Hurricane Basketball Season Ends at State
By ZACH HOUSTON
Both the Hurricane and Lady Hurricane teams were in action last week in the first round of the GHSA Class A State Playoffs, the Lady Canes playing at Heard County in West Georgia, and the Hurricanes playing at Temple, near Carrollton.
Coming off a region tournament where both teams picked up first round victories before falling in the semifinals of their respective tournaments, the girls entered the playoffs with a 15-11 record after losing out in the region tournament consolation game to Southwest Atlanta. The boy’s team on the other hand, came into the playoffs sporting a 14-13 record after picking up a rare forfeit win in the region tournament consolation game.
The girls traveled to Heard County for the first round, taking on a team that has been ranked in the top five in the state for most of the season, and came into the game with a 23-3 record. The Lady Canes fought the good fight, but the Lady Braves were too much for the local ladies and won by a final score of 81-56. Though they lost, the Lady Canes turnaround has to be noted, as they finished the season at 15-12, the most wins in a season since the 2018-19 season, and more wins in one season than the last four years combined.
Freshman Jazmin Maddox was recognized for her efforts, being named a First Team All-Region Selection by the coaches of Region 4-A. She finished the season with 597 total points, and averaged 22.1 per game to lead the Lady Canes. Fellow freshman Kamryn Davis was named to the 2nd Team, and senior Stevi Davis was named as an All-Defensive team representative. Senior Kinya Thomas and Junior Selena Harvey were named as Honorable Mention selections.
The boys made the trip to Temple the next day for their first round game against a tough Tiger squad. Playing even ball throughout the first half, ending the half down only three at 23-20, the Tigers exploded for 27 third quarter points, taking a 50-39 lead into the fourth quarter. Although the boys fought valiantly, it was not to be, falling by a final score of 67-53.
The boys ended the season with a 14-14 record, and were led in the game by junior Jamarkus Thomas, who earlier that week had been named as a Region 4-A 1st Team representative. Thomas finished the game with 21 points, followed by sophomore Dereon Pennamon with 10 and senior Malik Epps with eight. Pennamon was also recognized by the coaches of the region, as a 2nd Team All-Region player. Junior Tayshawn Reeves was named to the All-Defensive Team, as well as being named an Honorable Mention selection. Aidon King, Chance Ross, and Epps were also chosen for their efforts as Honorable Mention All-Region.