Savannah High’s team motto is “trust and believe.”
The Blue Jackets trusted they could win despite missing starting forward Chris Cokley, and they believed they would be playing for the Class AAA state championship.
It all came together Saturday night.
Behind 16 points from Jamal Norman, Savannah High defeated Buford 54-50 in the Class AAA semifinals before a capacity crowd of 3,000 at Armstrong Atlantic State University’s Alumni Arena.
The Jackets advanced to the finals for the second straight year and will meet crosstown rival Johnson next Saturday at 4:45 p.m. in Macon.
“Everyone had to give a little extra,” SHS coach Tim Jordan said. “It takes a team to win a championship.”
The Jackets (28-3) won two out of three meetings with the Atom Smashers this season, including the Region 1-AAA tournament title.
“We’re two teams from Savannah; I’m looking forward to playing them,” Norman said. “I was rooting for them to win, and I’m sure they wanted us to win.”
He’s right.
“They’re like our brothers,” Johnson star Tim Quarterman said. “You always want to see your brother win.”
Savannah High’s task was a lot tougher Saturday without Cokley, a 6-foot-6 junior forward who suffered a possible concussion in the quarterfinals against Washington County.
Before the game, Jordan said Cokley was kept out of the game for precautionary measures.
But the Jackets used a 12-0 spurt in the third quarter to pull out to a 38-25 lead. Jovante Spivey had a layup and a 3-pointer in the run as the crowd roared, sensing the end of the hungry Wolves.
Spivey finished with 14 points. Jason Lawton had all 10 of his points in the second half.
But Buford (25-7), behind University of Tennessee-bound A.J. Davis, a 6-8 point guard, fought back and closed within 44-42 midway through the fourth quarter.
Spivey got the Jackets back to a comfortable 52-44 with two layups in an 8-2 run, sending Savannah back to the title game for the second straight year.
Last season, the Jackets lost to Milton in the Class AAAAA finals.
Savannah started slowly Saturday and fell behind 6-0 as Davis, who finished with 21 points, slipped through the Jackets’ defense for easy layups.
Buford, the Region 7-AAA tournament champion, had an 8-2 lead before Savannah stormed back. Norman and Spivey had four points apiece during a 10-0 run that gave the Jackets a 12-8 lead in the final minute of the first quarter.
Kyle Doyle’s tip-in ended the scoring in the quarter and sliced SHS’s advantage to 12-10.
The Blue Jackets kept the lead until Isaiah Williams stroked a long 3-pointer to put Buford ahead 17-15 midway through the second quarter.
But during the final 3:17 of the half, Norman displayed little fear, driving into the heart of Wolves’ defense for three inside buckets as Savannah regained a 26-22 lead.
SAVANNAH HIGH (54)
Jamal Norman 16, Young 4, Jason Lawton 10, Jovante Spivey 14, Chisholm 5, Rivers 5.
BUFORD (50)
Isaiah Williams 10, A.J. Davis 21, Durden 4, Mapes 2, Kyle Doyle 13.
Halftime—Savannah High, 26-22. Records—Savannah High 28-3, Buford 25-7.
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFFS
BOYS
Class AAAAA
Gainesville 63, Effingham County 62
Class AAA
Semifinals
Johnson 66, North Hall 34
Savannah High 54, Buford 50
GISA
Class AA
Memorial 65, First Presbyterian 60 OT
GIRLS
Class AAAAA
Semifinals
Miller Grove 49, Effingham County 23