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December II, 20l9
Dogs’ 20 19420 success hinges on senior stars
By Richard Dumas
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With seven seniors in the rotation, an
experienced 2019-20 Mary Persons Bulldogs
basketball team appears poised to make a run
at the program’s first region championship in
nine years.
The Bulldogs, who finished 9-20 a year ago,
are off to a sizzling 5-1 start, including wins in
‘ each of their first two Region 2-AAAA games.
Leading the way for MP are a trio of senior
guards, four-year starter Dee Morton and
returning starters Maurice “Mo” Shannon and
Ty Bouie. ‘
MP head coach Greg Nix said those three
guards, all of whom have broken the 20-point
mark already this season, will likely be the
team’s top three scorers.
Nix said, “They’ve got a lot of experience,
and they’ve really dedicated themselves to our
program.”
Nix said Morton had to rebuild his confi—
dence after a difficult junior season in which
he first endured a dreadful shooting slump
and then later suffered a season-ending hand
inqu
Nix said of Morton: “I’ve put a lot of pres-
sure on him and M0 and Ty to lead. And
it’s not easy for them. They just love to play
basketball. You’ve got to have some guys on
your team where it’s got to be more than me to
say something. So the other night at halftime
with Spalding, he spoke up that we’ve got to
give a better effort on defense and do a better
job. He came out and upped his game and
played harder and meant business and ev-
erybody else came on with him. He guarded
No. 3 (Spalding sharpshooter Kaleb Banks),
and I told him at the time: ‘I don’t think that’s
a good idea.’ He said, ‘I’m gonna do it. Let me
do it.’ I said, ‘You better keep him in front of
you then.’ He did. He did a pretty good job on
him.”
Nix said Shannon, MP’s top returning
scorer, has always been a standout perimeter
shooter. However, Nix challenged Shannon in
the off-season to develop a better handle so he
can be more aggressive going to the basket.
“A lot of defenses are going to be going out
there on him quick, and the best time to drive
by somebody is when they’re coming at you
and closing out on you,” Nix said. “So he’s
(Shannon) gotten better at that, plus he’s good
on the fast break and can get to the rim. I’ve
just really pressed on him that he’s got to finish
a lot of times.”
Nix said Bouie, primarily an offensive after—
thought early in his varsity career, has taken
his game to new levels, scoring 24 or more
points in each of MP’s first three games of the
season. Bouie, who despite his short stature
also led MP in rebounding in the early season,
will also be the team’s main ball-handler.
“We run some plays where he’s coming off
of on-ball screens,” Nix said of Bouie. “He’s
really good if a defender goes under a screen
he can knock down a three. Ifthat defender
tries to get over that screen, he can get by. And
if somebody steps over, he can deliver the pass
or he’s got a real good change of pace that he
can still maneuver and get to the basket and
finish and get fouled. They’re all pretty good
ball—handlers and good shooters. But then
you take Dee with his size and strength, he
can post up some. And then you’ve got Ty
that has that change of pace. And then you’ve
got Maurice, you think when he shoots it it’s
gonna go in. He doesn’t take that many bad
shots. Even if you think it might be a bad shot,
it’s still got a chance.”
MP’s other four seniors are all varsity new-
comers. Center JaQuavious “Qua” Morgan
had never played organized basketball before
but immediately stepped into the starting
lineup while the Dogs waited for the squad’s
four football players at the beginning of the
season. Morgan, who narrowly made the
squad, had 11 points in his first-ever game, an
87-60 win at Pike County on Nov. 21.
Nix said of Morgan: “He practiced'the whole
summer, and in our fall workouts he was there
all the time. I just told him, ‘I don’t know how
much you’re gonna play, but I’m gonna keep
you because of your determination. I admire
that? And then, we had to start the season at
Pike, and he’s got to play. He starts. And in
that game he had 11 points and 8 rebounds.
