‘Something in the ‘Creek’: Meadowcreek still ‘euphoric’ over state title

Meadowcreek – Gwinnett County’s biggest underdog in a county chock full of sports elites – defeated five-time state champion and nationally ranked Norcross 56-43 on Saturday in the Class AAAAAAA championship.

The run to the title was unexpected and uplifting for a school and a community that aren’t accustomed to championships.

‘’It’s been euphoric,’’ Meadowcreek coach Curtis Gilleylen said. “You can tell this community has been ready for a winner for a long time. Man, it’s been a roller-coaster. Everybody is excited.’’

Opened in 1986, Meadowcreek is a majority Hispanic school. Up to 85 percent of students are from economically disadvantaged families. Those aren’t typically the demographics of successful sports programs that thrive from year-round training and coaching that sometimes come from affluence.

But times, they are changing here. It was first noticed in the spring of 2017, when the boys soccer team, with several Hispanic kids on the roster, won the school’s first state title in any sport. It was the first time the school had reached a state-championship game, much less won one, and the community responded.

A crowd of 4,000 – mostly dressed in Meadowcreek blue – watched the Mustangs defeat Pebblebrook 2-0 in a championship game held in Cobb County. A busload of Meadowcreek students, hundreds of fans and even a small pep band came in support.

Gilleylen (pronounced Gillian) said the soccer team was a catalyst to his team.

‘’If one has success, it raises the bar,’’ Gilleylen said. ‘’Other programs feel like, ‘OK, Meadowcreek is not doomed. We won’t forever be at the bottom. If they can have success here, we can.’ ’’

In the fall, the football team made history when it achieved its first winning season since 1990 and made its first post-season appearance since 1988.

Meadowcreek football had endured eight 0-10 finishes and won only nine games seven games since 2004. In 2017, the Mustangs won seven games in one season, and Jason Carrera was named Class AAAAAAA coach of the year.

It’s no secret that metro Atlanta’s best players – the ones needed to compete for state titles - find their way out of rock-bottom programs. The football team had a first-team all-state running back and an offensive line of several 300-pound college prospects, the kinds of players that ordinarily would transfer out.

Basketball programs are even more dependent on players staying loyal, and, frankly, on top players moving in.

Getting Gilleylen to come to Meadowcreek in 2016 was a good hire. The Flint, Mich., native and former Central Michigan and Clark-Atlanta player had led Stephenson’s boys to the semifinals in 2014. He’s the kind of coach those kinds of players are looking for.

This year’s team Meadowcreek’s boys team has a pair of college signees, Cory Hightower (Detroit) and Amari Kelly (Duquense). All five starters are college prospects. They’re good students, too. The team GPA is 3.3.

Meadowcreek had been the only public school in Gwinnett that didn’t have younger teams in the Gwinnett Basketball League, the feeder program that develops not only the players’ talents but their loyalties to their schools. Meadowcreek will add fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade teams this fall.

‘’Meadowcreek has been the prime picking ground for other schools,’’ Gilleylen said. ’’Our players [in the Meadowcreek district] were representing other high schools before we knew who they were. We’re putting an end to that.’’

And that’s not all, apparently. Stereotypes and reputations are fading fast. There’s something different at Meadowcreek now.

‘’There’s something in the water,’’ Gilleylen said jokingly. ‘’There’s’s something in the ‘Creek.’’

A closer look at the Mustangs:

Here’s a breakdown of Meadowcreek’s starting five. Bench playrs Emanuel Collier, Shawn Whitlock and Dawit Cridlandare - all juniors who could step into starting roles next season - also made important contributions.

Cory Hightower, 6-7 forward, senior (11 points, 10 rebounds 2 assists per game): Hightower's father, Cory Sr., and Gilleylen go back to their days in Michigan. Cory Sr. was drafted by the Lakers out of junior college, though never played in the NBA. Gilleylen calls Cory Jr. ''a Draymond Green, glue-type guy'' who was invaluable at breaking the press and contributed in all aspects of the game.

Amari Kelly, 6-9 forward, senior (9 points, 7 rebounds per game): Kelly's mother, Melissa, died last spring. That became a rallying point for the team. Kelly is an old-school big man who can play with his back to the basket. ''He's going to surprise people at the next level because he can shoot and handle the ball,'' Gilleylen said. He is signed with Duquesne.

Jamir Chaplin, 6-4 forward, junior (17 points, 6 rebounds per game): Gilleylen compares Chaplin, the most talented player overall, to Dwyane Wade. ''The sky is the limit,'' Gilleylen said. ''He's very athletic and can do whatever you ask him on a basketball court. If you want him to play the point, play power forward, he can do it.'' The coach complimented Chaplin for some game-changing charges taken in the semifinals and final.

Dequarius Nichols, 5-10 guard, senior (7 points, 4 assists per game): Nichols is surprisingly unsigned. That was apparent against Norcross, when he scored a team-leading 16 points and chased down eight rebounds. ''He's going to be a steal for a program,'' Gilleylen said. "He didn't get to shine because of the big three. But he's a proven winner and good defender.''

Kedrick Green, 5-9 guard, freshman (4 points, 2 assists): No records are kept for this, but there can't be many freshman point guards who have led boys teams to state titles in the highest classification. ''We tried to bring Kedrick along slowly, but we were playing Gainesville in the Holiday Hoops, and Gainesville was trapping, everybody is 6-5, and Kedrick was weaving in and out. We said we can't sit this kid. We inserted him into the starting lineup and never looked back.''