Rockmart boys fall in the Elite Eight round

Season ends on the road at Swainsboro

Rockmart’s boys’ basketball team’s stellar postseason run was halted in the Elite Eight on Tuesday as the Jackets lost to top-ranked Swainsboro on the road, 94-55.

The Jackets (18-11) fell behind 20-8 in the first quarter and couldn’t find a rhythm to get back into the game. Swainsboro (28-2) led 46-25 at halftime and 74-44 after three quarters.

This was the first trip in program history for the boys to the Elite Eight. In the past several years, the team has previously made it as far as the Sweet Sixteen round of the Class AA playoffs.

Rockmart’s year on the court for the boys team was a good one.

Their 18-11 finish was capped by a four game streak at the end of the season that included a region title win, an 11-3 record in 7-AA play but also marked a pair of losses this year to rival Cedartown.

The Jackets 2019-20 roster included several seniors who will be departing the team now that the season has ended. Juke Boozer — already headed to Mississippi on a football scholarship — is graduating this year alongside Ty Floyd and Tyler Rowland.

However they’ve got rising senior leadership sure to keep the boys in the top of the running when they move up to Class AAA play in the 2020-21 season. That includes junior Javin Whatley, Sherman Davis and sophomores like Jakari Clark and Keyshaun McCollough coming up in the ranks as well.

This was head coach Vic Calhoun’s second season leading the Jackets, and his second playoff appearance with the team as coach.