Berkmar's return to prominence collided with Wheeler's limitless power Friday night. Wheeler won. Big.

The Wildcats held a decided advantage in all the important categories - talent, size, speed, depth - and advanced to the state AAAAA semifinals at Mt. Zion High in Jonesboro with a convincing 78-56 victory.

Jessica McGowan/Staff (ENLARGE)

Wheeler's Tahj Tate (#12) pushes past Berkmar's Aamir Kelliehan (#22) in the AAAAA state playoff game at Mount Zion High School.

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Wheeler, state champions three years ago, moves to face today's winner of Stephenson and Hiram at Savannah State.

For Berkmar, it was a thumping end to a season that affirmed its return as a boys basketball force under second-year coach Tommy McWhorter. The Patriots' placement in the quarterfinals was as deep as they had gone in the playoffs since 2001.

They hoped to go farther, but Wheeler was just too much. Point guard Phil Taylor directed a calculating Wildcats attack that featured strong post play and bulls-eye perimeter marksmanship.

The Wildcats assumed control from the outset, leading 26-11 after the first eight minutes, when they outscored Berkmar 13-4 to close the period.

By halftime, it was 48-21 and the Wildcats were just getting started. Jones even stayed on the floor and did pushups after a hard foul. He had displayed his power earlier, catching an alley-oop pass from Taylor with two hands and throwing it down with one.

It was that way much of the game, the Wildcats creating open layups or perimeter shots for each other.

The extent of Wheeler's talent is immense, from Taylor to Jones to Central Gwinnett transfer Richard Howell to Ari Stewart to Tahj Tate and freshman Karl Cochran.

Each of those players contributed in establishing dominance early that was too much for Berkmar to overcome.

The Patriots did, however, show the courage of, well, Patriots. They never stopped playing hard and never sulked. They battled hard, with Witherspoon and Demarion Gordon attacking the basket with determination and purpose.

They just did not have the weaponry of the Wildcats. A Gordon 3-point jump shot keyed a Berkmar run late in the third quarter and got the Patriots' faithful excited. Still, however, the deficit was 21.