Bear Brawl opens good for hosts, And rival boys teams from WR and Northside

mbrown@sunmulti.com

 

Stephen Walls tried anything and everything to get his Houston

County High boys basketball team out of the opening round of his own

tournament, the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bear Brawl. Even going to the deepest reaches

of his bench.

Walls’ five starters used that time sitting down and

watching others take on the Peach County High Trojans wisely. They took their

defensive play to new heights and turned what looked like a double-digit loss

into a 43-42 victory.

Of course, it took two free throws from Parris Jester with

exactly 0.4 seconds left on the fourth-quarter clock to establish that winning

margin, but everything that happened in those last few seconds mirrored all

that it took for the Bears to even be in a position to win.

The second half didn’t exactly begin with things looking

bleak for Walls and his troops. Peach County had the lead, but only by three

points at 22-19. For five to six possessions, though, the Bears produced not a

thing on offense, settling for one-and-done trips on one end. Three times the

Trojans pushed the ball down court to stretch the lead to 28-19.

Walls, as he did in the first half when the need to shake

things up arose, made wholesale changes. Forward A.J. Burton was the first to

change how things were turning out with an offensive rebound and a steal.

Another forward, Cornelius Lawhorn, stole the basketball as well.

The only thing that did not change was offensive production.

Peach didn’t stay silent for long going up by 10 at the 4:29 mark of the third

quarter. From a steal and a scrap on the floor for a loose rebound, the Trojans

stood ahead by 13, 33-20.

Houston County finally registered a field goal at 3:46, and

it was from a 3-point shot made by reserve guard Taylor Boyett. The football

quarterback actually sunk two from behind the arc in the period, and that

brought some hope to the Bear side. The fourth quarter began with Peach holding

a 34-26 advantage.

What really changed the complexion of the game was the

full-court defensive pressure, which kept the basketball on the Houston

offensive end long enough for a 9-0 run. Taran Wooten took a hard foul in the

lane at 6:22, and Davon Akins took advantage of some wayward dribbling for a

steal that cut the lead down to one.

Jamarkus Williams had a pair of steals one after the other,

and with less than five minutes to play Houston County was in front 35-34.

Peach used little time to get that lead back, but with Lawhorm back on the

court as a defensive and rebounding factor, the game swayed from one side to

the other.

Coming out of a Bear timeout, Peach stole the inbound to

lead 38-37. But Houston snatched it back, and point guard Andrew Graham cleared

everyone out to drive, draw a blocking foul and sink two at the line. It was

41-38 with 1:26 to play.

At 1:13, a press turnover put Peach ahead one more time, and

the Bears missed their chance at a response. But at 42-41, the Trojans threw

the ball into the hands of Wooten. Again, the one shot for the lead would not

fall.

Peach could not run the clock out nor add, and the Bears

looked at one more opportunity with just 3.5 seconds showing. The home run pass

from end to end went to Akins, who missed. It was Jester taking a foul on the

rebound and calmly securing the tying and winning free throws.

 

Williams had 10 points to lead the Bears. Graham scored nine

and Boyett eight.

Houston County led by as much as six in the opening quarter.

Graham stuck a jumper off a steal, Williams made a 3 and Wooten converted from

a strong driving move inside. Jester also stole the basketball from a

double-team, and Graham snunk a second-chance trey for 10-4.

The Bears had more takeaways, like one from Jester, but

failed to cash them in. Akins, the leading scorer, was also struggling to find

a range. Peach was open for an offensive rebound basket to get within two. Out

of a timeout, Williams ended the brief Houston slump with a 3-ball.

Going into the second, Peach trailed 13-10. It was a

slow-paced quarter with the Bears making more unforced turnovers than shot

attempts and the Trojans trying to establish a presence inside. Peach found an

open man on the weak side and lead 18-17 at 2:25.

As the Trojans forced a pair of takeaways, Walls went to his

substitutes for the half’s final two minutes. They only gave up one basket, and

Boyett stuck in a jumper to bring the halftime score to 22-19.

Houston County faced sub-region rival Warner Robins High in

Friday’s semifinal. The Demons coasted to a victory in the first round when

they played Richmond Academy.

