The consolation and final games for the Region 2-7A Boys Tournament were held at Campbell High School last night. The McEachern Indians faced the Campbell Spartans in the consolation game, and the Pebblebrook Falcons took on the East Coweta Indians in the finals.
McEachern and Campbell got things started at 6PM. The Spartans were hoping that home court advantage would be a factor to help them get their first victory over the Indians this season. And after a mostly even first quarter, it looked promising for Campbell. The Spartans held a 15-14 lead heading into the second quarter.
The second quarter was all McEachern though. Outscoring the Spartans 18-7, the Indians' speed in transition had the Spartan defense sprinting up and down the court. Jayden McMillon's back-to-back three-pointers gave the Indians a 6-point lead halfway through the quarter and late quarter back-to-back buckets from Jalen Hilliard extended the lead to ten, 30-20. The half ended with the Indians in control, 32-22.
In between the games, the All-Region teams and individuals were introduced. The 2-7A All-Region team includes: Ace Bailey (McEachern), Delricco Gillespie (East Coweta), Mike Jacobs (McEachern), Jaiun Simon (Pebblebrook), and Andre Young (Pebblebrook). Pebblebrook's Kami Young was selected as Player of the Year, and Pebblebrook's George Washington earned Coach of the Year.
Pebblebrook's representation in the all-region selections was a confirmation of the amazing year they have been having. An overall record of 24-2 (undefeated in Georgia and the region), a consensus #1 in the state and #22 in the nation, this Falcon team is very special. As they took the floor for their final region game of the year, they were dressed the part in gold uniforms and brand-new shoes, donated to the team by Pebblebrook alum and Cleveland Cavalier point guard Collin Sexton.
"Collin came by two weeks ago and gave Kyries to the team," said Coach Washington. "The guys love them and they're playing great in them. We're going to wear those every playoff game."
As the final game got underway, it was clear that Pebblebrook would have their hands full with East Coweta. After a surprising win over McEachern two nights before, the Falcons knew that East Coweta would be a different team than the one they beat twice in the regular season.
After two and a half quarters of back-and-forth play, it looked to be anyone's game. The atmosphere in Gwyn-McClure Arena was tense. It got even more so after a coast-to-coast steal and slam by EC's Sam Moss to give the Indians a 7-point lead with four minutes left in the third quarter. The Falcons battled back and East Coweta held onto a one-point lead heading into the final quarter, 49-48.
Pebblebrook's Jaiun Simon drew first blood in the fourth quarter, with a put-back to retake the lead. Although East Coweta continued to fight, Pebblebrook only extended their lead through the end of the game. Craig Adam was an offensive and defensive whirlwind with a 10-point fourth quarter. The Falcons capped their impressive season by winning the region championship with a final score of 68-62.
"This group of guys create their own pathway," Coach Washington said. "We had a slow start, but I told them to just be Pebblebrook and have some fun. As coaches, we made the adjustments we needed to, but they went out and played their game."
"We knew they would key on certain players, so others had to step up," Coach Washington continued. "Craig Adam stepped up big-time as our enforcer. We didn't hit a lot of threes, but we were tough inside and that's what's we need to carry us through the state playoffs."
The first round of the state tournament is next week. Campbell will face Grayson on the road, and McEachern will travel to Newton. Pebblebrook will host Parkview. Good luck to our Region 2-7A teams in the state playoffs!
