‘The Sweetest One’: Houston County Sharks win eighth straight title

With less than 30 seconds left in overtime, Houston County inbounded from the sideline down 22-21 to Henry County.

Off the inbound, Dylan Thompson got the ball on the wing with a wide-open lane down the middle. Without hesitation Thompson drove down the middle, not a defender in his way, and shot the game winner.

Time seemed to stop as the ball kissed the glass and tickled the net on the way down, and then resumed when the crowd jumped up hollering as Houston took a 23-22 lead.

The final seconds ran off as Henry County tried to push the ball down court with no timeouts left and the Sharks were crowned state champions again, for the eighth straight time.

“This is the sweetest one ever, said Head Coach Christy Jones. “Of the eight in a row that we’ve had, this is the sweetest one.”

This one’s so much sweeter, not because it’s the eighth straight championship, or even the fact they rallied back after being down as much as 17-6 to win the game in overtime.

The players had to battle adversity to win it all, and while on the way to an eighth straight title Coach Jones and assistant coach Melissa Ring-Hartman were fighting their own battle.

“Coach Ring and I have been battling breast cancer this year,” said Jones. “We both just finished up with our treatments and everything and we’ve been concerned we weren’t giving the kids enough, and they just kept coming back and coming back and giving us 150% and motivating us. You know you’re doing something right when this foundation keeps going and going.”

The coaches showed their resiliency against cancer, and the players showed theirs against Henry County for the state championship.

The first half didn’t go as planned for the Sharks. Henry County started to get a big lead while Houston was frustrated trying to find a rhythm.

Then Houston started rolling behind the scoring energy of O’lando Hicks in the second half and Henry County couldn’t help but to just watch.

“First half I was mad and pissed off you know,” said Hicks about the slow start. “After the first half, second half I got my head in the game and just did it, fought through it all, (I) couldn’t do it without my team. Without my team, I’m nothing. Without my family, I’m nothing. No matter what, I’ll always have my team and my family with me, no matter what. That’s why I do this for them, and the ones that’s up in heaven right now; I know they’re proud of me, and I do it for them too.”

Emotions of joy overwhelmed players with more tears than smiles after the hard fought victory.

“This wins means everything to me,” said Thompson. “Everybody put in the hardest work; oh my God I cannot believe we’re here, but we made it and we’re doing this.”

The Sharks conquered the AAASP/GHSA Wheelchair Basketball Varsity State Championship once again, and you can bet that they’ll be back next season for number nine.

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