In the other boys semifinal, Choctaw, a visiting club from

Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., faced the third city school in the Bear Brawl field,

the Northside High Eagles.

Ken Price and Northside went to two overtimes with another

entrant from Augusta, Josey High. Kyle Johnson had six points in the extra

minutes to pace the Eagles to the win 81-77.

For the game, Johnson scored 16. Three more of Price’s

players were in double figures. Robert Davis scored 17 points, Jarius Smith 15

and Justin Burnam 14.

What Josey brought to the Bear Den was a long and rich

heritage in basketball, and it showed in how they handled the ball, passed and

jumped for catches.

Northside seized early momentum for a 12-2 lead sparked by

Smith. He had two steals leading to five points by Johnson. Davis also scored

three in the run, catching a lob pass actually intended for 6-10 center

Christian Kennedy.

Kennedy was still able to do his part in the period with two

blocks. Davis swatted one shot away, and scored from another turnover caused by

Smith. Price went to his 5-for-5 exchange of players, and as Josey pressed

Kevondre Hunt passed to T.J. Spann for two and 16-6.

The two reserves worked together a second time on a takeaway

basket, and Smith, at 13 seconds, answered a 3-ball hit by Josey. It was 23-16

after one quarter, Josey beating the quarter buzzer.

That shot, however, began a 8-0 run with two extra-long

3-point makes. Kennedy snapped it on a tip-in, and Davis’ press steal produced

two, but Northside’s main problems in the second quarter came from turnovers

and cold outside shooting.

Josey had six points off takeaways and two running the floor

from a long miss. The Eagles were 0-for-6 in the perimeter game.

At 1:39 Darrin Clark found an open Burnam to end a 7-0 run,

and Johnson ended the half putting back a long miss. Josey never led by more

than four, and it was 35-33 at the break.

But with four more from takeaways, the Eagles were down

seven, 42-35, in the third period. Down 44-40, Northside tried to make things

happen on defense, and Josey showed it was not as effective in the half-court

offense. Johnson nailed a 3 at 3:07 in an 10-0 run that ended the period.

Burnam scored the final four making it 48-44.

GIRLS PLAY

Houston County High’s girls took an easy route to the

semifinals by routing Hapeville Charter Thursday.

Rival Warner Robins wasn’t as fortunate as Tom Mobley and

the Demonettes faced a familiar foe in their Bear Brawl history, Peach County

High. Point guard Narisa Woolfolk scored 18 points in a 48-34 final.

Though Warner Robins had much more basketball possession

time in the opening quarter, the Demonettes found themselves trailing 11-4. A

3-pointer banked in for the Lady Trojans at 2:48. Three times Warner Robins

lost chances to shoot off of turnovers caused by Mobley’s reserve players, and

the Demonettes were 0-for-4 at the line.

With 3.5 seconds on the clock, senior Asha Stegall sunk a

3-pointer as she went from corner to corner in ball reversal set. Despite all

the missed chances, the Demonettes only trailed 11-7 after one.

But Peach reeled off five straight to start the second,

Woolfolk drawing a foul on the run for a three-point play. Woolfolk then found Amber

Tucker (who missed an open shot earlier) a second time. This time Tucker upped

the lead to 20-8.

Stegall cashed in a mid-court steal, but it was bad turnover

after bad turnover by Warner Robins that symbolized play.

 

Peach later

outhustled the opponent for a loose ball to stick in a jumper for 26-13. Hoping

for a boost for the second half, Tesia Walker ended the first on a stick-back

(27-15).

Woolfolk twice had a steal-and-score combination early in

the third, and Warner Robins couldn’t change its total until 4:19, Walker

taking an assist by Stegall. Destini Johnson, as the Demonettes were trying to

stage a comeback with its press, banked in a 3 at 2:05 (34-24).

Ce Ce Carroll also made a steal for two by Stegall, and

after three Peach was only up eight 34-26.

Walker turned the first possession into points on a

put-back, but the Lady Trojans answered to begin a 9-0 spurt. Woolfolk caught

the ball underneath and made it a three-point play.

Stegall led the Demonettes with 17 points.

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