Houston County’s Malik Gillespie, Josh Jackson have cemented themselves in Bears history

It’s not often that you see a player score 1000 points in their high school career, much less two of them in the same season.

In that way Houston County is unique.

Malik Gillespie was recognized on Saturday, Jan. 3 before the Bears’ region opener against Northside. Josh Jackson followed quickly with recognition before Friday’s game against Thomas County Central.

Gillespie is the most familiar name for those outside of the county and middle Georgia area, but Jackson is consistently one of the top contributors for a HoCo program that has risen sharply in recent years.

Gillespie averages 17 points per game, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals. Jackson tallies 17 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals on average.

Both are a testament to patience and growth in their game. Even though Gillespie has been on the floor routinely since his freshman year, he wasn’t always the primary option.

Jackson was tertiary last year but can often be the go-to guy on any given night.

“[They came in], played the role player role first, and [understood] the ins and outs of where to get shots off the ball, where to get shots off of other people until they became the focal point of the offense,” Head coach Buddy Bivins said. “Their growth shows a testament to their hard work every day, being consistent…competing every day. It’s a big accomplishment.”

It’s a short list of epeople who’ve accomplished this level of success at HoCo, too.

“This is our first one since about 2019. I want to say in the history of the program it’s probably the fifth or sixth,” Bivins said.

There’s some exciting players coming through the pipeline, too. Sophomore Karon Plummer and freshman K.J. Johnson are two to watch, and even for those in middle school Bivins has one message:

“Find a way to make an impact. No matter if it’s playing defense, no matter if it’s you being a rebounder…just being a knockdown shooter. Make an impact on the game somehow and worry about your responsibility increasing down the line”