Cougar Nation still on topSouthern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas
The Brookhaven Cougar basketball program has once again distinguished itself as one of excellence but not just at the AA level. Brookhaven sits alone in a category that no other past or present MAIS/MPSA team can claim. The Cougars earned the State AA Championship with a 62-51 win over Bowling Green to become the first school in any classification to win six straight state titles. Junior Sidney Chaffin scored a game high 20 points to help send out the second straight senior class with three State AA Championship rings. 
(Above) Sidney Chaffin (#33) of Brookhaven had a game high 20 pts
With the win over Bowling Green the Cougars also avenged a South AA Championship loss on their home court to the Buccaneers one week ago. Brookhaven improves to 27-6 and advances to the overall tournament next week as a number one seed and will take on the winner of Presbyterian and Mt Salus.
Before a huge crowd jammed into the Indianola Gymnasium Bowling Green drew first blood as they got out to a quick 3-0 lead one minute into the opening quarter. Brookhaven answered with eight straight points culminating on two Jamison Powell free throws to put the Cougars up 8-3. Brookhaven maintained a lead throughout the first quarter but by no more than five points. Bubba Keene converted a Bowling Green turnover into a basket with 39 seconds left in the quarter that gave Brookhaven a 14-9 advantage but a Jaron Edwards free throw and Russell Perry’s bucket with 3 seconds remaining cut the Cougar lead to 14-12 after one quarter of play.
(Above) Brookhaven's Bubba Keene (#5) converts on a fast break
Bowling Green pulled even at 14-14 on Shod Fortenberry’s offensive rebound and put back at the 6:30 mark of the second quarter. Each team traded baskets until the Cougars managed to gain some breathing room with a 9-3 run in the final 2:17 of the quarter and take a 29-23 lead into the locker-room at the half.
Brookhaven increased their lead to 31-23 on a Sidney Chaffin jumper from the free throw line two minutes into the third quarter. The Cougars cashed in on a Buccaneer turnover when Brock Smith hit a basket plus one to extend the lead to 34-23. Jamison Powell hit one of two free throws after Bowling Green’s Jaron Edwards picked up his fourth foul at the 5:09 mark. After Bowling Green got back to within nine points Brookhaven countered with six unanswered to grab their biggest lead at 41-26. Jake Reed hit one of two free throws and then drilled a 3-pointer from the wing coupled with a Sidney Chaffin basket to account for the six straight Cougar points. With 3:48 on the clock freshman guard Mac McElveen hit an 8 foot floater to start a Bowling Green 8-2 run that pulled the Buccaneers to within seven points at 43-34 to end the third quarter.
(Above) Jake Reed (#11) of Brookhaven receives an entry pass from Bubba Keene
Bowling Green added to the run to begin the final quarter as a Jaron Edwards jumper from the free throw line made it 43-36. Mac McElveen’s 3-pointer from the wing at the 6:46 mark got the Buccaneers back to within six points at 47-41 but Brookhaven capitalized on Bowling Green turnovers with baskets from Sidney Chaffin and a Jamison Powell end to end bucket to go back up 51-41 with just over five minutes left in the game. After a Powell to Bubba Keene full length pass pushed the Cougar’s lead to 53-41 Brookhaven played even with Bowling Green en-route to a 62-51 win.
Sidney Chaffin led Brookhaven with a game high 20 points, Jake Reed added 16, Jamison Powell 11, Bubba Keene 9 and Brock Smith 6.
For Bowling Green Shod Fortenberry had 13 points, Jaron Edwards and Mac McElveen had 9 each, Colton Owens 8 and Russell and Kevin Perry 6 apiece.
Bowling Green advances to the overall tournament next week where they’ll face Claiborne.
(Above) Bowling Green's Dylan Varnado (#1) denies Jake Reed (#11) of Brookhaven
(Above) Sidney Chaffin (#33) of Brookhaven had a game high 20 ptsWith the win over Bowling Green the Cougars also avenged a South AA Championship loss on their home court to the Buccaneers one week ago. Brookhaven improves to 27-6 and advances to the overall tournament next week as a number one seed and will take on the winner of Presbyterian and Mt Salus.
Before a huge crowd jammed into the Indianola Gymnasium Bowling Green drew first blood as they got out to a quick 3-0 lead one minute into the opening quarter. Brookhaven answered with eight straight points culminating on two Jamison Powell free throws to put the Cougars up 8-3. Brookhaven maintained a lead throughout the first quarter but by no more than five points. Bubba Keene converted a Bowling Green turnover into a basket with 39 seconds left in the quarter that gave Brookhaven a 14-9 advantage but a Jaron Edwards free throw and Russell Perry’s bucket with 3 seconds remaining cut the Cougar lead to 14-12 after one quarter of play.
