Panthers headed to the big dance at state, finish fourth at regionals
After a seven-year run of coaching, Magnet Cove basketball head coach Matt Williamson is finally guiding his hoops squad in the big dance on the court at the state tournament. The Panthers clinched their postseason ticket at state by prevailing against the Junction City Dragons 56-52 in the opening round at the 2A South Region Tournament hosted at Caddo Hills. The Panthers would have two tough battles in the next two rounds in regionals—falling short to the Dierks Outlaws 50-46 in the semifinals, and suffering a tough defeat to Fordyce 61-54 in the third place and consolation round.
As a result, the Panthers finish fourth at regionals and head to the 2021 Class 2A state tournament to claim the No. 4 seed.
The Panthers will play Lavaca tonight at 7 p.m. in the state tournament hosted in Melbourne.
The buzz has been enormous in Panther country since the Panthers are competing for a chance at the state title. Williamson is very excited about the Panthers and their overall play during the regional tournament.
Although the Panthers have taken care of business to extend their season, Williamson feels more relieved to finally be coaching for the first time at the state tournament.
Williamson mentioned this is the first time to go to state in his seven-year coaching career and the Panthers are deserving for this opportunity.
The Panthers pulled off an incredible victory against the Junction City Dragons in the first round at regionals and Williamson thought his troops executed productively to be victorious under pressure.
“I thought we attacked well and our win was a total team effort,” Williamson said. He added, “It was an incredible win for our program.”
The Panthers had to fight their way back from a 8-0 deficit, but eventually tied the contest with the Dragons at 11-11 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was similar to the first, which remained close and at the break, Magnet Cove and Junction City were tied, 2626. In the second half, the Panthers brought out their magic tricks of intensity and outscored the Dragons 3026—which favored Magnet Cove for the four-point victory and a celebration to officially be state tourney bound.
Williamson was ecstatic about how well several Panthers performed and stepped up during crucial moments against Junction City. Senior Levi Horton led scoring with a big 18 points. Williamson said, “Levi’s senior leadership got us over the edge.” Also Evin Ashcraft busted three huge triples from beyond the arc to finish with 11 points and Nathan Wetherington had some big plays and performed well with 10 points for a trio of double-figures according to Williamson. Big man Kadin Baker was a huge force in the post area and passed well with productive defense to contribute six points. Owen Tillery knocked down several key shots with a trifecta (3-pointer) from downtown
and Jace Beckwith’s spark made a difference, Williamson said. Tillery and Beckwith each finished with five points apiece. Beckwith’s defensive presence and rebounding was key for the Panthers.
Williamson feels confident with the Panthers to come out strong in their state tourney performance. It’s been a good year for the Panthers on the hardwood and most importantly, Williamson said this opportunity is big for the Magnet Cove community. The Panthers received a lot of support during the season despite the outrage of COVID-19. The Panthers have overcome some adversity this season and they’re ready to make more noise on the court at the big dance as one of the sweet 16 elite teams at state in Melbourne.
The Panthers are 19-10 overall.