A generation ago, Anthony Thomas was a star basketball player at Woodward Academy and prominent figure in a historic state semifinal run. Thomas would play for Furman, return to Woodward as an assistant in 2005 and become head coach in 2009-10. Thomas was inducted into the school’s athletics hall of fame five years ago.
There’s tradition in that hall of fame. Woodward’s sports teams have won 72 state titles, the first in 1946 captured by the boys swim team.
But Woodward Academy has never won a state championship in boys basketball. What would that accomplishment mean to a 120-year-old school and the alumnus who directed it?
“As far as the school is concerned, it will mean everything,” Thomas said Tuesday ahead of Friday’s Class AAAA final against Cross Creek. “It would be for everybody who has come before and worn this jersey and supported Woodward basketball. For this community, it would be awesome. It doesn’t have anything to do with me personally. I just want to make sure these kids get a great experience and put on a show that the school will be proud of.’’
History beckons for Woodward and several other Georgia basketball teams this week in Macon, where 16 state finals will be played over four days beginning Wednesday.
In fact, Woodward’s opponent has never won a state title in any sport. Cross Creek, an Augusta school that opened in 1999, made the state tournament for the first time this year. Two other state finals match teams that have never won boys basketball championships. Those come in AAAAAA (Chattahoochee vs. Lanier) and AAAAA (Dutchtown vs. Cedar Shoals).
Other teams seeking first state titles in their sport are Grayson’s boys (AAAAAAA), Jefferson’s boys (AAA), Treutlen’s boys (A), Glynn Academy’s girls (AAAAAA), Kell’s girls (AAAAA), Troup’s girls (AAAA), Southwest’s girls (AA) and Wheeler County’s girls (A).
The sport’s traditional powers will have their say, though. Six reigning champions are still standing. They are Therrell (AA) and St. Francis (A-Private) among boys teams and Westlake (AAAAAAA), Buford (AAAAA), Douglass (AA) and Holy Innocents’ (A-Private) among girls teams. Buford is chasing a fourth straight state title, Westlake a third straight.
The finals, played in part or whole at the Macon Coliseum for the 51st time this year, also remain a showcase of some of the state’s elite players.
Woodward's star is 7-foot center Walker Kessler, son of former Georgia star Chad Kessler. Signed with North Carolina, he is the state's No. 1 senior boys prospect.
Grayson guards Deivon Smith (Mississippi State) and Caleb Murphy (South Florida) have their team ranked in the top five of national polls. St. Francis guard Dwon Odom (Xavier) is another top-50 national recruit.
Among girls, Georgia-committed guard Zoesha Smith has led Glynn Academy to its first final since 1952. Then there’s a remarkable wave of junior girls, all top-100 national prospect who’ve put their teams on the brink. They include Sania Feagin of Forest Park, Jillian Hollingshead of Holy Innocents’, Sacha Washington of Collins Hill and Mia Moore of St. Francis.
But it’s only in the context of their teams that they matter now as lifelong memories for them and their supporters are about to be made.
At Woodward, Thomas remembers playing the biggest game of his high school career in the same Macon Coliseum. He was a junior guard in 1997. Some of his teachers who rooted for him in those days are his faculty colleagues today, still as proud.
“It was pretty cool then,” Thomas said. “We had a team we felt had a good shot and ran into a good Columbia team down in Macon. There’s a different buzz when you get this far. As a coach I’ve always wanted our guys to have that feeling. Last year we made the final four and didn’t get the job done. I’m excited for them again to have that opportunity. That’s all we can ask for.”
FINALS SCHEDULE
Wednesday
2 p.m. – A-Private girls (St. Francis vs. Holy Innocents')
4 p.m. – A-Private boys (St. Francis vs. Greenforest Christian)
6 p.m. – A-Public girls (Central-Talbotton vs. Wheeler County)
8 p.m. – A-Public boys (Treutlen vs. Hancock Central)
Thursday
2 p.m. – AA girls (Southwest vs. Douglass)
4 p.m. – AA boys (Swainsboro vs. Therrell)
6 p.m. – AAA girls (Beach vs. Greater Atlanta Christian)
8 p.m. – AAA boys (Pace Academy vs. Jefferson)
Friday
11 a.m. – AAAA girls (Americus-Sumter vs. Troup)
1 p.m. – AAAA boys (Woodward Academy vs. Cross Creek)
6 p.m. – AAAAA girls (Kell vs. Buford)
8 p.m. – AAAAA boys (Cedar Shoals vs. Dutchtown)
Saturday
1 p.m. – AAAAAA girls (Glynn Academy vs. Forest Park)
3 p.m. – AAAAAA boys (Chattahoochee vs. Lanier)
5:30 p.m. – AAAAAAA girls (Westlake vs. Collins Hill)
7:30 p.m. – AAAAAAA boys (Wheeler vs. Grayson)
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