2019-20
All-County Boys and Girls basketball teams
The
regular season is done and the state playoffs are here, and with that comes the
annual Houston Home Journal boys and girls All-County teams. Some players are
back on the teams after stellar seasons and others are making it for the first
time and in most cases not for the last.
Boys:
Coach
of the Year: Jamaal Garman, Warner Robins
Garman
and the Demons won a seventh consecutive Region 1-5A tournament title Saturday
night. At 21-4 the Demons are once again a number one seed heading into the
state tournament. With all due respect, no other coach in the county does more
with his bench and reserves than Garman.
Player
of the Year: Dae’Quan Wright, Perry
Wright
is the heart and soul of a very young Panthers squad. Along with being the
team’s leading scorer at 15 points per game, he was also the Panthers leading
rebounder at eight per game, most effective playmaker (he averaged six assists
per game) and best overall athlete (He was a first-team Region 2-AAAA selection
in football and basketball this season). Wright has the biggest basketball
upside in the county along with Northside junior Tre Grane and Veterans
sophomore T.J. Grant. He will be playing on Saturday’s in a couple of years,
all that is left is to figure out is what sport he will be playing when he does
it. A natural talent, Wright is going to be doubled-teamed for the near future
while the Panthers get more familiar with one another. Perry’s return to 2017
greatness (a trip to the Sweet 16 under current Veterans head coach Brett
Hardy) will have to go through Wright. If the program has to depend on a player
to drive them forward, it’s a good thing Wright is available to be that player.
“Dae’Quan’s
play this season allowed us to compete in many games against
junior/senior-laden teams that we had no business competing against at times,”
said Perry head coach Reginald West. “As our floor general, he shouldered the
tough task of leading an extremely young team night after night. He is an
excellent choice [for player of the year].”
First team:
Dae’Quan
Wright, sophomore, Perry (See above)
Jamarcus
Thompson, senior, Northside
The
leading scorer on the Eagles, Thompson has saved his best season for last. He
is averaging a career high 20 points per game and has played equally as well
during the region season. Long and athletic, he can get his shot off against
most defenses and is a solid free throw shooter when he can’t. Thompson will
play at the collegiate level if he chooses to.
Greg
Jones, junior, Warner Robins
Jones
doesn’t start for the Demons but is routinely one of the players that finishes
the games. His first season as a major contributor, Jones has a combination of
high basketball IQ and scoring ability that is a major reason why the Demons
won another region tournament title this season.
Quon
Dillard, senior, Warner Robins
The
physical, emotional and spiritual leader of the Demons, Dillard is arguably the
hardest worker in the county. In he paint he is also one of the regions best
defenders. A first team All-region selection, he is being recruited by a number
of Division II programs and will get the attention of even more during this
state tournament.
Keshun
Houser, senior, Warner Robins
Houser
should be the county player of the year but there were too many times this
season that his massive amounts of gifts were not put to the best use. A pure
scorer and solid defender, there were games this season where Houser either
fouled out or wasn’t on the court during major moments. That said, Houser is
one of the best players in AAAAA basketball and one of the five best athletes
in the county. When fully engaged, like he was during the region tournament
final, he cannot be stopped from getting to the rim. The Demons will get as far
as a prepared Houser will take them.
Second team:
Tre
Grane, junior, Northside
T.J.
Grant, sophomore, Veterans
HB
Morgan, junior, Houston County
Rashaun
Tomlin, junior, Warner Robins
DeAngelo
Hines, junior, Veterans
Third team:
Barnes, junior, Warner Robins
Horace
Johnson, senior, Veterans
TJ
Morgan, senior, Houston County
Julius
King, sophomore, Warner Robins
Jordan
Brown, junior, Northside
Honorable
Mention:
Rodney
James, senior, Veterans
Gage
Williams, sophomore, Northside
Dereck
Cotton, senior, Houston County
Julius
Herrington, senior, Veterans
Jakobe
Nelson, senior, Houston County
Girls:
Coach
of the Year: Sherry Richards, Perry
Richards
had been coaching on this level and others for decades and that level of
experience was exactly what the program needed coming into this season. The
Perry Lady Panthers are back in AAAA state tournament play for a number of
reasons, none bigger than Richards’ presence on the sidelines and in the locker
room. Aggressively stalking up and down the sidelines during games, Richards
has brought a defense-first style to Perry and the program is better for it.
Player
of the Year: Stacie Jones, senior, Veterans
Jones
is headed to play at Kennesaw State University after her high school career is
done, and by the looks of the Lady Warhawks this season that won’t be for a
couple of games. Jones, a volleyball standout who if she so chose could play
that sport at the Division I level, has transformed her game from purely a post
option to being able to step out and make perimeter jumpers. Long and rangy as
a defender, she is only going to get better in that department once she gets
into a collegiate weight room and plays against better players at the
collegiate level.
First team:
Stacie
Jones, senior, Veterans (see above)
Courtney
Davis, junior, Warner Robins
Davis
has her hands full being the team’s playmaker and leading scorer but if there’s
any player that can carry the load it’s her. A skilled long-range shooter, she
has done more to get others involved this season.
Quidashasia
Dunnom, senior, Northside
Dunnom
has been on this team the past three years because of her skill and toughness.
She is one of the few players in the county to make three straight.
Tamia
Luckey, senior, Veterans
Arguably
he toughest player in the county, male or female, Luckey has come a long way as
a shooter. Her ability to drive to the basket has always been her trademark,
now her game is well rounded and it showed this season.
Zykeria
Jenkins, junior, Veterans
The
best athlete on the best team in the county, sky’s the limit for Jenkins. A
first-class defender and rebounder, this season her offensive game caught up to
her defensive game and that helped the Lady Warhawks back to the state
playoffs.
Second
team:
Vakaya
Lee, sophomore, Perry
Ansley
Miranda, junior, Veterans
Marquia
White, sophomore, Houston County
TJ
Lawrence, junior, Houston County
Nykia
Carter, junior, Warner Robins
Honorable
Mention:
Kamia
Ridley, junior, Northside
Raven
Glover, junior, Veterans
Jordyn
Johnson, sophomore, Houston County
A’dajia
Edwards, senior, Perry
Hayley
Shepherd, junior, Warner Robins
HHJ News
