MACON — Johnson star Tim Quarterman ran onto the floor of the Macon Centreplex Saturday for the state title game with Savannah High wearing a T-shirt in honor of his late uncle Arthur Quarterman, a member of the last Atom Smasher team to win a state title in 1992.
The shirt read “Gone, but not forgotten.” Quarterman and his teammates did his uncle’s memory proud, while leaving a legacy of their own as they rolled over the Blue Jackets 61-51 to win the Class AAA state title.
The win earned the Atom Smashers the third state title in school history. Johnson also won in 1968 and 1992.
Quarterman said his uncle, who died of problems related to an enlarged heart in 2004, was a junior when Johnson won the title in 1992. The star forward went on to play college ball with stops at Villanova and Tennessee Tech.
The victory was a sweet one for the Atom Smashers, who had lost two of three previous meetings with Savannah High, including a loss in the region tournament final.
“It felt good to win this game after all the hype about it,” said Quarterman, who scored a game-high 21 points. “We had a lot of doubters, and we wanted to prove them wrong. We wanted to represent our school and the city of Savannah, and I wanted to represent my family and honor my uncle. This win is for him.”
After a low scoring first quarter, in which Johnson (25-6) took an 8-6 lead, the Atom Smashers started to take control with a 15-6 run to close out the first half.
Quarterman was at the forefront — scoring nine consecutive points in the spurt.
Johnson lead 30-21 at the half and maintained its advantage by outscoring the Blue Jackets 15-10 in the third quarter.
Johnson’s trio of guards came up big in the victory. In addition to Quarterman, senior Greg Mortimer and junior Rich Bonds were at the top of their games.
Mortimer converted on several acrobatic drives to the basket — driving in amongst the big men and finishing with a flourish a few times as he scored 13 points to go along with eight rebounds. Bonds was also effective with 11 points on 3 of 6 shooting, while converting 5 of 6 from the free throw line.
“It’s been our goal all year to win the state championship,” Mortimer said. “And our hard work paid off tonight. We came out and played defense from start to finish, while making plays on offense.”
Saadiq Muhammad, the 6-foot-7 senior forward, had seven points and seven rebounds. He didn’t score in the first half, but helped spark the Atom Smashers in the second half with two early dunks.
“We felt like their bigs scored two many points in our last game with Savannah,” Muhammad said. “We felt like if our big men played better, we would win, and that’s what happened.”
Chris Cokley, Savannah’s 6-foot-7 junior who suffered a concussion in a fall against Washington County Feb. 27, returned to action for the Blue Jackets. He played 24 minutes, and scored seven points with five rebounds.
A technical on Cokley for a flagrant elbow at the end of the first half was a turning point. Savannah trailed by five at the time and would have had possession. But the foul led to a quick four points for Johnson, which extended its lead to nine at the half.
Jermaine Williams led Savannah with 18 points. The sharp-shooting sophomore was 3 of 7 from beyond the arc before fouling out with 3:30 left. Junior Jamal Norman had another big game for the Blue Jackets with 16 points and seven rebounds.
“We should have come out more aggressive,” said Savannah senior Jovante Spivey, who scored two points, with five assists and a pair of steals in his final game. “They are tall and lanky and were able to push the ball and get out on transition. We didn’t get back on defense quick enough, and they made a lot of second chance baskets.
“I’m glad to have had the chance to play at Savannah High. I still think we have the best program in the city with all our hard work and dedication. We fell short tonight, but I hope these guys can come back and win it next year.”
Savannah coach Tim Jordan said Johnson played harder and deserved to win.
“They got after every loose ball and did the dirty work it takes to win,” said Jordan, whose team lost in the Class AAAAA final last year to Milton. “We never got into the game offensively. We live and die by our defense, but we couldn’t buy a shot tonight or get a run going.
“But if you are going to lose, at least lose to people you know,” Jordan said. “Losing is always bad, but this was like a sibling rivalry. I’m happy for coach (Utaff) Gordon.”
Johnson coach Utaff Gordon, who started with the Atom Smashers after working as a Savannah assistant the last three seasons, wore a satisfied smile after the game, while he chewed on his trademark vanilla stick.
“All I can say is this team has gone through its share of ups and downs this year,” Gordon said. “Maybe it was a blessing losing to Savannah in the region finals. After that game, you could see how emotional the kids were in the locker room. They were really taken aback by that loss. But they decided to bond and come together and it paid off.”
Johnson (61)
Tim Quarterman 21, Myers 5, Rico Bonds 11, Greg Mortimer 13, Lovett 2, Muhammad 7, Holmes 2.
Savannah (51)
Cokley 7, Jermaine Williams 18, Spivey 2, Lawton 5, Jamal Norman 16, Chisholm 2, Rivers 1.
Halftime-Johnson 30-21. Records-Johnson 25-6; Savannah 28-4.