And then I just let him start all the games so
far. He practices hard. He works hard. And we
need guys like that on our team. I’m just real
proud of him.”
Nix re-recruited to the program another
senior, Tra Jones, who skipped basketball dur-
ing his junior year.
Nix said of Jones, who will share time at cen-
ter with Morgan: “He was a big difference in
the two games he’s played. He’s a good passer,
good defender, plays hard. And I’m really glad
he’s back”
The other two seniors are a pair of reserve
guards, shooting guard Derrick Smith and
point guard Dennis Swain. Nix said Smith has
a knack for driving to the basket and finishing
around the rim while Swain is arguably the
team’s quickest player and could be a defensive
force on the perimeter.
At least one junior will be a constant pres-
ence in the starting lineup. Small forward Alex
Brown, another varsity newcomer, has a wide
variety of skills Nix hopes will be on display in
2019-20.
“Alex is extremely quick, can get in the
lane, he’s got a little floater, and he’s got a nice
midrange shot when he’s got his feet set,” Nix
said. “And he’s willing to do whatever it takes.
He’ll get on the floor. He’ll defend the other
team’s best player. I told him before the year
that I thought that if we got or 10 points a
game from him and he took care of the ball
and made good decisions and defended and
rebounded that this would be a great year. I
call him the glue ’
Another junior, Adrian Hughley, a Dogs’
football standout, will also get playing time
off the bench at guard while two other juniors
will see extensive action in the post. Center
Lamont Jones will likely get some starts after
playing a lot on varsity as a sophomore. Nix
said because of his size and strength, the 6’4”
Jones’ development could be the most impor-
tant factor in how successful the Bulldogs are
this year. Joining Jones in the paint is perhaps
MP’s best story of the season. Power forward
Amari “AJ.” Jefferson made his 2019-20 debut
in MP’s 67-59 home win over West Laurens
on Friday one day after receiving clearance
from his doctors for full contact. After suffer-
ing from major kidney disease for more than
a year, Jefferson received a donor kidney from
Donna Wilson, the mother of Lady Dogs’
standout Katelyn Wilson, in August, and the
healthy kidney has enabled the talented Jef-
ferson to resume his basketball career.
Nix said of Jefferson’s debut on Friday: “It
felt good I’m proud for him. I’m proud for his
family I really appreciate our fans, our people
in Forsyth and Mary Persons, being proud for
him and cheering for him when he went into
the game.”
With four-time defending champion
Upson-Lee having lost several major con—
tributors, Nix said Region 2-AAAA is as up
for grabs as it has been in years.
“I think we’re capable of going (on a state
playoff run) if we will improve,” Nix said.
“Sometimes our players, they love to play
basketball, but they don’t hate losing. And so,
ihLAT ..411 “Mi... :4» el—ioir primary goal for us
to win a region championship, to win big, to
go not just to the state tournament but make
it their goal to win a game in there or two, this
team can do it. The reason I am so high on
this group is that they are collectively good
guys that like each other. And they have the
ability to score. And if every player on our
team will understand, will figure out and ac-
cept their role, we can be pretty good.”
With 11 quality players, Nix said the depth
and versatility of his 2019-20 team is as strong
as he’s had in his eight seasons at MP.
“We can play with three guards and two post
players or we can go four guards and a big
man,” Nix said. “Or we can just go five guards
and have Dee kind of take care of anybody
around the basket And if we need to speed it
up, especially if we’re behind, make the game
faster and more chaotic, we can go quick. I
hope this team can go down as being one of
my better teams, but the better teams that I’ve
coached in all my years could play fast and
then they could play slow if they had to, if
another team made us do that. The best teams
can do both.”
After the season-opening road victory over
Pike County, MP suffered its lone loss of the
season in an 80—76 home loss to non-region
Taylor County on Nov. 23. The Bulldogs
then rebounded with a 66- 54 home win over
Tattnall Square on Nov. 26 before opening re-
gion play with 79-74 home win over Spalding
on Tuesday, Dec. 3 while getting a combined
51 points from Morton (26) and Shannon
(25). Trailing by five, 32-27, at halftime,
Morton exploded for four three-pointers in
the third quarter alone to put MP in front by
seven, 53-46, through three quarters. Morton
then sealed a narrow 79-74 win with a pair of
clutch free throws with 19.5 seconds to play.
The Bulldogs then recorded their second
straight region home win with a 67 -59 victory
over West Laurens on Friday. Trailing 25-23
late in the second quarter, the Bulldogs went
on a 14—0 run spanning the final few minutes
of the first half and the first couple of minutes ’
of the third quarter to seize a 12-point lead at
37-25. Still leading by 12 at 46-34, MP then
went on a 7-0 run to close the third quarter
to take a commanding 19-point advantage
at 53—34 into the final period. The Raiders
then went on a mammoth spurt of their own,
outscoring MP 19-4 to cut the Dogs’ lead to
just four at 57-53 late in the game. However,
Morton knocked down a pair of free throws
and then banged in a right elbow three-point-
er to push MP’s lead back out to double digits,
and the Bulldogs held on for a 67-59 win. One
night later, MP traveled to non-region FPD
and secured a 68-62 win to improve to 5-1.
The Bulldogs were next scheduled to host
non-region Northeast (Macon) at 7:30 pm.
on Tuesday, Dec. 10. MP will then travel to
non-region Tattnall Square for a road contest
at 7:30 p.m. on Friday before returning home
to host non-region rival Jackson at 7:30 pm.
on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the MP JV boys basketball
team, coached by new assistant Justen
Chambers, will next travel to Tattnall Square
for a road contest at 4:45 pm. on Friday. The
JV Bulldogs will then return home to host
Jackson at 4:30 pm. on Saturday. The MP JV
boys squad will then host Griffin at 6:45 pm.
on Monday, Dec. 16.
Also, the MP 9th Grade boys basketball
team, coached by another new assistant,
Dylan Dupree, will next host Howard at 6
pm. on Thursday. The 9th Grade Bulldogs
will then play another home contest against
Perry at 10 am. on Saturday before hosting
Griffin at 5:30 pm. on Monday, Dec. 16.
In addition, the Monroe County Middle
School boys basketball team will next host
Clifton Ridge at 6 pm. on Thursday. The C- ,
Team Bulldogs will then host Gray Station at 6
pm. on Tuesday, Dec. 17.
MONROE
COUNTY MIDDLE
SCHOOL 20I9-20
BOYS BASKETBALL
TEAM: Pictured from
left to right on the
front row: Korey
Hart, Hunt McAteer,
Christian Little,
Nemo Jones, Jacobi
Jones, Ty Brantley,
Malaki Knight and
Seth Davis. Pictured
from left to right on
I the back row: Jaise
Davis, JeSean Wil-
son, connor Scott,
Ty Dumas, Javeon
Tatum, Duke Watson,
Jack Gordon, Adrian
Barkley and Jor-
dan Ogletree. Not
pictured: head coach
Michael Smallwood.
(Photo/Richard
Dumas)
MONROE COUNTY
MIDDLE SCHOOL
2019-20 GIRLS
BASKETBALL TEAM
Pictured from left
to right to the front
row: Abbey Stem-
bridge, Lola Talton,
Qua’Nesho Brown,
Samiya Morris,
Anaia Lucear, Zario
Wilson and .lhori
Shannon. Pictured
from left to right
on the back row:
head coach Hannah
Grossman, Jayla
Barkley (manager),
Oneisha Walker,
India Walker, Jadacia
Wilson, Amiya Davis,
Haiar Baldwin-Tales,
Keniiah Lyons, Jotaria
Hardy, Zoe Shan-
non (manager), and
Juden Mann (man-
ager). (Photo/Richard
Dumas)