DeKalb Dominates

8/12/2019 DeKalb Dominates

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THE CHAMPI ON, THUR SDAY, MARCH 13 19, 2014 PAGE 11ASPORTS

Basketball State

Championships Coveragepgs. 12-16


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P E R F ECT ION !Redan ends record season with state championshipby Carla [email protected]

he magical run the RedanLady Raiders had been onthis season come to a suc-

essul conclusion as they becamehe third DeKalb County girls bas-

ketball team to inish undeeated astate champions.

he No. 1 ranked Lady Raidersdeeated the No. 2 ranked ColumbusLady Blue Devils 63-53 March 6.

Redan joins the 1997 Stone Moun-tain Lady Pirates (32-0) and Redans2010 team (27-0) as the countys

only undeeated champions, whilesetting a school record with a 33-0season record.

With a state championship addedto his resum, head coach Jerry Jack-sonis now on a 33-game winningstreak ater starting his coaching ca-reer with a 31-0 streak beore losingin the 2011 state championship. Jack-son said ater the game that inishing

the season undeeated along withwinning a state championship meansa lot to him and the team.

hats what we came to do,Jackson said. We just told [theteam] today that we came to pick upwhat belongs to us.

Jackson said that ater losing toSandy Creek in a close game lastseason in the Elite 8, the teams wasto win the state championship in2014. Senior guard Jada Byrd saidthis season was all about overcom-

ing adversity rom last season andproving their doubters wrong.

Coming out strong and inish-

ing our senior year meant a lot tous, Byrd said.Redan started the game strong

with Jamese Abneyand DestiniMcClaryhitting three-pointers togive Redan a 19-12 lead ater theirst quarter.

Redan went on a 12-3 run in the

See Redan on page 16A

The Redan Lady Raiders basketball team completed a perfect 33-0 season with the Class AAAA girls state championship after defeating Columbus 63-53. It was the firststate championship for head coach Jerry Jackson (right) and the second championship for the program. Photos by Travis Hudgons

edan senior guard Brea Elmore (5) looks to pass duringe championship game.

Jada Bryd goes up for a layup as Columbus TatyanaWyatt defends.

Senior guard Jamese Abney shoots over theColumbus defense. Photos by Travis Hudgons


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Ladies FirstTucker dominates Southwest DeKalb to win its first state titleby Carla Parker

[email protected]

hey were told they did not have a chanceto beat the No. 1 ranked SouthwestDeKalb Lady Panthers, but the No. 2

ranked ucker Lady igers proved its doubterswrong when they convincingly beat SouthwestDeKalb 83-65 in the Class AAAAA statechampionship game in Macon Mach 7.

Tis is uckers first girls basketballstate title in its first championship gameappearance.

Its completely unbelievable, ucker headcoach Robin Pottersaid. Its remarkable. I

knew we had it in us. We just had to put it alltogether tonight. I believe this is the best gamewe played all season.

It was probably the best game o theucker senior class o Erykah Davenport,Naimaand Nuba Jacksonand Tori Robinson.Each senior scored in the double digits, withNuba leading the way with 26 points andRobinson right behind her with 21.

Nuba opened the game with a three-pointer, which led to an 8-0 run. TeLady igers never looked back as they ledSouthwest DeKalb by as many as 20 points.Davenport, who finished with 11 points and13 rebounds, said doubters gave ucker extramotivation.

[An Atlanta newspaper] said we had a40 percent chance o winning this game andwe came out and beat them by 20 points,Davenport said. Tat was our incentive. Weplayed with a purpose tonight and I told theteam that we have to play with a purpose.

Potter said her senior players, especiallyRobinson, came through or the team.

Ive said it throughout the year, even lastyear, that Robinson makes us go, Potter said.She doesnt get all the attention Erykah andthe twins get but she makes us go and shecame through.

Southwest DeKalb was able to cut thelead to 16-10 at the end o the first quarter.However, Robinson, who had 13 first halpoints, opened the second quarter with a

three-pointer and two ree throws to extenduckers lead to 21-10.Southwest DeKalb did make a run late in

the third quarter to cut uckers lead to 10.Casey Kelly scored our points during the10-2 run to cut the score to 53-43 with 46seconds lef in the third quarter.

However, ucker dominated in the paintand played pesky deense to extend their leadto 15 late in the ourth quarter. Te LadyPanthers cut the lead again back down to 10,but Nuba was hot rom the ree throw line,hitting five o six ree throws to extend thelead to 15 points and on the way to sealing thegame.

Afer the game, Naima said every playerhustled and played with heart.

We played our game, she said. Nobodydid anything other than what they know howto do. We played our role, we did what we hadto do and we came out with a win.

Senior Erykah Davenport (44) holds up the championship trophy and game ball after Tucker defeated SouthwestDeKalb 83-65 in the Class AAAAA championship game. Photos by Travis Hudgons

Senior Naima Jackson dribbles up the court.

Senior Tori Robinson dribbles by a Southwest DeKalb defender.Erykah Davenport (44) goes up for a layup as South-west DeKalbs Daisa Alexander tries to defend.


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by Carla [email protected]

Together we attack;

number six for 24.Miller Grove coach Sharman Whitestated

those words afer the Miller Grove Wolverinesdeeated Warner Robins 70-43 in the boys ClassAAAAA state title game March 7 at the MaconCentreplex.

