Central Private throttles Leake to advance to title game

Southern Sports & Travel

It’s been eleven seasons since a Central Private basketball team last hoisted a state championship trophy but the top ranked Rebels will get an opportunity to win the school’s fifth state title after dismantling sixth ranked Leake 79-43 in Class AA semi-final action last night at Canton Academy.

Seniors Liam Thomas and Simpson Anderson combined for 46 points as Central Private punished Leake to improve to 26-3 and earn the right to face second ranked and two-time defending state champion Marshall in tonight’s Class AA State Championship game.

Central Private was dominant in all aspects of their matchup with Leake last night and quickly jumped out to a 5-0 lead as Liam Thomas scored in the paint and Thomas Kelly nailed a 3-pointer from the wing with less than a minute gone in the game.

Leake kept things interesting early on as they answered with consecutive 3-pointers from Tristan Hernandez and Reed Mayfield to take what would be their only lead of the game at 6-5 with 5:27 left in the opening quarter of play.

Leake’s lead evaporated in short time as Liam Thomas dished an assist to a cutting Syrshawn Fitch for a bucket and that was followed by a trademark Simpson Anderson slam dunk over a Leake player to extend the lead to 9-6 at the 4:37 mark.

Liam Thomas would go hard to the glass for a basket, plus one, to double up Leake at 12-6.

Following a 10 foot jumper by Leake’s Alex Shepard Central Private started pulling away.

Jaydyn Cohen drained a 3-pointer from the wing and Liam Thomas canned two free throws to give the Rebels their biggest lead at 17-8 with 2:54 left in the first quarter.

Will Myers would grab an offensive rebound and score to pull Leake to within seven points at 17-10 but Central Private closed the quarter with a 7-1 run to increase their lead to 24-11 as the quarter ended.

Central Private opened the second quarter with an 11-3 run to stretch the margin to 35-14.

Reed Mayfield’s 3-pointer halted the Central Private run but Leake couldn’t match the firepower of the top ranked team in Class AA.

Simpson Anderson drained a 3-pointer from the deep corner and Jaydyn Cohen notched one of his own to push the lead to 41-17 with 3:04 to go in the half.

Central Private would take their biggest lead of the half at 49-23 as Jaydyn Cohen sank a 45 footer at the horn.

The Rebels showed no let up to open the third quarter as Liam Thomas scored in the paint and Jaydyn Cohen earned an assist to Simpson Anderson to extend the lead to thirty points at 53-23.

Central Private ended the quarter with a 9-3 run highlighted by another Simpson Anderson slam and a Jaydyn Cohen 3-pointer from the wing to take a commanding 72-34 lead into the final eight minutes of play.

Both benches would clear as Central Private coasted to a 79-43 semi-final win over Leake.

Liam Thomas led all scorers with 25 points for Central Private, Simpson Anderson added 21, Jaydyn Cohen 12, Thomas Kelly 10, Daniel McNamara 3 and four players each had 2 points, Carlos Emanuel, Loyd Ussery, Syrshawn Fitch and Jordan Bowers.

Alex Shepard lead Leake (28-9) with 16 points, Tristan Hernandez had 9, Reed Mayfield 7, Chipper Jones 5, and William Johnston, Adam Holly and Will Myers 2 apiece.

Leake will take on Brookhaven in this evening’s consolation game with the winner advancing to next week’s Overall Tournament.

Post Game with Central Private Head Coach Henry Gantz