remaining. Hooks knocked down her first free-throw attempt, but missed the second one to send the game into overtime.
Apalachee finally took the lead for good with just under two minutes remaining in OT.
Down 39-36, the Lady Wildcats got a free throw from Takiah Stanford. Stanford missed her second shot, but Hooks came up with another rebound, put up a shot that rolled in and was fouled on the play.
She sank her free throw to complete the three-point play and give the Lady Wildcats the 40-39 edge, which they would not relinquish.
Compton was glad his team was able to weather the storm of a more aggressive Loganville defense in the fourth quarter and overtime.
“They forced us to break press a little differently than we’re used to,” he said. “We were handling it OK, but just one bad pass a little off the mark here and there can really get things rolling in a bad direction.
“Hopefully we can take all of that and learn from it, but I’m proud of the girls for fighting through it.”
Apalachee boys 83, Loganville 65
Meanwhile, the boys game Tuesday was never really in doubt.
Apalachee raced out to an early 11-0 lead and the closest Loganville ever got was 17-12 late in the first quarter.
The win showed continued improvement for the Wildcats (2-1), who won their second straight contest after a season-opening 63-62 loss to Flowery Branch on Nov. 18.
The Wildcats previously defeated Hebron Christian Academy 77-62 on Nov. 21.
First-year Apalachee coach Spencer Bernstein said it was also a more complete performance for the Wildcats against Loganville than the two teams’ preseason scrimmage earlier this month.
“We were up the whole game in the scrimmage but it didn’t feel like we finished it the way we needed to,” Bernstein said.
“I talked to the guys (Tuesday) about playing entire games, playing four quarters. I thought we did a good job of jumping out to a big lead and staying focused.”
The Wildcats had nine players score and four reach double figures. Junior guard Brandon Bannis led the way with 16 points and 6 assists.
Derek Miller had 15 points, three slam dunks and 5 rebounds, Deron Collier had 15 points and Jamonte Wallace chipped in 14 points and 7 assists.
“I really preach to these guys that I don’t feel like we have any superstars out there, but it’s about playing team basketball, sharing the ball, hustling and getting after it,” Bernstein said.
“I feel good about the way things are going. It’s a new system, a new coach and a new era, and these guys have just got to learn how I want them to do things. But we’re making progress.”
Both Apalachee teams return to action Friday when they travel to Monroe Area.
The girls game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. with the boys to follow at 7 p.m. The teams will then have another road game at Hebron Christian on Tuesday with the girls tipping off at 6 p.m. and the boys following at 7 p.m.
Wrestling: Mat Wildcats showing progress early in season; Skinner, Lang have strong performances at Grayson tourney
It’s still relatively early in the 2017-2018 wrestling season for Apalachee High School, but the Mat Wildcats are already showing positive signs of improvement.
During a tournament at Grayson High School prior to Thanksgiving, AHS finished 1-4 with a victory against Mt. Zion. Coach Randy Hill said Sam Skinner (160) and Corbin Lang (heavyweight) both had solid performances. Skinner was 4-1 while Lang finished 5-0.
In addition, heavyweight Cody Tobias earned a win in a triple overtime match.
“We were able to compete against some quality opponents and we did pretty well even though we had a couple of wrestlers out of town because of the holidays,” Hill said.
“It was a good event for us to gain experience in.”
The AHS coach said several other Wildcat wrestlers also earned wins. The Mat Wildcats will make their home debut Wednesday (today) when they host Oglethorpe County and Flowery Branch beginning at 5:30 p.m.
During a tournament at Grayson High School prior to Thanksgiving, AHS finished 1-4 with a victory against Mt. Zion. Coach Randy Hill said Sam Skinner (160) and Corbin Lang (heavyweight) both had solid performances. Skinner was 4-1 while Lang finished 5-0.
In addition, heavyweight Cody Tobias earned a win in a triple overtime match.
“We were able to compete against some quality opponents and we did pretty well even though we had a couple of wrestlers out of town because of the holidays,” Hill said.
“It was a good event for us to gain experience in.”
The AHS coach said several other Wildcat wrestlers also earned wins. The Mat Wildcats will make their home debut Wednesday (today) when they host Oglethorpe County and Flowery Branch beginning at 5:30 p.m.
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