Jim Fair
A Greer player cover his face seconds after the Yellow Jackets were defeated, 49-40, today in the championship game of the Greenville County Middle School tournament at Wade Hampton High School.
Jim Fair
Coach Matt Ramsdell offers Sam Gravely encouraging words.
Jim Fair
Greer players trap a Bryson player in the corner in the final seconds of today's game trying to create a turnover.
Jim Fair
It wasn't the team photo players and coaches wanted at the end of today's Greenville County championship game. Greer's only loss of the season was to Bryson today.
It was a battle of unbeatens with Greer, 17-0, and Bryson, 14-0, squaring off for the first time this season.
Greer exploded out of the gate with 17 points in the first quarter and built a 28-23 halftime lead. But Bryson’s height and tenacious press overwhelmed the Yellow Jackets in the second half. Greer was held to eight points in the third quarter and only half of that in the final.
“That showed the difference between an eighth grader and seventh grader,” said Greer head coach Matt Ramsdell. “We are a team of seventh graders and will lose only five off this year’s team.”
Magic Moody led Greer scorers with 18 points, followed by Kaylen Boston with 8 and Sam Gravely with 7 points. Darius Foster added 5 points and Cameron Woodruff 2.
Greer began to see its grip on its lead begin to be chipped away when Bryson scored the final six points of the second quarter with only 1:18 remaining. Greer went from a 28-17 lead to a 26-23 advantage at the half.
“Their bench was deeper and we had to keep making changes to keep our guys fresh,”
“We had a great season and won every game but the last one,” said Darius Foster. “We lost the momentum and didn’t get the rebounds in the second half.”
Foster was referring to the taller Bulldogs who at times got three and four offensive rebounds under the basket before scoring.
“I told the team before the game, what happens today can’t take away what we have done this season,” Ramsdell said.
The Greer boys advanced to the finals by beating Sevier, 48-40, Thursday night.
The Greer girls lost in the semifinals on Thursday to Northwest 30-21.
Boys Championship
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
|
Greer |
17 |
11 |
8 |
4 |
40 |
|
Bryson |
11 |
12 |
15 |
11 |
49 |
Greer Yellow Jackets
8th graders
Will Edwards
Darius Foster
Darius McCullough
Noah Hannon
Brantley Young
7th graders
Kaylen Boston
Bryce Durrah
Tyric Fleming
Sam Gravely
Magic Moody
Kyle Moore
Ryan Pearson
Will Pitts
Cameron Woodruff
Head Coach: Matt Ramsdell
Coach: Robbie Gravely
Coach: Tim Moody