(Above) Brookhaven's Bubba Keene (#5) converts on a fast breakBowling Green pulled even at 14-14 on Shod Fortenberry’s offensive rebound and put back at the 6:30 mark of the second quarter. Each team traded baskets until the Cougars managed to gain some breathing room with a 9-3 run in the final 2:17 of the quarter and take a 29-23 lead into the locker-room at the half.
Brookhaven increased their lead to 31-23 on a Sidney Chaffin jumper from the free throw line two minutes into the third quarter. The Cougars cashed in on a Buccaneer turnover when Brock Smith hit a basket plus one to extend the lead to 34-23. Jamison Powell hit one of two free throws after Bowling Green’s Jaron Edwards picked up his fourth foul at the 5:09 mark. After Bowling Green got back to within nine points Brookhaven countered with six unanswered to grab their biggest lead at 41-26. Jake Reed hit one of two free throws and then drilled a 3-pointer from the wing coupled with a Sidney Chaffin basket to account for the six straight Cougar points. With 3:48 on the clock freshman guard Mac McElveen hit an 8 foot floater to start a Bowling Green 8-2 run that pulled the Buccaneers to within seven points at 43-34 to end the third quarter.
(Above) Jake Reed (#11) of Brookhaven receives an entry pass from Bubba KeeneBowling Green added to the run to begin the final quarter as a Jaron Edwards jumper from the free throw line made it 43-36. Mac McElveen’s 3-pointer from the wing at the 6:46 mark got the Buccaneers back to within six points at 47-41 but Brookhaven capitalized on Bowling Green turnovers with baskets from Sidney Chaffin and a Jamison Powell end to end bucket to go back up 51-41 with just over five minutes left in the game. After a Powell to Bubba Keene full length pass pushed the Cougar’s lead to 53-41 Brookhaven played even with Bowling Green en-route to a 62-51 win.
Sidney Chaffin led Brookhaven with a game high 20 points, Jake Reed added 16, Jamison Powell 11, Bubba Keene 9 and Brock Smith 6.
For Bowling Green Shod Fortenberry had 13 points, Jaron Edwards and Mac McElveen had 9 each, Colton Owens 8 and Russell and Kevin Perry 6 apiece.
Bowling Green advances to the overall tournament next week where they’ll face Claiborne.
(Above) Bowling Green's Dylan Varnado (#1) denies Jake Reed (#11) of BrookhavenPost game comments:
**Brookhaven head coach Dale Watts**
What was the game plan tonight?
“You asked me last night what the game plan was and I told you I would have to go study film and I did that last night. This morning we came to the gym at 9:30 and I told our team that I didn’t have any great revelation or some great something that could win this game for us but I had a lot of little things that we could do. Some of those little things were just angles on the press offense, making good decisions on the press offense when they pressed us, spacing on the floor, knowing when to attack and when to back up. Our biggest goal was to try and keep Bowling Green off stride and out of rhythm. I hate a zone defense, I hate it with a passion and as a matter of fact it’s very difficult if you go to a zone and then come out of it, but our objective was to keep them out of rhythm, make them have to back up and look. I think we met that objective. They (BG) had to do some things they couldn’t do and it wasn’t that they couldn’t but they just weren’t prepared for it but they regrouped and adjusted.”
“You asked me last night what the game plan was and I told you I would have to go study film and I did that last night. This morning we came to the gym at 9:30 and I told our team that I didn’t have any great revelation or some great something that could win this game for us but I had a lot of little things that we could do. Some of those little things were just angles on the press offense, making good decisions on the press offense when they pressed us, spacing on the floor, knowing when to attack and when to back up. Our biggest goal was to try and keep Bowling Green off stride and out of rhythm. I hate a zone defense, I hate it with a passion and as a matter of fact it’s very difficult if you go to a zone and then come out of it, but our objective was to keep them out of rhythm, make them have to back up and look. I think we met that objective. They (BG) had to do some things they couldn’t do and it wasn’t that they couldn’t but they just weren’t prepared for it but they regrouped and adjusted.”
What are your thoughts about winning six straight state titles?
“You talk about six in a row? I’m blessed, I’m blessed! I ain’t won none of those, these players did. I tell folks it started off for these guys in the seventh grade and there were about twelve of those guys. Jake Reed came to us in the eighth grade and when they were in the ninth grade we won our junior high championship. Jake and Jamison Powell were the only two that stayed with it and I can’t say enough for them. They made a commitment and they just stepped up in every phase. I demand a lot from them. They want to cry, they want to get mad at Coach Watts, they want to hug his neck, but I just can’t say enough about them.”
