Milton wins AAAAA boys title

By Todd Holcomb

For the AJC

A year ago, when Milton was the Class AAAAA runner-up and its three best players were sophomores, coach David Boyd said his team would be loaded for bear in 2010.

What’s in store for 2011 must be in National Geographic.

The final bear of 2010 turned out to be a wounded No. 1-ranked Westlake on Friday night. Milton — with no seniors on its roster — won its first state championship in basketball with a 56-46 victory in the Class AAAAA boys final at the Gwinnett Arena.

Those year-older sophomores for Milton — juniors Dai-Jon Parker (19 points, six rebounds), Julian Royal (15 points, five blocks) and Shannon Scott (five assists) — did their parts. So did sophomore Evan Nolte (14 points).

But Westlake (30-3), a South Fulton school looking for its first state title since 2002, suffered the unthinkable in warm-ups.

Marcus Thornton, the 6-foot-9 forward and state player-of-the-year candidate who has signed with Clemson, twisted his ankle while doing a leaping hip bump with a teammate. He scored Westlake’s first basket in the opening two minutes but limped off shortly after and did not return.

His replacement, 6-11 Nkosi Ali, had a whale of a first half, scoring nine points and getting six rebounds. Westlake was within 28-26.

But Ali was quiet in the third, when Milton closed with a 3-pointer by Parker and a 9-2 run that made it 44-34. Westlake got no closer than eight points in the fourth.

After the game, Parker hugged and consoled Thornton, who was weeping heavily. “Keep your head up,” Parker told him.’’

Boyd later called Parker “the best defensive guard in the country.” Parker and gang held Westlake to 27 percent shooting, including 7-for-31 in the second half.

“It was a tough break for Westlake,” Boyd said. “They played us tough without [Thornton]. Our guys did what it took. It wasn’t pretty.”

Westlake coach Darron Rogers said Thornton’s injury was stretched ligaments.

“Our guys faced it and played hard and left it on the court,” Rogers said.

Milton’s victory was historic. Milton (29-4) is the first from North Fulton to win a basketball championship since Roswell’s boys in 1997.

Boyd, who won his fifth state championship, became the first Georgia coach to win titles at four schools. He also won at Campbell (1982), Tucker (1996) and Berkmar (2000-01). No other coach has won at more than two.

Next season, Boyd has talked of a run at a national title. “We’ll travel all over the country and see where it takes us,” he said.