Tonight is the night that the best teams in the highest classification clash to determine who will be crowned champion. Here are full previews of the boys matchup between Milton and Wheeler and the girls game between Redan and Marietta.
CLASS 5A BOYS PREVIEW
The Class 5A Boys Championship Game will feature two experienced coaches if not two experienced teams. A veteran Wheeler team, led by head coach Doug Lipscomb, meets the youthful Milton, who is coached David Boyd, at 8:45 p.m. on Friday at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. The Wildcats and Eagles, two Region 6 teams, have already met twice this year with Wheeler getting 12 and 13-point victories.
The Wildcats got to the championship game by ousting Westlake 71-54 in the semifinals. Point guard Phil Taylor pushed the ball up the court effectively and was successful behind the 3-point line to the tune of 20 points. Wheeler seemed to thrive in the sometimes frantic style that they and the Lions engaged in. “That was comfortable for us, but we are going to have to play a better ballgame [against Milton],” Lipscomb said. “Milton executes well. Coach Boyd always does a great job with whatever team he’s coaching. Whatever school’s he’s been at he’s always produced, so we got to come ready to play.”
Milton is doing well under Boyd. The Eagles, who rely heavily on three sophomores and a freshman, got by Newnan 64-53. Milton guard Shannon Scott led the way with 19 points and fellow sophomore Julian Royal produced 18 points as well as eight blocks. “I think we may be a little bit head of schedule,” Boyd said of his team appearance in the state title game.
“One thing that helped a lot is that we played such a tough schedule. We went to Florida, played in a national tournament. We played Columbia. We played Greater Atlanta Christian and we played Huntsville-Lee out of Alabama, and then Wheeler, Centennial, Walton, Lassiter- that prepared us,” he added. “If that schedule doesn’t kill you then you’re okay. So I think the schedule has helped and we’ve improve as the year has gone on and we’ve gotten better.”
Lipscomb recognizes the talent of the Milton youth, which also features the swingman Dai-Jon Parker and sharpshooter Evan Nolte. “They’re good or else they wouldn’t be here,” Lipscomb said. “And they play well together.”
Boyd credits spring and summer basketball as another factor why his young team is already playing for a state championship. “These guys have played at a high level for many, many years. They’re not really 10th graders. Julian has probably played in 300 games in his life,” Boyd said. “These guys play year round and they play on the same AAU team and it makes a big difference. And we run the same stuff.”
Still, he knew that whoever he was going to face, another matchup with Wheeler or even a meeting with Westlake, playing a team of that caliber on the championship stage was going to be tough.“It’ll be a daunting task,” Boyd. “We’d have to play our best game of the season to have a chance, so hopefully we’ll go home and get to rest a little bit early. Since we [had] the early game that hopefully will help us [on Friday.]”
Lipscomb hopes his team experience, having three talented starters on the court from last year’s Class 5A runner-ups, will trump Boyd and however he has his team prepared. “We’ve been in this situation before and coach Boyd has been in this situation before,” Lipscomb said. “He’s won four state championships; our program has won four state championships. So one thing is for sure, somebody is going to come out of here with a fifth state championship and hopefully it will be us.”
CLASS 5A GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIPS
One bridesmaid will become a bride as two programs that have recently been on the cusp of being champions battle for a state title. Marietta takes on Redan in the Class 5A Girls Championship game on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. Marietta has been a regular season power, but has had some tough luck and draws come playoff time. The last six years Marietta has been to the state tournament, the Lady Blue Devils have lost to the No. 1 team in the state, with four of those losses against Maya Moore’s Collins Hill teams.
Redan has survived the playoffs to make it to the state championship game, for instance losing to Collins Hill in 2005 and Stephenson last year in the finals, but seeks it first state title. To get back, this year the Raiders defeated Parkview 63-62. Lady Raider star forward Nia Evans and was in foul trouble for most of the day, but teammates Aneesah Daniels and Delia Brunson proved more than capable. “They came in and picked up where she left off and did a good job for us,” said Redan head coach Rhonda Malone. “I’m pleased with the play of our post people.”
Redan also benefited from the outside shooting of Kierra Paige and MacKenzie Dalrymple. “They hit some big shots and that was big for us, knowing the things that they need to do to win, knowing that that shot is there for them if they take it,” Malone said.
Paige led Redan with 17 points and they needed every one of them after Parkview took a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter. “I think we needed to relax a little bit and start playing our game,” Malone said. “Parkview went on a run. I had to call a timeout to get my girls settled back down and make them understand what they needed to do to win and what they’ve been doing all year in playing hard and playing smart.”
The Lady Raiders, who remained undefeated with the win, will look to come up with victory just one more time. “I’m proud of the girls. I’m proud of the way they’ve been playing all year long,” Malone said. “[Today] is a big day, if we continue to do the things that we are supposed to do, execution, playing defense and staying focus, we got a shot at it.”
Marietta’s 58-40 dispatching of Beach in the semifinals was keyed by its defense and the offensive talents of Telia McCall. “We played a great defensive game,” Sprague Jr. said. “That was a very good team, a very well coached team and defensively we just did what we do. We’ve been holding teams down to 40 and less quite a bit.”
McCall led the Lady Blue Devils with 30 points, producing a balanced 15 in both halves. “Offensively we just run our stuff and try to find mismatches where we can,” Sprague Jr. said. “Generally most of the mismatches are with Telia.”
McCall, a versatile 6-2 forward, will now be matched up with a quick Redan frontline, which can throw several different bodies at her. “We watched them play,” Sprague Jr. said. “We’re going to do what we do. We’re not going to change up much of what we do. We only have a day to get through with it.”
That also means matching up with Lady Raider point guard Alisha Andrews, who was a key component in Redan’s win over Parkview. Sprague Jr. feels that Brittney Echols, who he calls the best defender in the state and Brittany White, who he says will defend anybody, can matchup with Andrews. “It starts with our guards, the three Brittany’s [Brittany Johnson being the other],” he said. “They put tremendous pressure on the ball.”
As for finally getting to the championship game, Marietta is happy to a point. “It feels nice, but our goal is to win it,” Sprague Jr. said. “The girls are excited, but they weren’t overly excited because they understand we have another game to play.”
Butler can be reached at jbutler@scoreatl.com.
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