A running account of the Augusta area’s basketball and football scene. This is the blog. Go to @AugBball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for live coverage.
The girls will tip off today at 4:00 at Richmond Academy, immediately after Laney takes on Glenn Hills in the championship game of the Clash of the Classes alumni tournament. The boys will tip off at 5:00. Here are the rosters:
Boys
Team Black
John Whitehead - Glenn Hills - 2020
Kobe Stewart - Cross Creek - 2020
Emmanuel Jones - Glenn Hills - 2020
Latavian Lawrence - Gray Collegiate (transferred from Silver Bluff) - 2020
Dykese King - Laney (transferred from Lakeside) - 2020
Jordan Stringer - Laney - 2021
Malik Ferguson - Grovetown - 2023
Ahmad Hunt - Augusta Christian - 2022
Team White
RJ Felton - Aiken (transferred from North Augusta) - 2021
Zy Wright - Aquinas - 2020
Richard Visitacion - Butler - 2021
Joshton Mincey - Evans - 2021
Maurice Williams - Josey - 2020
Dajuan Collins - Laney - 2021
Girls
Team Black
Jordyn Dorsey - Cross Creek - 2021
Tyliah Burns - North Augusta - 2020
Nekiyah Booker - Laney - 2020
Amani Jones - Josey - 2020
Dmya Griffin - Grovetown - 2022
Micah Bess - Cross Creek - 2020
Lauren Brady - Butler - 2021
Destiny Culver - Butler - 2020
Whitney Anderson - Laney - 2021
Sinclair Fryer - Laney - 2022
Team White
Jmani Ingram - North Augusta - 2020
Raquanna Drayton - Laney - 2020
Raven Birt - Jefferson County - 2021
Kiana Lee - North Augusta - 2021
Keona Curtis - Grovetown - 2022
Deajah Houck - Josey - 2021
Alteona Collier - Laney - 2021
Brionna Simms - Butler - 2021
David Beard has earned a reputation for organizing some of the most entertaining, competitive and well attended basketball events every year. His Glenn Hills alumni basketball game set attendance records at Michael Curry Gymnasium last October and raised more than $7,000 for the Glenn Hills athletic department.
Now Beard has organized an alumni basketball tournament that will include former players from seven Augusta schools, with Thomson rounding out the eight team field, that will compete in bracket play this Saturday and Sunday at Richmond Academy. The first game is tomorrow at 11:00, and the championship game will be played Sunday at 3:00, right before two special high "showcase" games. David recently shared that the tournament will feature 96 of the best former players from year’s past. I’ve seen the rosters, and he’s 100% correct.
The showcase games at 4:00 (girls) and 5:00 (boys) will include 40 of the area’s best high school players. It will be the first games I can recall that don’t feature seniors only, or underclassmen only, or this county, or that town. It’s a wide ranging list of names from a broad area covering all four classes of next season’s rising crop of talent.
Check out the action at Richmond if you want to watch some fun summer basketball. Admission is $12, and your host will do his best to make sure you are entertained.
David does his work without the backing of a school system or a business with a big budget. And he proves that one man with unlimited enthusiasm and smarts, leading a small team of good people, can make something somebody with more resources or a bigger team would envy.
Wednesday afternoon, Buck Harris, the former coach of Baldwin, and before that Laney, who has the deepest of ties to Augusta, which include his standout days as a player at Westside and later at Augusta University, as well as many years served as Augusta's assistant coach, brought his newest high school team, Jones County, to Grovetown to face another esteemed coach with a new assignment. Darren Douglas, Grovetown's first year head coach, will aim to bring the same magic to his new home that he brought to Aquinas, where he led the Irish to a state championship in the second of his three seasons there. Harris holds a special place in Douglas's heart because of the attention Buck gave him when Darren was trying to break into the head coaching ranks during the first half of this decade.
"Buck always made time for me, always shared whatever knowledge he had," Douglas explained before the scrimmage. "So I'll forever be appreciative of him. And I'll always want him to succeed."
During Wednesday's informal scrimmage at Grovetown Middle School, success came early and often for Harris's Jones County squad, which took an early double-digit lead that expanded to 21 points late in the third quarter. But a frenetic half court trapping defense enabled an impressive comeback by the Warriors that climaxed when senior Ervin Johnson swished a three pointer from the right wing with 2 seconds remaining to give Grovetown its first lead since the first quarter, and a 66-65 win.
