Calhoun cruises against N. Hall in AAA state playoffs opening round
The Jackets dominated the Vikings from start to finish, while the Sonoraville Lady Phoenix also picked up a firstround playoff victory on Friday.
The Calhoun Boys’ Varsity basketball team hosted the East Hall Vikings on Saturday evening in a first-round GHSA AAA tournament matchup. The Jackets hoped to maintain their stellar record at home this season with the postseason win, which it was able to do thanks to huge nights by Davis Allen and Gage Maffetone, as the home side defeated East Hall 76-60.
While Maffetone had a huge night as he led the Jackets in scoring with 19 points, Allen probably had the biggest impact of any one player in the game, as he was a force to reckoned with on defense (six blocks) and crashing the boards, and he contributed on offense in his own right with 11 points. Calhoun coach Vince Layson commented on the play of his two stars.
“Davis (Allen) played a phenomenal game,” Layson said. “He played a well- rounded game… He affected them in all kinds of aspects – offensively and defensively.”
“Those blocks at the end really took the wind out of their (East Hall’s) sails. Gage, he’s been our rock all year long handling the ball offensively and leading us in scoring. Kudos to him, he’s put in the time. He’s a great kid to coach, and I was so proud to see him come out and continue to do what he’s been doing.”
Allen won the opening tip to start the game, and that was a sign of things to come. The visiting Vikings could not buy a shot early on, but they settled down and started making some shots near the end of the quarter. Maffetone was a big contributor in Calhoun’s great start as he scored seven points in an opening quarter that saw Calhoun go on a 17-5 run to start the game.
The second quarter saw a much more fast-paced, back-and-forth performance from both teams. Multiple Viking players saw the scoresheet including Kylan Curry (who had 17 points in the game). Through their contributions and some questionable calls that went against Calhoun, the visitors crept back into the game and actually took a 31-30 lead over the Yellow Jackets going into halftime. Jake Prather led the Jackets with four points.
Although the momentum seemed to be shifting, Calhoun would not let the game get away from them. Xaxton Goodson had a big quarter as he led the home team in scoring with six points, and Maffetone added five. This led to the Yellow Jackets taking a 51-46 lead over East Hall heading into the final period.
Calhoun kept the pressure on and extended its lead over the Vikings’ in the fourth quarter, as they ended up winning by 16 points. The final straw in the game came when Allen blocked two shots back-to-back on one of East Hall’s offensive possessions, and the game was clearly over from this point. The Jackets went on to win 76-60 and advance to the second round of the state tournament.
Coach Layson was thrilled by the result and pointed to the play of Tonocito Martha (14 points) as the difference in the Jackets’ victory.
“The difference I think tonight in what we have been seeing was Tonocito Martha,” Layson said. “I feel like he came in and played free. He attacked the rim. He got a lot of rebounds early. He was great on defense. He handled pressure when he had to. I feel like he was the difference and the turning point between Calhoun and East Hall tonight.”
Calhoun will move on to play Cedar Grove in Ellenwood on February 20. Coach Layson recognizes the upcoming challenge against the No. 1 seed in their side of the bracket but embraces it.
“It’s going to be a tough matchup,” Layson said. “They are a very good defensive team. They got athletes all over the floor.”
“It’s going be one of those games where it comes down to whether we can put some points on the board, and can we limit our own turnovers because they are going to pressure us and try to force some turnovers on our side. I think we are starting to play our best ball of the year, which is great at this point of the season. It’s tournament time. Anything can happen. They’re going to be tough, but we’re going to give it all we got.”