BY CONNOR SALTER
FOR THE OBSERVER
MONTGOMERY — The Lee-Scott Academy Warriors defeated the Midfield Patriots 71-67 on Feb. 11 in the AHSAA 3A Region tournament in Montgomery. It was a game with two buzzer beaters and multiple players posting over 10 points.
This game was nip and tuck from the get-go, with a total of five lead changes and six times when the score was dead even.
Lee-Scott started hot, scoring 16 points in the first quarter, leading Midfield by 6 as they went to the break. Midfield would retaliate though, scoring 14 in the second quarter, dwindling the lead to just three as the game hit halftime.
Both teams scored nine points in the third quarter, meaning Midfield had some work to do in the final quarter. Work is what Midfield did, scoring 20 points and nearly winning the game, but for a buzzer-beating shot from Junior guard Haiden Harper.
“He’s been a great leader” said Lee-Scott head coach William Johnson. “We’ve counted on Hayden for a while, but his work ethic and his leadership qualities have been unmatched.”
Harper was Lee-Scott’s leading scorer, with 29 points on 9-15 shooting and 5 rebounds. Junior Guard Gray Hayley was also of note, recording a double-double, scoring 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Overtime reflected the back-and-forth play of regulation, with both teams scoring 9 points each. The Warriors had a 3-point lead with time draining off of the clock, but the Patriots own buzzer beater would send the game to double overtime.
“Our kids felt dejected, they thought they had just beaten the number one team in the state,” said Johnson. “We chose not to foul, and the kid made an incredible shot.”
It was in the second overtime that the Warriors pulled away, and with three of their players fouled out, there was little Midfield could do.
“We just felt like we still had the advantage,” said Johnson. “They made more mistakes than we did that last overtime and we were able to come away with the win.”
For Midfield, their leading scorer was Senior Armonie Franklin who scored 19 points. Franklin was followed by Senior Brandon Riddle who scored 16 points before fouling out.
Though this season was Lee-Scott’s first year competing in AHSAA, coach Johnson said his team isn’t new to big games.
“It doesn’t matter what association you’re in, we’ve played in a lot of big games and we’ve played really good teams,” he said. “Number one, number two, number three and number four, all in the same regional. We knew that the competition level was gonna be elite and we were gonna have to match that.”
With the win over Midfield, Lee-Scott advanced to play Feb. 18 against Montgomery Academy, which reached the regional final by beating Hale County and Glenwood.
“They’re a really good basketball team, maybe the best team that I prepared for in my career,” said Johnson. “We have to give them out best to have a chance and I know our guys, I know our locker room, they’re going to lay it all on the line.”
3A Central Region Final
Lee-Scott 35, Montgomery Academy 68
Montgomery Academy beat Lee-Scott Academy B 68-35 in the 3A central regional final in Dunn-Oliver Acadome on Tuesday Feb. 18th.
Montgomery Academy started off hot, scoring 18 points in the first quarter while keeping Lee-Scott Academy to just 4. The Warriors’ only points came from junior guard Haiden Harper, who scored two tough baskets in the paint. The Eagles didn’t let up in the second quarter, more than doubling their lead.
“I thought they overwhelmed us early,” said Lee-Scott head coach William Johnson. “It was one of those things we were really worried about, and it happened. Our shooting percentage was really bad. It just got away from us.”
The second half was more of the same story, as Montgomery Academy kept padding its lead.
“Montgomery Academy is a really good basketball team,” said Johnson. “We knew that going in, and it just didn’t go well for us today. We usually shoot the ball better than that — we didn’t today. They’re very good defensively, but we just didn’t shoot the ball very well.”
Harper ended the game with 11 points, leading his team in scoring and ending the season with 603 points, 114 assists and averaging 20.1 points per game.
“I expect for [Harper] to be up for player of the year next year,” said Johnson. “That’s the kind of player he is. Haiden is a tremendous leader [with] tremendous talent. He’ll work hard. I know he will.”
Junior forward Grayson Haley recorded seven points and two rebounds, sophomore forward Cord Zellner had two points and five rebounds and junior guard Wyatt Whatley added four points and one rebound.
This loss ended the season for Lee-Scott Academy, but that’s not what the coach or the team wants to focus on.
“We made history,” said Johnson. “We played in a regional final out first year in the AHSAA. We have absolutely nothing to hang our heads over. This game does not define our season. When June rolls around, I promise you our guys will be back in the gym working.”
