It may have been an All-Star game where players were more concerned with making the spectacular dunk than playing tight defense, but it was evident the South Junior team wanted to win the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Showcase at Armstrong Atlantic State on Saturday night.
The South squad rallied from a second-half deficit to beat the North 103-94 in a game that had no shortage of highlights before a crowd estimated at 2,000.
Valdosta guard Rashad Lewis was named the South’s MVP, after scoring seven points and setting up teammates all night with his pinpoint passing.
But Tift County’s Tadric Jackson (19 points) and Hillgrove’s Kyle Castlin (19 points) were also worthy candidates.
The MVP of the North was Miller Grove’s Keith Pinckney, who scored 14 points. Ahmed Hill of Aquinas had 21 points for the North.
“The strategy in a game like this is to let the guys play and have fun,” said South coach Cecil Spear of Lamar County. “We tried to get everyone in, and then decide who were the best guys to finish out the game.”
Jakeenan Gant of Effingham County and Chris Cokley of Savannah High played big roles in the South victory. Gant scored six of his 10 points in the second half and also had four blocks, and Cokley scored all eight of his points after intermission.
“Gant did a solid job in the post; most importantly he did a good job on the boards,” Spear said. “And Cokley did a good job running the floor. He got out in transition and made some key baskets.”
Trailing 65-62 with 10:20 left, Cokley made a steal and passed ahead to Castlin, who laid it up off the glass for Cokley to slam home as the crowd erupted.
“I was yelling at him to throw it off the backboard,” Cokley said. “I had to get things started some way. There were a lot of good players out there today, we had a little fun and brought home the win.”
Gant was named the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s AAAAA Player of the Year Friday, but he took it in stride with his usual humble attitude.
“Winning this game didn’t matter,” Gant said. “It was all about having fun, really. We were talking trash to each other. We came back when we started playing more as a team, hustling and playing defense.”
In the Senior All-Star game, the South came out firing from beyond the arc as Frankie Booker of Westside Augusta drained four 3-pointers in the first 3:31 of the game as the South won 119-87. R.J. Sessions of Northside Columbus and Jarquez Smith of Jones County added long balls as the South scored its first 18 points on 3-pointers.
Booker was named the South’s MVP after scoring 21 points, including six 3-pointers. Jairus Holder of Mount Zion-Jonesboro added 20 points and Westlake’s Tony Bagtas added 16 for the South.
Guard LaKevius Martin of Manchester was the North MVP with nine points and a number of assists.
Jovante Spivey of Savannah High and Gary McGinty of Savannah Country Day also played well for the South.
Spivey scored all seven of his points in the second half, converting on a pair of layups and draining a 3-pointer. He was also one of the few players on the court concerned with playing defense.
“I guess it’s a habit that (Savannah) coach (Tim) Jordan taught me,” Spivey said with a laugh. “It was a great experience playing with some of the top guys in Georgia. We went out and had a lot of fun.”
At the end of the game on consecutive possessions, Spivey drove to the hole and kicked it out to Bagtas, who knocked down a 3. Spivey’s alley-oop pass then set up FSU-bound Jarquez Smith of Jones County for one of the most spectacular dunks of the night.
McGinty had a 3-pointer in the first half and added four points in the second half on a nifty up-and-under move and a pair of free throws.
Afterwards he posed for pictures with his family in his South All-Star jersey.
“It was so much fun playing with that amount of talent on the court,” McGinty said. “The best part was getting to know new people who love the game as much as you do.”
Junior Boys All-Star Game
SOUTH (103)
Lewis 7, Kyle Castlin 19, Troutman 4, Jakeenan Gant 10, Ramel Thompkins 10, Searcy 7, Cofer 6, Immanuel Griggs 11, Smith 2, Tadric Jackson 19, Chris Cokley 8.
NORTH (94)
Robert Williams III 11, Mitchell 3, Keith Pinckney 14, Crute 5, Turman (Morgan Co.) 6, Kiair Crouch 4, Fowler 5, Trawick 8, Williams 3, Elijah Staley 10, Warnock 4, Ahmed Hill 21.
Halftime—North 38-36.
Senior Boys All-Star Game
SOUTH (119)
Jordan Neff 12, Okeke 6, Gary McGinty 7, Wortham 2, Jairus Holder 20, Frank Booker 21, R.J. Sessions 14, Tuff 4, Jarquez Smith 10, Jovante Spivey 7, Tony Bagtas 16.
NORTH (87)
Terry 6, Tyler Dominy 11, Ajose 3, Mehinti 8, Capps 7, Doyle 7, Hamer 8, Fitzgerald 9, Toney 4, Ness 5, Martin 9, Terrell 6.
Halftime—South 51-45.