Girls varsity basketball player Autumn Wallace, a senior, dribbles past a Jefferson High School defender during the Gladiators’ 39-36 win over the Dragons on Senior Night on Feb. 6. Following a win over Region 8-AAAAA leader Loganville High School last week, Wallace was glad that her team was able to build more momentum ahead of the region tournament. “(JHS) was one of the more difficult teams to beat and it was really good that we beat them,” Wallace said. “We’ve got to stay smart at the end of the game. We were up by a good amount of points and then they kind of got up because we started to lose focus, so just staying smart throughout the whole game (is important for us going forward).” Photo by Wyatt Meyer
The CCHS girls and boys varsity basketball teams took on Jefferson High School on Senior Night, with the girls winning their contest and the boys losing out.
As basketball season nears its end, the tables appear to have turned on the Clarke Central High School girls varsity basketball team.
On Senior Night, the team’s last game of the regular season, the CCHS girls varsity basketball team held off a late charge from Jefferson High School to win, 39-36. The win continued the Lady Gladiators’ remarkable renaissance in Region 8-AAAAA that has seen them knock off the region’s top two teams in the last two weeks.
Boys varsity basketball player Marcus Gillespie, a sophomore, drives to the basket in an attempt to extend the Gladiators’ lead before their ultimate loss to Jefferson High School on Senior Night on Feb. 6. Despite their loss, boys varsity basketball player Copeland Grantham, a senior, was happy that the seniors got a chance to play. “It was a good experience for the seniors who haven’t played a lot this season and the whole class of 2023 getting the chance to showcase our talents, have fun together, just put on the show,” Grantham said. Photo by Wyatt Meyer
“It was a big win for us (on) Senior Night. Jefferson was the number two team in the region, so for us to play four quarters, it felt good,” CCHS head girls varsity basketball coach Carla Johnson said.
The girls trailed for most of the game, but a strong third quarter powered by five straight points from small forward Autumn Wallace, a senior, propelled the Gladiators to a lead they wouldn’t lose.
“It just felt really good to know that we were able to put all four quarters of the game together following the (Loganville High School) win,” Wallace said. “It just feels really good and I’m glad we got a win on our Senior Night.”
Unfortunately for the CCHS faithful, the boys could not match the girls’ result, as they lost in a 54-50 nailbiter. With the Gladiators having led for most of the game, head boys varsity basketball coach Stefan Smith was disappointed with the lack of follow-through at the end of the game.
“Fourth quarters: that’s been our problem all season. We gotta learn how to finish,” Smith said. “We’ve been working on (getting better defensively) all year and our guys don’t understand how hard you gotta work to watch the basketball and play defense.”
Boys varsity basketball player Jackson Hall, a senior, is recognized along with his father, Derrell Hall, at Senior Night on Feb. 6. Derrell was proud to see his son starting a game for the first time since his mother, former Cedar Shoals High School math department teacher Dr. Margaret Morgan, passed away last year. “It was the highlight of my day. He was so excited, he was so happy. Just seeing him go through the crowd with (him) and his boy (boys varsity basketball player) Copeland (Grantham), it was awesome,” Derrell said. “I think he’s playing for his momma.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer
Smith opted to open the game with an all-senior lineup, which remained in rotation until the very end of the first half, when he subbed out the seniors to a raucous ovation from the crowd. CCHS guard Copeland Grantham, a senior, was happy to play despite the team’s eventual loss.
“It was a surreal moment, thinking back on the last four years, all the blood, sweat and tears,” Grantham said.
The attention of both teams will now turn to the region tournament, but with the two sides in contrasting form, the Lady Gladiators have all the momentum heading into their game.
“I’ve been telling them, regardless of how the season has gone, we gotta learn from those losses because I feel like this team is worthy of winning a region championship,” Johnson said. “This is the time you want to be trending up (and) we’re definitely going in the right direction.”