“You talk about six in a row? I’m blessed, I’m blessed! I ain’t won none of those, these players did. I tell folks it started off for these guys in the seventh grade and there were about twelve of those guys. Jake Reed came to us in the eighth grade and when they were in the ninth grade we won our junior high championship. Jake and Jamison Powell were the only two that stayed with it and I can’t say enough for them. They made a commitment and they just stepped up in every phase. I demand a lot from them. They want to cry, they want to get mad at Coach Watts, they want to hug his neck, but I just can’t say enough about them.”
**Brookhaven senior Jamison Powell**
What are your feelings about winning tonight over Bowling Green?
“It’s really been amazing after losing to Bowling Green last week, it was terrible. It was the last game on our home court and they really just embarrassed us. We set out on a mission to not only 6-peat but to beat Bowling Green in the state championship. We wanted Bowling Green.”
“It’s really been amazing after losing to Bowling Green last week, it was terrible. It was the last game on our home court and they really just embarrassed us. We set out on a mission to not only 6-peat but to beat Bowling Green in the state championship. We wanted Bowling Green.”
What was the key to winning tonight?
“Having to deny Jaron (Edwards) the ball because if he gets his hands on it he can do anything with it and with Shod (Fortenberry) down low, he dominates the boards. We had to rebound. Rebounding was our key to the win.”
“Having to deny Jaron (Edwards) the ball because if he gets his hands on it he can do anything with it and with Shod (Fortenberry) down low, he dominates the boards. We had to rebound. Rebounding was our key to the win.”
**Brookhaven senior Jake Reed**
Describe your feelings about winning another state championship:
“This is what we set out to do early in the ninth grade, to win four in a row, I really can’t explain it right now. This is definitely big after losing to Bowling Green last week to come back and not let it get into our heads and do what we had to do.”
“This is what we set out to do early in the ninth grade, to win four in a row, I really can’t explain it right now. This is definitely big after losing to Bowling Green last week to come back and not let it get into our heads and do what we had to do.”
What was the key in winning tonight?
“Our intensity on defense and we refused to lose. That’s what we were saying in the locker-room, that we weren’t going to lose and we’d do whatever it took and we came out and did it.”
“Our intensity on defense and we refused to lose. That’s what we were saying in the locker-room, that we weren’t going to lose and we’d do whatever it took and we came out and did it.”
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BA...14...15...14...19...62
BG...12...11...11...17...51
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Anonymous said...
How many free throw attempts did each team get?
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Anonymous said...
I'm not sure on free throw attempts, but I took pictures of the scoreboard after each quarter and it showed total number of fouls for each team. They erased it at halftime before I took my picture though. After the 1st Quarter, BG had 6 fouls to BA's 4. As I mentioned above, not sure about the 2nd. After the 3rd Quarter, BG had 6 fouls to BA's 3, and at the end of the game, BG finished with 10 fouls to BA's 8.
How many free throw attempts did each team get?
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Anonymous said...
I'm not sure on free throw attempts, but I took pictures of the scoreboard after each quarter and it showed total number of fouls for each team. They erased it at halftime before I took my picture though. After the 1st Quarter, BG had 6 fouls to BA's 4. As I mentioned above, not sure about the 2nd. After the 3rd Quarter, BG had 6 fouls to BA's 3, and at the end of the game, BG finished with 10 fouls to BA's 8.
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Anonymous said...
not great officiating both ways. Refs were pretty poor the whole tournament but they are human and do make mistakes. Bottom line is the best two teams played for the state championship and the best team came out on top.
not great officiating both ways. Refs were pretty poor the whole tournament but they are human and do make mistakes. Bottom line is the best two teams played for the state championship and the best team came out on top.
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Anonymous said...
fouls were about even(within 4 or 5 of each other) for the game which is about normal. plus bowling green was fouling a bit late to put brookhaven on the line. both teams had some questionable calls, but it was pretty clear the refs weren't one sided. they just "went crazy" with some of the calls... for instance... Brookhaven's 10 second half-court violation with only 6 seconds gone off the game clock? that's just rediculous stuff.
fouls were about even(within 4 or 5 of each other) for the game which is about normal. plus bowling green was fouling a bit late to put brookhaven on the line. both teams had some questionable calls, but it was pretty clear the refs weren't one sided. they just "went crazy" with some of the calls... for instance... Brookhaven's 10 second half-court violation with only 6 seconds gone off the game clock? that's just rediculous stuff.
