CLASS A BOYS PUBLIC NOTEBOOK: Calhoun County boys have promising future

ATHENS, Ga. — In the tunnel outside the Stegeman Coliseum dressing room, Calhoun County’s Rashun Williams was frustrated. However, the junior standout tried hard to find some positive words to say to a reporter.

He didn’t want to dimish the Cougars’ 28-2 season, which included another Region 1-A title and a 19-game winning streak.

“Everybody’s coming back next year,” Williams said. “We’re going to start working hard for the summer and we’re going to come back stronger.”

The Cougars boast a roster full of underclassmen. In fact, the bulk of the team are sophomores and five juniors.

Calhoun County coach Marcus Shaw believes his team will use Wednesday’s loss in the Georgia High School Association Class A public state championship game as motivation during the offseason.

“Nobody in the locker room is pleased with the outcome of the ball game,” Shaw said. “I thought the effort was there, but there were some parts of the game that should be motivating for the kids next year to get back to this point.”

State championship dynasties

Wednesday’s matchup between Wilkinson County and Calhoun County pitted the top two basketball teams in the Class A public classification during the past five seasons. The Warriors’ 66-53 victory was their fourth title in the last five seasons. Calhoun County won the other title in 2014-15 during the span.

“I’m just excited for these kids,” Wilkinson County boys coach Aaron Geter said. “They’ve worked hard all year and they’ve come through a lot of advbersity. At the end of the day, they figured out a way to get it done.”

Geter’s title was his ninth, which ranks him second all-time in state history behind Lanier coach Selby Buck, who won 13 state titles from 1925-51.

This and that

Williams finished with five blocked shots in the game. … Calhoun’s only other loss came against Early County on Jan. 3. The Cougars got even later in the season. … Wilkinson County had two players finish with double-doubles in the victory — Tylan Grable (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Clarence Jackson (15 points, 12 rebounds).