The R.C Hatch boys basketball team entered Thursday’s game with ten AHSAA 1A state basketball championships, tied with the St. Jude Pirates of Montgomery for most in state history. The Bobcats defeated Oakwood Adventist Academy 65-61 in the semifinals. That game felt like a nail-biter at the time, but it was nothing compared to the Championship game Thursday night against the Brantley Bulldogs. The Bulldogs hold three state championships, with their last one coming in 1995. Hatch won their last title in 2008.
Brantley got the tip-off and scored first with a jump-shot. The Hatch team answered right back with a jumper. On the Bobcat’s next possession, Merion Jones recovered a rebound and tipped it in for two. Jayden Parks of Brantley shot from behind the 3- point line next, notching the first of many points he would score throughout the evening. But on their next possession the Bulldogs missed three straight shots from the paint. Frederick Wilson scored two for Hatch on the next play.
Jon Kilcrease of Brantley shot a 3-pointer and was fouled in the process, making it five points by nailing both free throws, and bringing the score to 12-6 Brantley. Lavonte Witherspoon passed off to Wilson on the next possession, who scored two. Merion Jones of Hatch was fouled in the play and made both of his free throw shots. Isiah Thomas was fouled next and also sank both free throws, making the score 12-10 Brantley. Kilcrease shot and made his second 3- pointer of the game. Then Frederick Wilson stole the ball from Brantley and made a layup. At the end of the first quarter Brantley was up by one with the score at 15-14.
Lavonte Witherspoon opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer, briefly putting the Bobcats on top at 17-15. The Bulldogs then went on an 8-point scoring run, with Kilcrease notching another 3-pointer as well. Kilcrease then fouled Isiah Thomas, who made both free throws, got the rebound off of the next Brantley miss, and passed to Witherspoon, who made his second 3-pointer of the night. The Bulldogs answered right back with their own 3-pointer. Chris Clark of the Bobcats caught an amazing between- the-legs pass in the zone and scored two more. The Bulldogs stole the ball from R.C on their next possession and Jayden Parks scored. Parks then called a time-out with 1:25 left in the half. T.J Dudley of the Bobcats picked up a jumpball in the closing seconds and scored, making it 30- 28 Brantley at the half.
Bulldogs and Bobcats both missed on their first possessions of the third quarter, but then Jayden Parks made the first score of the second half with a layup. The Bulldogs scored again and then picked up a turnover from R.C Hatch. Jayden Parks ran it back and passed to Freeman in the corner for a 3-pointer, bringing the score to 37-28, Brantley’s widest margin of the game so far. T.J Dudley made both free throws after being fouled on the next play. Jayden Parks took a long leap at a layup but missed, allowing Wilson to pick up the rebound and score. Parks scored right back next, which was a theme for the evening, with Parks seemingly trying to take on the Bobcats single-handedly. And he had a lot of success. But the Bobcats had five players fully engaged. To wit, T.J Dudley, who layed one up and made a 3-pointer in the next minute or so, bringing the Uniontown team to within two at 39-37. A time-out was then called by Brantley with 4:25 left in the third. Dudley scored again after the break, tying the game at 39 all. Jayden Parks missed his next shot for the Bulldogs but was passed back his rebound and made the second shot. Thomas then scored again, keeping it tied. Parks made both free throws after a foul, putting the Bulldogs up by two. Isiah Thomas answered back with a jump-shot. 43 all. At this point Parks seemingly ran his face into the outstretched hand of a defender and called time. The Hatch fans in the crowd intensified their cheering, prompting the Brantley fans to counter-cheer. The Hatch fans seemed to have a little more team spirit. Just saying.
Parks missed his next layup attempt and Dudley lost the ball back to Brantley, who scored. One of the Bobcats pulled the ball back from the out-ofbounds area on the next play and passed it back to Thomas for a score. 45 all. Christopher Clark of the Bobcats was fouled on a layup attempt with four seconds left in the third quarter. Clark made one of the two free throws. Brantley had possession and Thompson shot a 3 at the buzzer but missed.
R.C Hatch started the fourth quarter with possession and a one-point lead at 46-45. Bobcats scored on a rebound tip-in, followed by a 3 from the corner by Merion Jones. Parks then scored his 26th point of the game. Isiah Thomas was fouled on his next layup attempt and made both free throws. Parks missed his next two 3-point shots. The score is 53-49 Bobcats. Jackson scored the next two for Hatch after rebounding a miss from Parks. Bobcats called a timeout with 3:45 left in the game.
Jones missed both free throws after a foul soon after the break. Parks scored again but missed his next shot after a turnover from Hatch. Witherspoon picked up the rebound and passed to Merion Jones, who took it downcourt and dunked it like a player on NBA Jam Tournament Edition. Coolest thing I’ve seen since baseball season ended. The crowd roared its approval, and the score was now 57-51 Bobcats. Parks missed his next 3- point attempt, got the rebound back, and missed again. Witherspoon was fouled on the next play and made both free throws. With two minutes and eleven seconds left Brantley knocked the ball out of bounds.
Parks made a layup with three defenders blocking him and then Brantley called a time-out. That layup was his 38th shot of the game. Kilcrease then fouled Thomas, and possession went to the Bobcats. Witherspoon made one of two free throws after being fouled soon after. Score 60-53 Bobcats. Parks found himself wide open for the first time all night and made a 3-pointer. Witherspoon was fouled again and made one of two free throws with fifty seconds left in the game. Parks scored, again, and the score was 61-58 Hatch. Brantley called timeout with 35 seconds left in the game.
Merion Jones broke away from everyone and ran downcourt to catch a perfectly timed cross-court possession throw from Witherspoon and lay it up for two, also drawing a foul from a Bulldog player who somehow managed to catch up to him. Jones made his only free throw, bringing the score to 64-58 Bobcats. Jayden Parks then made his 4th 3-pointer of 13 attempts of the game, making it a three point game at 64-61 with 26 seconds on the clock. A timeout was called. Bobcats inbounded and Parks fouled Witherspoon, who made one of two free throws. Thomas was then fouled and made one of two free throws, followed by a foul on Dudley, who also made one of two free throws. 67-61 Bobcats.
Parks nailed another three on the next play. 67-64. Kilcrease fouled Witherspoon. Witherspoon made both free throws. 69- 64. Parks dropped another three at the buzzer but it wasn’t enough. R.C. Hatch won the state championship with a final score of 69-67. Hatch now moves past St. Jude of Montgomery with 11 state AHAAA Division 1A Championships. Both coaches were awarded Wilson trophy balls, as were Dudley, Jones, and Thomas of the Bobcats, and Parks and Kilcrease of the Bulldogs.
The Most Valuable Player of the Game award was given to Isiah Thomas of the R.C Hatch Bobcats. Jayden Parks went 18 for 43, scoring 44 points.