The final result, and the method in which it was attained, must have provided a shot of confidence to Grovetown's players, who have worked a tireless summer workout schedule which appears to be quickly transforming what was a 3 win team last season into what might be a formidable competitor in an extremely competitive class 6A region, which includes two teams, Evans and Lakeside, that spent time ranked #1 in the state last season, and another, Heritage, which reached the semifinal round of the state playoffs, not to mention Greenbrier, the region tournament champion.
The cohesiveness that Douglas has fostered throughout his program in his first month on the job was apparent. That observation is supported at the bottom of the screen, where I highlight the play of the junior varsity team in Wednesday's first scrimmage. But first I want to introduce some new (to the AugBball blog) faces who showed much potential during the scrimmage.
Julius Brown (Grovetown) - 5'10" PG '2021
I'll add to the caption above by saying that what Julius possesses that might differentiate him from every other area player, and that might make him the best point guard here, is what I'll call the "fluidity" of his game. The examples in the video above include how naturally he blows by his defender in a tight space with an inside-out dribble move, how he catches the ball in the middle of the paint and seamlessly floats in a one hander from 10 feet away and the how he perfectly places a one handed bounce pass to a cutting teammate for a back door layup. All three of those plays came within Grovetown's offensive system. What a smooth operator!
Ervin Johnson (Sr), Zach Bell (Jr) and Jose Rodriguez (Soph)
Johnson's game winning three was only one of the pivotal plays the senior made during Grovetown's frantic comeback. He also contributed on the other end by sacrificing his body to take a charge against Jones County's Chavis Mathis, a much bigger player at 6-4, 185 pounds, when Mathis had a full head of steam on a drive to the paint. It was the type of play that counted in a big way, even if it didn't make the box score, and it displayed Johnson's leadership chops, which will be valuable for a team consisting of so many young impact players.
Zach Bell and Jose Rodriguez are two such contributors. Both players affected the action with intense and intelligent play on defense, and Bell, who is an impressive athlete, also scored a string of floaters using a soft touch.
Amauri Tillman (Freshman)
Tillman, who will enter high school as one of the area's best three point shooters, is one Grovetown freshman in a collection of ninth graders that will have the chance to make an impact on the varsity scene from day one.
Jones County freshman Daethan Harris has a familiar name and game
Jones County freshman Daethan Harris shares more than a last name with his varsity coach. He also possesses his dad's toughness, his talent and his affinity for taking charges, as you can see, and as you can hear in my brief exchange with Daethan after he draws contact for the second time, in the video above. The one thing I know he *didn't* get from his father is his ability to drain threes from the volleyball line. That's a 2019 thing. I'm certain that this class of 2023 baller will be a name we'll get even more familiar with during the next four years.
JV coach Mike Stephenson explains the Grovetown Way
As impressive as Harris and Douglas's varsity teams were, the most remarkable thing about Wednesday's scrimmages might have been the fact that Grovetown's junior varsity team appeared to run the varsity's offensive system even better than the older unit. Many coaches talk about teaching a system all the way throughout their program, but executing that plan is usually much more difficult than it sounds. The fact that Douglas and JV coach Mike Stephenson have made as much progress as they have in fewer than 30 days speaks loudly for the future of Grovetown basketball at all age and grade levels.
It's no secret that the results of football games are decided by which team dominates the line of scrimmage. It's also well known that the offensive and defensive linemen who make that difference might be the least celebrated figures in any of our major sports. But that fact has never deterred the hard work and sacrifice these players pour into their high school football teams so they can clear a path for their running backs, and protect their quarterbacks to give them enough time to find their receivers, so those skill players can garner recognition from newspapers, newscasts, websites and social media posts.
One group of men who undoubtedly appreciate the importance of the men in the trenches are the head coaches and assistant coaches who organize and teach stations at the annual CSRA OL/DL Camp at Patriots Park:
This week was the third installment of the camp that was first conceived by Jefferson County head coach JB Arnold. Nearly 200 linemen from ten local teams, along with their head coaches and assistant coaches, gathered for three days, running drills, learning techniques, and competing for three hours each day, two of them in pads, per Georgia High School Association rules.