It was the sixth consecutive state title or theprogram, a state record. Te journey to numbersix was not easy. Beore the start o the season,reshman Terrell Coleman, 15, died Oct. 27afer collapsing during an all-star game in StoneMountain. Coleman was diagnosed with a heartmurmur approximately a year ago.

Beore his death, Coleman said to teammatesthat he came to Miller Grove because all he wanted

was to win a state championship ring. Te team,which dedicated the season to Coleman andcarried his jersey to every game, was able to honorhis last wish.

Its so gratiying because errell was veryspecial to us, White said. He was a great kid, agreat part o our program, so when that happenedthe kids were devastated. We were all devastated.

But, the thing about it was we rallied and wesaid we were going to do this in the beginning,

White added. For us to be able to do it is just anawesome eeling, not just or them but or me as acoach personally.

Colemans mother, Raeshones, has attendedevery Miller Grove basketball game this season and

when the team was presented with the trophy, sheand Colemans ather, Willie, were standing withthe team holding their sons No. 24 jersey.

I know i he was down here on this earth andhis eet were standing on solid ground hed be over

there in the corner with tears o joy and happinessin his eyes, she said.Te championship win came a day afer

Coleman would have celebrated his 16th birthday.Raeshones Coleman said this was a wonderulbirthday present or her son and said she could notwait to get her sons championship ring.

Im going to hold on to that ring, she said.Im going to show so much love to that ringbecause I know its or errell.

Senior guard Keith Pinckney, who led theteam in scoring with 21 points, said it elt great towin it all or Coleman.

We came out here to try to give it our allor our brother errell and thats what we did,Pinckney said. It eels awesome.

Afer a shaky first hal when the Wolverines

only made 11 o their 26 shot attempts, it wasPinckney who led the charge in the second halthat led to the blowout win over Warner Robins.He scored 11 points during Miller Groves 26-7third quarter run, which led to a 24 point leadheading into the ourth quarter.

Pinckney said that White asked them onequestion during halfime afer their shaky first hal

For TerrellMiller Grove wins its sixth consecutive title for fallen teammate

See Miller Grove on page 16A

The jersey of the late Terrell Coleman covers the in seat on the Miller Grove bench. Coleman died before the season and the Wolverines dedicated the season to him andcarried his jersey to every game. Photos by Travis Hudgons

Raeshones Coleman, mother of Terrell Coleman,points to the sky as Miller Grove celebrates its sixthconsecutive state title.

Searching for Our Sons and Daughters:

For a programming guide, visit www.yourdekalb.com/dctvNow showing on DCTV!

Finding DeKalb Countys MissingStories of our missing residents offer profound

insights and hope for a positive reunion.

DCTV Your Emmy Award-winning news source of DeKalb County news. Available on Comcast Cable Channel 23.

Photos brought to you by DCTV


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BACK 2 BACKDurr, Carter lead St. Pius to second consecutive state title

by Carla [email protected]

I

t came down to the finalseconds, but when the clockhit 00:00, the St. Pius girls

basketball team was onceagain state champions.Te Golden Lions deeated the

Buord Wolves 48-45 in the ClassAAA state title game March 8 athe Macon Centreplex.

At the end o the first quarter, itooked as though St. Pius did not

have a chance to win the game,being down 15-3. Junior AsiaDurr, the No. 1 player in her class,missed her first six shots, and theGolden Lions started the game 0or 11.

Teir first field goal came with20 seconds lef in the first quarteron a layup rom junior Obi Okafor.

However, St. Pius flipped the switchn the second quarter and went on

a 20-6 run in that second quarter toake a 23-21 lead into halfime.

Durr led the charge with three3-pointers in the second quarter.

I knew we just needed to get acouple o stops and the shots wouldtart alling, Durr said.

St. Pius never gave up the leadhe rest o the game but Buord

continued to fight back. In theourth quarter, St. Pius was held toone field goal in the final quarter,but Durr was 10 or 10 rom theree throw line. Buord ound

hemselves down 47-45 with 14.2econds lef in the game. Buordouled senior Jasmine Cartertoend her to the ree throw line orwo oul shots.

Carter made one o her two reethrow attempts to bring the scoreto 48-45. Buord had a chance tobring the score back within one,but a missed layup stalled Buordspotential comeback and the GoldenLions went on to celebrate its

second consecutive state title.Head coach Kyle Snipeswas

breathing a sigh o relie afer thegame.

Its more relie than anything

because it was expected o us towin but we almost did not pull itoff, he said. But the girls did andIm proud o them.

Carter, who was celebrating herbirthday as well, said it elt good tohelp her team pull out the win in

the end with the ree throw.I had to stay ocused she said.

You cant get down when you domiss [ree throws] because theyare crucial, but you have to stay

ocused and keep shooting them.Carter finished the game with 12

points and seven rebounds. Durrled the team 23 points, with mosto her points coming rom the reethrow line. She was 12-14 rom theline.

Junior Miah Allen, who was 3or 4 behind the arc, finished withnine points.

Tis is St. Pius fifh state title in10 seasons.

Seniors Anna Nelson, left, and Jasmine Carter hold the trophy after St. Pius defeated Buford 48-45 in the Class AAA state titlegame. Photos by Carla Parker


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