Before the season started, Savannah High coach Tim Jordan and his close friend, Johnson coach Utaff Gordon, talked about their aspirations for the upcoming basketball season.
“We said it would be great if we could play each other four times this year,” Jordan said. “Because that would mean we would be playing for the state championship.”
The preseason talk has panned out as Johnson and Savannah High will meet for the fourth time this season in the GHSA Class AAA title game at 4:45 p.m. Saturday at the Macon Centreplex.
Savannah won the first meeting in December by nine points, and the Atom Smashers bounced back to win by six in a January meeting. Savannah came away with the Region 1-AAA tournament title last month, winning by nine again.
“We’ve been playing each other once a month,” Jordan said. “And we both know the most important game is played in March.”
Savannah High beat Buford 54-50 Saturday without its top big man, junior Chris Cokley, who suffered a head injury after a scary fall in the quarterfinals against Washington County Wednesday. Cokley missed a day of school, but has been improving. He was courtside for the win over Buford.
“It was hard sitting out and watching,” Cokley said Tuesday. “But I knew my guys were going to step up and win it for me. I’m getting better and hope to be able to play Saturday.”
If Cokley suits up, it would be a huge boost for the Blue Jackets (28-3). The 6-foot-8 center scored a team-high 18 in the region tournament win over Johnson.
“You never want to lose a player of that caliber at any time,” Jordan said of Cokley. “But we try to have a system, and if a player is not there for any reason, you plug in a new piece and hope it fits. It seems like a good chance that Chris can play Saturday, but right now we have to prepare the opposite way.”
Across town, the Atom Smashers were preparing for their Monday practice after routing North Hall 56-34 in the semifinals.
The win propelled Johnson (24-6) to its first title game since 1993 — and the fact the Atom Smashers are facing their cross-town rival makes the game that much more significant.
“This game will prove who is the best team in town and who is the best team in the state,” said Johnson senior Greg Mortimer .“We want to prove we are the best.
“We know each others’ style of play; we’ve just got to have the mindset to win it.”
Players on both sides have gone head-to-head since their days in local youth leagues. They developed their games on the playgrounds and rec centers of Savannah.
“Savannah High is real scrappy on defense, and they play with a lot of heart,” Mortimer said. “When we beat them, we played with intensity and got back on defense. When we lost to them, our shots weren’t going down and we didn’t play defense like we should have.”
Johnson is known for its up-tempo, fast-moving offense. And the Atom Smashers have been playing impressive defense as of late.
Savannah’s defense is the heart of the team, with the offense a product of its defense.
“If they want a scouting report on Savannah, they can just look in the mirror,” Jordan said. “We know their tendencies and they know ours. I will probably throw in a few wrinkles here and there, and I’m sure Coach Gordon will do the same. It’s going to come down to whoever executes the best will win the game.”
Previous meetings
Dec. 15 at Savannah State
Savannah High 55, Johnson 46
Johnson entered the game as the top-ranked team in Class AAA, but the Blue Jackets came away with a victory behind a tough defense. The Atom Smashers were without senior star Tim Quarterman, who missed the game for disciplinary reasons.
Savannah sophomore Jermaine Williams got hot from the outside early, hitting four 3-pointers and scoring 14 of his game-high 18 points in the first half. Jamal Norman also had a big game for the Blue Jackets with 16 points, while Chris Cokley added nine.
Saadiq Muhammad led the Atom Smashers with 15 points, while Greg Mortimer added 10. Rico Bonds chipped in with 7 points as the Atom Smashers scored their fewest points in a game all season.
Jan. 26 at Savannah State
Johnson 54, Savannah 48
The Atom Smashers had LSU-bound senior Tim Quarterman back in action, and the talented guard was a difference maker — scoring a game-high 23 points to lead Johnson to the victory. Quarterman set the tone by throwing down a breakaway two-handed dunk for Johnson’s first points of the game. Savannah played solid defense once again, limiting the Atom Smashers to four points in the second quarter and leading 20-16 at the half. Quarterman nailed back-to-back 3-pointers from both corners and scored 10 points in the third quarter as Johnson outscored Savannah 16-9 to take control. Darrell Myers scored 12 points for Johnson and Rico Bonds added 10 points. Jovante Spivey was the only Savannah player in double figures with 15 points. Norman scored nine and Williams added seven points for the Blue Jackets.
Feb. 15 at Savannah State
Savannah 67, Johnson 58
Savannah and Johnson met for the regional title for the second year in a row, and Savannah High won the trophy once again. Savannah High took control in the first half and cruised through the second half for the win. Senior point guard Jason Lawton had a huge first half, scoring 11 of his career-high 13 points as he knocked down three 3-pointers and a 15-footer at the buzzer before intermission. Savannah lead by 15 points at the half. Chris Cokley had several dunks and dominated inside as he scored a team-high 18 points for Savannah. Jermaine Williams added 12 points and Jamal Norman scored 11.
Quarterman was held to two points in the first half, and ended up scoring 15. Greg Mortimer lead Johnson with 19 points, while Muhammad and Devon Holmes chipped in with nine points each.