Three boys basketball coaches moved up in the history books with their teams’ state championships last week in Macon.
Eddie Martin of Greater Atlanta Christian became the third boys coach to win seven state titles. Martin has won four with GAC (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014) and three with Norcross (2006, 2007, 2008).
Aaron Geter of Wilkinson County won his sixth state championship this season, all since 1999.
Sharman White of Miller Grove won his fifth, all since 2010.
The three are among 14 in state history with five or more boys state titles.
Selby Buck holds the state record of 12 state titles, all at Lanier of Macon, the most recent in 1951. Eric Staples won eight at Perry, the most recent in 1964.
Martin’s ascent to third place has been rapid. He had been a Georgia head coach for 25 years, mostly at Brookwood, before winning his first at Norcross in 2006. Martin was respected locally as a top coach for those two decades at Brookwood and took overachieving teams to the state semifinals in 1989 and 1999.
But Martin concedes that career moves have helped put him in position to gain the national recognition he has attained the past several years.
“Looking back, making the move to Norcross at the time I did was a very wise decision,” he said. “So was coming to GACS when I did. I never in my wildest dreams ever thought this would happen. Just shows you what good players and great assistant coaches can do for you.’’
Durr, Gant named players of year: Asia Durr of St. Pius and JaKeenan Gant of Effingham County are the Atlanta Tipoff Club state players of the year.
Durr is the top-rated junior prospect in the nation, according to ESPN Hoopgurlz, and led St. Pius to the Class AAA championship. Durr averaged 24.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game on a 30-3 team.
Grant, who signed with Missouri, averaged 21.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocked shots for a 20-10 team that advanced to the AAAAA second round.
McEachern junior guard Te’a Cooper was named the metro Atlanta girls player of the year. Greater Atlanta Christian guard Isaiah Wilkins is the boys metro player of the year.
Cross Keys hires winning football coach: Kevin Saunders, who won a state championship for one of Virginia's more successful football teams in 2011, resigned from Gretna High on Monday and announced he was taking over at Cross Keys, according to the Danville Register & Bee.
Cross Keys’ record during the past nine seasons is 7-80-2. The team no longer plays a region schedule and hasn’t won more than three games in a season since 1995.
Saunders’ record at Gretna was 49-15 in five seasons. Gretna won Virginia’s Class 2A title in 2011. The school also won state titles in 2007 and 2008. Saunders’ overall record as a head coach is 144-77.
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