Wheeler Boys Basketball Back for More
Chaos ensued as Samuel Hines Jr. drained the tie-breaking free throw to put the Wheeler boys basketball team ahead 60-59. One failed full-court heave later, the Wildcats stormed the Macon Centreplex as 7A basketball state champions, upsetting the top-ranked Grayson Rams.
The Wildcats avenged their early-season loss by drawing a foul with 1.1 seconds left in the title game and sinking the game-winning free throw. Grayson, at 30-1 with the second-hardest schedule in the state, were heavy favorites against the 23-7 Wildcats, yet the Caleb Murphy-led Rams would not clinch a championship and shatter the impenetrable will of the Wildcats. Now, Wheeler is back for more.
Just as suddenly as the upset of Grayson occurred, chatter of Wheeler’s future diminished. Moving down to Class 6A certainly did not help their case to maintain relevance. However, they have remained adamant on their path to success in the winter of 2020, starting the season with seven wins and a sole loss to South Cobb.
Along with the placement in 6A came lower-classification competition but equally good games, much like previous years. The Wildcats opened their 2020 campaign with a 79-68 win over 2019 semifinalist McEachern, fueled by a 13-plus point differential in the first quarter. They opened region play with an 8-point victory over the Buccaneers of Allatoona. These two season-opening victories set the stage for a battle with 4-1 Sandy Creek, 3A’s top-ranked squad whose only loss was to Grayson.
A 16-2 run by the Patriots in the second quarter seemed to bury the former 7A champions. However, Wheeler closed the Sandy Creek lead to only six with a 9-0 run. Scores were traded for the entirety of the third period and for the majority of the fourth. A late basket for the Patriots seemed to be the dagger, stretching the lead to 7, 61-54. Wheeler did not give up, as they scored 8 unanswered points and capped the victory with a dunk by Ja’Heim Hudson.
This nail-biting 62-61 finish paved the way for a more dominating win three days later, as the Wildcats bulldozed Pope, 72-44. Hopes of an undefeated season came to an end quickly, as Wheeler fell at South Cobb 81-74. However, they handled the loss as well as possible, proceeding to defeat Kennesaw Mountain and Sprayberry in the next three days by a combined 38-point margin. Their most impressive win of the young season can be credited to this momentum, as Wheeler took down second-ranked Pebblebrook in convincing fashion 63-45.
The schedule only gets more difficult from here on, as the Wildcats must take on Lanier, Milton, Kell (twice), and South Cobb in a rematch.
Last year’s victory was not a fluke. Wheeler is back for seconds in a year where the table is strewn with the foods of success.
Written by: Dhruv Mohan
