Deerfield-Windsor boys advance to state semifinals

ALBANY — It was a game worthy of a championship as both Deerfield-Windsor and John Milledge ground it out for 32 minutes.

It wasn’t a great offensive performance by either team, but it came down to who would make the last defensive stop.

Fortunately for Deerfield-Windsor, they were that team. Up by three with 5.3 seconds to go and trying to keep the Trojans from tying the game, Austin Fallaw stole the inbounds pass to help seal a 32-28 victory for Deerfield Windsor (19-6) and a trip to the GISA AAA state semifinals at Mercer University Friday at 7 p.m. against Loganville Christian.

“We stepped up and made a big play right there at the end and got a turnover,” DWS boys coach Gordy Gruhl said. “We made some free throws when we had to make them. We had to grind it out. It wasn’t a pretty game, but we had to grind that thing out. I thought our defense was awfully good all night. Offensively, it wasn’t one of our better games, but we did just enough to win.”

With 43 seconds in the game, John Milledge had the ball trailing the Knights 29-28. Andrew Prestwood, the Trojans’ 3-point specialist, went one on one with Trey Young before Young stole the ball and Prestwood committed a foul.

However, the Knights turned it over, giving the Trojans a chance for the potential last shot with 17.5 seconds left. However, with seven seconds left and the Trojans trying to score against a stingy Knights defense, an offensive foul was called against the Prestwood, giving the ball back to Deerfield-Windsor.

Ryan Toole then threw a 94-foot inbounds pass to Christian Wallace who was fouled. Wallace sank both free throws and the Knights called time out with 5.3 seconds left. John Milledge had one last chance to tie but their inbounds pass was stolen by Fallaw, effectively sealing the victory.

“I just used my instincts,” Fallaw said. “The guy throwing it in was an eighth-grader. I tried to bait him a little bit. He threw it and I just went after it and got it.”

The Knights will be facing a team in Loganville Christian that defeated them two years ago in the state finals.

“They will have an awful good team again, so we will have our hands full,” Gruhl said. “But we’re going to relish and enjoy this win tonight.”

John Milledge went on an 8-0 run to start the game thanks to baskets from Jared and Andrew Prestwood, two of four Prestwood brothers on the Trojans’ roster. The Knights got on the board with less than five minutes in the first quarter when Fallaw scored a lay up.

The Knights got back into the game with a basket by Chandler Matthews and two free throws by Whit Turner. The rest of the quarter was evenly played with John Milledge up 10-8 by the quarter’s end.

The Trojans went on a 7-2 run to start the second quarter, capped off by a 3-pointer from Andrew Prestwood. The Knights made a short run to close the first half but John Milledge led at halftime 18-14.

The Knights scored the first four points of the second half as Fallaw and Young each scored. Then with a little over two minutes in the third quarter, Turner scored to give the Knights their first lead of the game.

Ryan Toole then hit a 3-pointer, electrifying the already raucous crowd. Matthews then scored off an assist from Turner to give the Knights a 25-22 lead by the end of the third quarter.

Toole struck again with a 3-pointer with just 16 seconds into the fourth quarter before play was stopped when Young was hit in the face and had to leave the game.

At that point, the Knights were up 28-23 but John Milledge went on a 5-1 run, pulling to within a point of the Knights. However, that would be as close as they would get.

“Bottom line is you don’t get any style points this time of the year,” Gruhl said. “You just win and advance.”

Toole led the Knights with 10 points, while Fallaw scored six in the Knights’ win. Christian Wallace and Chandler Matthews each chipped in five points for Deerfield Windsor.