The CSRA OL/DL Linemen Camp ended with pads crashing and helmets knocking when Simeon Barrow and Jermarvien Fraley of Grovetown) went head to head with Jefferson County’s O-Linemen this morning. Learn all about the camp at this link: https://t.co/PAzI2AlpnQpic.twitter.com/Yh0yx7U0jF
I think it is no coincidence that coach Arnold's own offensive line was one of the most successful units we saw last season. We profiled that group on this blog when we noticed the gaping holes star quarterback Jaden Jenkins ran through on Jefferson County's path to a region championship:
If you missed it, check out this feature about Jefferson County’s 7 man offensive line, which is the biggest and baddest around:https://t.co/Zy6ooSO0k6
And last season's most impressive defensive line, Grovetown's, was also represented at the camp. That group, which features returning senior Simeon Barrow, who recently received a scholarship offer from Michigan State, was the deciding factor in Grovetown's undefeated run through region play last season.
So whether or not the men in the trenches get their proper due from the media and the PA announcers on Friday nights, there remains no doubt about their importance, or about the importance of the repetitions they get every June at the CSRA OL/DL Camp.
It took me until the twentieth day of June to see any of the schools on the South Carolina side of the border play in person this summer, but Thursday's matchup between Fox Creek and Strom Thurmond in the third annual Fox Creek Summer Shootout made the wait worth it.
Strom Thurmond is coming off of a third round finish in last season's class 3A state playoffs, and returnees Jikeal Brown and Dalton Hitt were two of the more impressive guards playing in Thursday's six team shootout. Fox Creek, which topped Thurmond 59-58 after senior DeMarkus Young buried a three pointer from the right corner with 10 seconds remaining, will aim to turn things around after failing to qualify for the state playoffs for the past two seasons.
After splitting a pair of games Saturday in South Carolina's NCAA certified team camp in Columbia, Fox Creek coach Andrew Peckham sounded optimistic when I asked him about his expectations for next season:
"Our guys have had a solid summer. We have played 20 games this summer and went 16-4," coach Peckham explained. "I have been impressed with my team and have high expectations for us to be very competitive next season in Class AA. Four out of my five starters all played on my JV team two years ago that went undefeated (18-0). So they know how to win and how to play together."
Young, a 6-5 senior wing who only played 6 games last season, was one of the starters on that undefeated JV team from two seasons ago after he transferred from North Augusta following his freshman year. Because of the transfer, he was prohibited from playing on the varsity during his sophomore season. If he can string together a complete season this year, I expect him to make a huge splash because he has the talent to be among the best handful of players in our wide area.
Another talented newcomer
Another potential surprise star surfaced at Fox Creek’s Shootout when sophomore Otis Carter took the court for Aiken. Carter’s name has been buzzing throughout the offseason because of his play on the local AAU circuit. He showed why when he checked in to Aiken’s matchup against Pelion, stretching the floor with a handful of deep threes in the Hornets’ blowout win.
But as much of a surprise as it was to discover two players the caliber of Young and Carter, nothing could match the shock that it was to many people to see that junior RJ Felton, who earned the reputation in the eyes of many as the best player in the area during his run as North Augusta’s leader last season, will now suit up for Aiken, a region rival of his old school. Felton will instantly make the Hornets a contender because he is as polished and as dangerous a weapon as there is with the ball in his hands.
As you can see in the video above, Felton can fly, he has a strong frame and he shoots the ball well from the perimeter. Coach Darris Jackson complimented Felton on his competitiveness, his leadership and his ability to create shots off the dribble for both himself and his teammates in the three games Aiken played in last weekend’s NCAA certified team camp.
Video: Felton "gets to his spot" in a game in last weekend's team camp:
Jackson said the team improved each game while playing against some of South Carolina’s best competition, beginning with a 14 point loss to Wade Hampton, a traditionally strong class 5A (SC’s highest classification) team. The Hornets started to hit a stride in a hard fought, 50-39 loss to back-to-back class 4A state champion Ridge View. And things really clicked when Aiken earned a 60-42 win over Fort Mill, another highly respected class 5A team.
Video: RJ Felton hits Otis Carter with the pass of the summer in last weekend's team camp:
In addition to Felton’s leadership, and Carter’s ability to score as well as just about any guard in the area, Jackson was very complimentary of senior forward George Bussey and another couple sophomore guards, Kameron Williamson and Clay Howard. Bussey, who stands 6-4, plays harder than just about anybody, and he earns more than his share of rebounds, put backs and other buckets in the paint. And Williamson and Howard play with poise and skill beyond their years.
After winning back-to-back region titles and making the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs in 2017 and 2018, the Hornets took a step back last season. But coach Jackson’s group might be ready to make a run at the crown that North Augusta claimed in 2019 by sailing through the region schedule and making the quarterfinals of the playoffs itself.
