Milton played their way into the Class 5A championship game with a fair amount of ease. The Eagles destroyed Newton in the semifinals 86-54 as four players scored in double figures, led by Julian Royal with 24 points. Milton made a bold statement with the 32-point win over a team that had gone 30-1 on the season.
Westlake had a little tougher road, winning 73-67 in overtime over Central Gwinnett. After Central tied it at the end of regulation, the Lions went on a 6-0 run to start the overtime. Senior guard Jeff Newberry scored seven of his 14 points in the extra session. Westlake’s star Marcus Thornton led the team with 24 points and 15 rebounds. That set up an all-county championship game.
Unfortunately, it was practically over before it got started. Westlake’s Marcus
Thornton injured his ankle during pregame warm-ups. He started, but
only scored two points before leaving the game injured.
Although the game was close at halftime with Milton leading 28-26, the Lions proved they could not compete without their key player. The Eagles were led by junior
guard Dai-Jon Parker’s 19 points and six rebounds. Sophomore Evan Nolte and
junior Julian Royal took advantage of the lack of inside presence and combined
for 29 points to go along with Royal’s five blocks. It was the fifth state championship with four different schools for head coach David Boyd. With no seniors on the roster, Milton is the clear-cut favorite to win the championship again next season.
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