MS Canes Are Champs With 17-0 Season
The Jasper County Middle School (JCMS) Hurricanes were crowned the 2018-2019 Piedmont Athletic Conference (PAC) champions Saturday following a rousing 71-39 defeat of the Morgan County Middle School Bulldogs.
The contest concluded like each of the contests this season have for the Canes—in victory leading to a 17-0 perfect season record.
Head Coach Keldrick Davis was enthusiastic about winning the title just as he was about each and every win this season.
‘First I would like to give thanks to God for allowing my guys and I to have a great (undefeated) season, 17-0!,” he commented. “Then I would like to thank all of the parents and each and everyone of our fans especially my family. Thank you all for your dedication and support because we couldn’t have done it without you all.”
The coach continued, ‘I’ve really enjoyed this season and I wish each one of my guys that will be moving on next year good luck and for the ones that will be returning I’m looking forward to another great season next year.”
Next year’s squad will be minus six eighth graders Ashton Pennamon, Johnathan Barnes, Cedrion Stone, Jacarian Grier, Marcus Whitlock, and Geralynn Benton but will return current seventh graders Landon Bonner, Thomas Schilling, Kemarion Thomas, Randy Williams, Kaidon Whidby, Elijah Terrell, and sixth grader Kyle Levester. Team managers are DeNiland, Malyle Thurman, and Jay Vinson. Coach Davis is assisted by Yelberton Frazier.
This was the second PAC Championship earned by the JCMS Canes during the conference’s brief history. The squad won the title in 2015 in the same fashion by going undefeated all season long. That squad was coached by Rufus Whitlock.
Saturday’s game started much like it ended—on a fast pass with Pennamon making a steal and a lay-up for the first points of the game. It was a tight first quarter with the Bulldogs garnering a small lead early but by its close the Canes were back in control with a two point edge that grew exponentially throughout the game. By halftime, the lead was 32-16 and at the third quarter buzzer the squad was up by 23.
Four Canes combined for eight three-pointers made during the title game coming close to their season three-point record of 10 made during the Greene contest.
Bonner led the scoring Saturday with 20 points (including a pair of three-pointers) , Pennamon followed with 13 points, Cedrion Stone and Marcus Whitlock each had nine points (all of Whitlock’s points were from three-pointers and Stone had two), Kemarian Thomas added seven, Johnathan Barnes had six, Tom Schilling had a three-pointer, Jacarian Grier and Geralyn Benton each had two.
During Wednesday’s semifinal contest the Canes defeated Youth Middle School 56-21. Whitlock scored 20 points to lead the squad; Pennamon added 11; Bonner had 10; Thomas, four; Stone, Grier, and Randy Williams, each had three; and Barnes, two.
Though the PAC season has concluded, Coach Davis said that his Canes squad has been invited to play in a Middle School State Tournament hosted by Veterans Memorial Middle School in Covington beginning Saturday, Feb. 23. Their time of play has not yet been determined.