North Augusta is still in the pole position
Such a run by Aiken will be easier said than done because even without Felton, North Augusta is loaded with talented returnees. Because I won’t get to see the Yellow Jackets at all this month, now is as good of a time as any to reintroduce four of those impact players who will lead the defense of their region title. I voted for all four of them to participate in this Sunday’s Top 20 Area Showcase game at Richmond Academy. None of them were chosen to play in the game, which is very much focused on players from the Georgia side of the border.
But these are the four players I watched propel North Augusta past Orangeburg Wilkinson in the second round of last season’s class state 4A state playoffs. And these four players are the reason I think North Augusta is the area’s most talented team entering next season: Omarion Byrd (senior), Jordan Wilburn (junior), Colin Rodriguez (junior) and Kaleb Cooper (senior).
Video: 4 of North Augusta's talented returnees lead the Yellow Jackets into the quarterfinal round of the class 4A state playoffs:
More Featured Players from the 3rd Annual Fox Creek Summer Shootout
Deavion Scales (Fox Creek) - 6'0" G '2020
Coach Peckham on Scales:
Deavion was one of our top scorers last year. He scored 30 points against Batesburg Leesville in a big region win for us last season. He will be counted on as one of our top offensive threats. He also has a high energy motor and rarely gets tired on either side of the ball. He’s an underrated offensive rebounder as well because of his motor even though he is only 6’0 tall.
At the beginning of Tuesday's 7 on 7 Passing League session at Grovetown, Bernard Grant, a staff member for the Greater Augusta Fellowship of Christian Athletes, used this Bible verse to explain to the seniors in attendance that they will need to make the most out of the next several months on the field:
John 9:4
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
The night, of course, will come when those seniors have played their last snap of high school football. Two seniors who hope that day will come very late in the year next Fall, deep into the class 6A state playoffs, are Grovetown'sKirk Smith and Latrell Walker. Both players were key members of last season's region championship squad, and both took full advantage of the opportunity to get better Tuesday, playing on both sides of the ball, catching touchdown passes and intercepting opponents' throws along the way.
Another senior who has big plans, Augusta Christian quarterback Sam Roberson, was the star of the evening. Roberson told me afterwards to check his Lions out come Fall because they are aiming for a state playoff spot. After watching him throw touchdown passes on every drive I saw against Grovetown, Westside and Josey, I will definitely mark my calendar so I can see the regulation version of Augusta Christian's football team this season.
Here are more clips from Tuesday's action, which include highlights of quarterbacks Kori Bryant (Grovetown), Quamere Gooch (Westside) and Kalil Alston (Josey).
Westside continued its impressive run through June with a 54-44 win over Greenbrier Monday in the opening game of the fifth session of the Butler summer league. The victory marked the third time in three weeks that the Patriots, who appear to be on the way back to their familiar form after two substandard seasons, have been featured here after a comfortable win against a solid squad. Westside topped Evans (36-28) last week and Josey (45-26) the week before.
Felix Booker led the Patriots in scoring with 16 points, including 4 three pointers. The 6-2 rising junior guard gave Westside its first double-digit lead in the first half with a three pointer at the 10:05 mark that put the Patriots ahead 15-5. Forty-five seconds later, after Andrew Black answered Booker to cut the lead back to 7 points, Booker answered with another bomb to restore the 10 point cushion, which later ballooned to 18 by the time the second half was barely underway.
Felix Booker led Westside with 16 points.
Later, in a repeat of the first half sequence, Booker again nailed threes on back-to-back possessions midway through the second half to give Westside a commanding 47-24 lead that Greenbrier slowly reduced, but never truly threatened, in the remaining 10 minutes of play. Sandwiched between Booker's threes during this sequence was a trifecta by Greenbrier junior Cyrus Wilder, who led all scorers with 20 points.
Westside's balance and teamwork shines through
Westside's scoring load has been shared by a consistent core of players in the three games I've covered this summer. The most likely reason for the balance has been the willingness of those players to share the basketball. As happened in last week's win over Evans, solid defense led to transition offense Monday, and impressive teamwork by Greg Smith, J'Quan Collier, Kyale Mathis, and Quamere Gooch led to easy baskets in Monday's rout. Often those plays began with a blocked shot by the promising 6-5 rising junior Camrhen Briddell, as you can see in this series of clip that shows Westside's balance and teamwork:
Both teams will be in action during Wednesday's session, when Greenbrier takes on rival Evans (4:00), and Westside will face Cross Creek (5:00).
Here are the highlights of both teams from Monday's game:
