AJC > Sports > Highschools > Blog > Archives > 2007 > March > 03 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USEven in defeat, Druid Hills admirable
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rome — Many with their jerseys covering their faces, others with looks of disbelief, the Druid Hills players dragged themselves off the court Saturday night pained beyond words.
Their improbable run ended in improbable fashion at the Rome Forum. Not five minutes earlier the Red Devils had a seemingly firm grip on an AAA Final Four berth.
They went up by five with 51 seconds left when Jarred Riley threw down a baseline dunk. Hart County appeared desperate and discombobulated. The ball was worked to 6-foot-4 center Quint Clinckscales beyond the 3-point line.
In a sort of “Oh, I guess I’ll shoot” sort of way, Clinckscales hurled the ball toward the basket. It ricocheted off the glass and into the basket. Suddenly, the advantage was just 65-63 with 33.6 to play.
As the text book on late-game strategy indicates, Hart County fouled, sending senior Daauwd Lee to the free-throw line for a one-and-one. He missed.
The ball ended up on the other end in the hands of Bulldogs senior Stadarius Craft, a rugged player who flourishes inside. Craft launched and made another 3, and in head-spinning fashion, the Bulldogs had a 66-65 lead with 14 ticks to play.
Druid Hills did not score on its last meaningful possession, and Hart County chanted “Final Four, Final Four” on the way to its locker room following its thrilling 68-65 win.
Coach Allen Craine, who has resurrected Druid Hill’s once-downtrodden program, did all he could to console his team afterward. “[Clinckscales] hits a shot like that — off the backboard — it’s hard to overcome. … But we had to finish the game at the free-throw line, and we didn’t.”
His team represented one of the great stories of the tournament. The program was rancid before Craine arrived in 2002. Last year’s playoff win was the first since 1974.
Before the season, senior shooting guard Marion Simon was lost for the year with a torn ACL. A fortnight later, 6-foot-8 senior Kerry Weaver was felled with a torn knee ligament, too.
And yet Craine held his team together. He switched to an up- tempo club that highlighted the fantastic talents of Lee, sophomore sensation Issiah Grayson and Byron Dickerson, among others.
It worked, as proved by their win over No. 1 Dunwoody in the AAA Region 5 tournament and their state tourney showing.
Still, “I feel for the seniors because they built this program,” he said. “But we’re not done.”
Craine has done a commendable job in his first coaching position. He retired after 23 years in the Air Force, and when the principal noticed he had played pro basketball in Germany and other places on his teaching application, he offered Craine the coaching duties. At first, Craine declined. A week later, after a talk with his wife, he reversed himself.
“So glad I did,” he said. “Just a great group of young men. Before the injuries, our goal was the state championship. And even after the injuries, we didn’t quit. We kept going and had a great year.”
The future will depend a lot on if Grayson stays. Shady teams are recruiting him daily to transfer. (Are you listening GHSA?) Hopefully Grayson will remain loyal to the program and rebuff the overtures.
For, with Craine and Grayson leading, the pain of Saturday very well could be replaced in the future with ultimate satisfaction.
Permalink | Comments (23) | Post your comment | Categories: Curtis Bunn
Comments
By john wilks
March 4, 2007 2:32 PM | Link to this
issiah grayon will be a star,and by now should be recruited by top colleges
By Lulu
March 4, 2007 3:33 PM | Link to this
While all the HOOPLA is being reported not a word about Tift County who’s BBall team will follow their Feetball team this year in trips to the state semifinals. Quite a quiet MARCH by Tift’s dynamic duo teams!
By coach
March 4, 2007 10:39 PM | Link to this
Mr. Bunn,
I read your column praising the Druid Hills team. I wanted to compliment you on the article and wanted to thank you for one other comment. I am glad someone will “call a spade a spade” in Ga high school basketball today. I am in my 30 th year of teaching Englsh and coaching boys basketball in this state. I will not be coaching any more after this year at least partly because my attitude toward our game has changed. I am saddened by what I have seen occur over these past few years in regards to the transferring for less than honorable reasons (in my opinion). I am NOT indicting any individual. I just think that the only group that can do anything about the transferring will NOT do anything. I have friends at the GHSA and there are people I respect there, but I do NOT expect to see anything of substance to deter what is happening. School administrators will not do anything either, because most of them are scared of p** off the wrong parents. I hope folks like yourself can use your position to bring pressure to bear on those who can stop this trend. Nobody can patrol the AAU influence in the transfer business. Only through exposure by the AJC can pressure be brought on those folks. This is not a simple problem with a simple solution, but I commend you for acknowledging the problem with your comment in your article today. Good luck in trying to protect the game I have loved for so long, but no longer desire to be a part of because of the pimp/prostitute relationships which you must participate in if you want to win at the highest level. If you had the opportunity to talk with many of the “old school guys” in Ga HS basketball, you would be amazed at how many old coaches feel this way. Even some who are still in it are not happy with what they are doing. I did not mean to write this long, but your column struck a chord with this old coach who started college in the school of journalism at UGa. Keep up the good work.
Sadly not a coach any more,
Rick Moore
By blaque
March 5, 2007 8:09 AM | Link to this
Mr. Moore and Mr. Bunn thank you for your comments. Let the truth be told. Someone needs to stop the madness. If you are good they will find you. They being D-1 schools.
By Slim Shady
March 5, 2007 12:00 PM | Link to this
“Shady teams are recruiting him daily.”
If you have the info, then spill the beans. If not, then shut your mouth. I think you all would be surprised at how this so called recruiting works. From what I KNOW, most high schools dont recruit. AAU teams are placing kids on certain teams.
By blaque
March 5, 2007 2:44 PM | Link to this
Shady, what are you saying? You know high school coaches recruit. They know what’s going on. Please it’s no secret. Money has a lot to do with it. So shady what’s the deal? Coaches do recruit along with AAU.
By hoop planet
March 5, 2007 6:14 PM | Link to this
i dont know what all the fuss is, everybody knows that 80% of the top players in ga. go to college on basketball scholarship thru aau exposure not high school, I’ve been to about 150 high schools game and the coaching is terrible. Most of the high school teams win off of talent along. stop hating on aau coaches, they do a good job at exposing kids to college recruits, how can u be mad at that?
By hoop planet
March 5, 2007 7:01 PM | Link to this
Everybody knows that all the top players in ga. plays aau and got there exposure thru aau tournaments and camps
By no name
March 5, 2007 7:17 PM | Link to this
druid hills has players outside of there school district also, so 1 finger is pointing at someone else and 4 fingers are pointing at u (druid hills)
By devil
March 5, 2007 9:14 PM | Link to this
It’s a difference when you start there from the 9th grade. Not transfering in at the 11th. It’s a academic school. When you start winning everyone jumps on the bandwagon. There are some good AAu programs, but there are a lot of bad ones. if a players wants to transfer, it’s on him. But when a coach or someone pays for you to move is another thing. AAU is rec ball. It’s not organize. AAU is And 1 basketball. A bunch of crap.
By Slim Shady
March 6, 2007 12:04 AM | Link to this
blaque - Ill tell you the same thing I said to Bunn. If you have all this evidence then report it. Nobody is toping you. Please spill the beans. Just so you know - its not recruiting when a players parents call the coach and want to talk about things.
So go ahead - spill the beans, ladies.
By ball
March 6, 2007 8:01 AM | Link to this
it’s recruiting when the coach calls a student or finds them an address. Young boy, you know who is doing it. The beans are already spilled. Please, everyone knows. it’s no secret. So don’t come here with this lady stuff. You ever heard money makes the world go round. I just decided to jump in this conversation and share my thoughts. God will handle everything so don’t worry. Good over evil each day. What do you know shady? You spill the beans, it seems as if you know something.it’s hard to find 4 D-1 players at a school. Oh, except oak hill, where they recruit. So you know who’s doing it. Look at the school’s roster and where they came from. GHSA gets paperwork, so they know too.
By no name
March 6, 2007 1:34 PM | Link to this
devil, if you take aau basketball away what will you have for kids who is very talented but limited to the exposure? you name one high major college player or nba player that has not played aau in his career. rec ball, not organized, now we see why , before last year the red devils has not won nothing in a thousand years, the enability to recruit. get with the program.
By coach
March 6, 2007 1:38 PM | Link to this
devil , you said when you are winning everybody wants to jump on the band wagon, well it looks like some people wants to jump off of the band wagon, why do u think that is? (no recruits coming in next year, ah lack of college coaches present to name a few)
By devil
March 6, 2007 2:45 PM | Link to this
well i respect coaches that don’t recruit. I like when you establish a winning program off your players. I see what you are saying. Some AAU programs are great and I encourage them, but you know there are some bad ones too. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy AAU and rec ball, but there are some snakes out there. You know and I know that. Druid Hills went to Sweet 16 last year and elite 8 this year. There’s more to come. From the bottom to the top without any major D-1 players. Just give respect where respect is due. This is my opinion shady. my right to think that. Like tim haradway. Right to my opinion
By Ernest
March 6, 2007 9:36 PM | Link to this
Curtis:
Here’s hoping the AJC challenges the GHSA to address this issue. I bet you guys could collaborate with the other papers around the state on this. What do you say?
By "GOOD" Dawg
March 6, 2007 11:42 PM | Link to this
Does anyone know who’s playing Dodge County Thurs. in Macon? Seems the AJC has left off a team from that bracket for 5 days !!!
By Lady Devil
March 7, 2007 3:22 PM | Link to this
Way to go DHHS!!!!!!! Now some new refs for the regular season who are fair!!!
By john wilks
March 7, 2007 7:02 PM | Link to this
either way if a player feels he can be succsseful then let him transfer, he might have a better chance at goin D-1 at another school then druid hills.
By john wilks
March 7, 2007 7:03 PM | Link to this
i say if a player feels he has a better chance of going d-1 at another school,then thats his choice
By Tucker Fan
March 7, 2007 11:04 PM | Link to this
I am amazed that you did not do all your homework in reference to Coach Hartry at Tucker. There is no mention that a few years ago that he was suspended for using the “N” word to one of his Black players in front of several White players on his team. He also had an assistant coach assault one of his players during halftime of a region tournament game, and did not report it to the school until the kids parents brought it to the attention to the Principal. He has questionable character and hides it very well, but is a poor excuse and role model for his Black players. I am really sorry that you heaped so much praise on a sorry man.
By BBFAN
March 8, 2007 10:42 AM | Link to this
Come on. You know Grayson will be at Columbia or Tucker next year.
By Rakim
March 8, 2007 12:36 PM | Link to this
No press for the Girls at Frederick Douglass High School. As a former student, I am thrilled that the girls have gone this far and no mention of them in the paper at all. The 1st girls team in history for the school and the media in which the school and the paper resides in doesn’t acknowldege the great season they have had. I seem to notice schools in the other part of the state getting press so my question is what is the problem? Where is the love?