THE FINISHERS ( THE STORY OF THE 2010 4A STATE CHAMPIONS )

What I would like to do today is to look back and see how the 2010 4A State Championship Basketball Season unfolded. Before we look at this Championship season we have to look at how the 2009 season ended.

The 2009 season ended with the Gaffney Indians getting to the State Championship game in Columbia to play Lowerstate Champion Goose Creek Gators. The Indians fell behind by double digits in the 1st half, only to rally and cut the lead to two points with less than a minute to go in the game. The Goose Creek Gators would hold on and hand the Gaffney Indians a very disappointing 63 to 58 loss in the State Title Game. The Indians would finish the season at 25 and 3. The Indians would lose eight players off of the 2009 team but had 4A Player of The Year Josh Corry coming back. The Indians had three more players coming back as well with Bo Wray, Domminick Byers and Chase Smith. The loss in the Championship Game stayed with these four returning players all through the summer work-outs and preseason practices as they could not wait until the new season would start so they could try to finish what they could not finish the season before, to win a State Championship.

The season started for the Gaffney Indians with the four returning players and eight new players on the varsity team. For most programs it would have been a rebuilding season, but the Gaffney Indians of Head Coach Mark Huff are not most programs, as they are the top 4A boys program in the state of South Carolina and they were just reloading for another championship run. Coach Huff has always given his teams a nickname before the start of the season and this years edition of the Gaffney Indians would be called The Finishers.

The season opener was on December 4th against rival Union County. The Indians opened the season without their top player and the reigning 4A Player of the year Josh Corry as he was suspended for the season opener for missing a practice. The undersized Indians were quicker than the taller Yellowjackets and out rebounded Union County 48 to 27 and senior Chase Smith picked up the scoring slack from Corry not playing with 24 points. The Indians would defeat Union County 92 to 57.

The early season had the Indians defeating arch-rival Spartanburg 86 to 68 in game two of the season. Game number three of the young season had the Indians in their first big showdown of the season as the 3rd ranked Gaffney Indians faced the 4th ranked Dorman Cavaliers. The game lived up to the hype as the Indians escaped with a 66 to 60 victory. After an easy 72 to 45 win over Byrnes the Indians and Cavaliers would meet once again with the Indians completing the regular season sweep of the Dorman Cavaliers 54 to 49.

The Holiday Tournament part of the Indians schedule started as they hosted the Substation 2 Tournament at The Burial Ground. The Indians would play Spartanburg Christian Academy in the first round and defeat the Warriors 68 to 64. The Indians would defeat Chesnee in the Substation 2 Championship 81 to 59. It was two very lackadaisical and unimpressive performances for the Indians even though they won the Tournament Championship.

The Indians would then participate in the Upwards Classic Tournament at Dorman High School where they would face Peachtree Ridge from Atlanta in the first round. The Indians did not play well for a third consecutive game and fell to a very good Peachtree Ridge team 87 to 70. The Indians would bounce back and defeat Butler (NC) 85 to 73 and Sebastian River (FLA) 82 to 60 to finish out the Upwards Classic.

The Non-Region schedule for the Indians ended with another big win over Byrnes 70 to 57 and another win against arch-rival Spartanburg 67 to 56 and another win over Union County 95 to 73.So the calender had turned from 2009 to the 2010 part of the schedule with the Indians finishing the non-region part of their schedule with an 12and 1 record.

The 2010 Region 3 4A opener had the Indians defeating the York Cougars 88 to 75. It was a Region win but it was not pretty. The Indians stood at 13 and 1 over-all and 1 and 0 in region play.

The 2010 season turning point came after another lackadaisical win over Region 3 4A lightweight Nation Ford 65 to 55, the Indians would then host Fort Mill at The Burial Ground. The Fort Mill Yellowjackets would come to Gaffney and defeat the Indians 66 to 60. The Indians would follow up their loss to Fort Mill with a win at the buzzer against Region 3 4A's last place team Northwestern 73 to 71. The Indians would then insert Quinshad Davis into the starting line-up and they turned up their defensive intensity a few notches and greatly improved their rebounding as their season turned around.

The 2010 regular season ended on a roll for the Gaffney Indians, after their loss to Fort Mill and near-miss to Northwestern, as they reeled off Region 3 4A wins of 76 to 48 over Clover, 90 to 52 over Nation Ford, 71 to 66 in their rematch with Fort Mill, 94 to 56 over York, 89 to 60 over Clover and 114 to 46 over Northwestern. The Indians would end the regular season with a 21 and 2 record and as Region 3 4A Champions as they headed to the playoffs.

The 2010 4A Playoff opener had the Indians hosting and defeating South Pointe by a score of 69 to 43. The Indians would lose star guard Josh Corry in the 2nd quarter with a badly sprained ankle. The win over the Stallions would set up another showdown with arch-rival Spartanburg in the 2nd round.

The 2nd and 3rd round of the 4A Playoffs had the Indians, with a questionable Josh Corry playing in the game at about 80%, defeating Spartanburg 69 to 47 in the 2nd round and they survived a 3rd classic match-up with Dorman in the 3rd round 45 to 42. Sophomore Quinshad Davis scored the winning basket with a lay-up with 10 seconds left in the game.

The 2010 Upperstate Championship Game had the Gaffney Indians facing the surprising Easley Green Wave who had upset NO. 1 ranked Hillcrest in the 3rd round. The Indians jumped to a 22 to 8 lead at the end of the 1st quarter and was able to hold off the Green Wave with a late run for a 74 to 66 victory and the Upperstate Championship for the Indians. Dershawn Dawkins led the Tribe with 24 points including 12 in the 4th quarter. Eighth-grader L.J. Peak added 14 points and 8 rebounds.

The 2010 4A State Championship Game had The Finishers back in Columbia to finish the job that they didn't finish in March of 2009. The Indians would face the Lexington Wildcats who defeated Goose Creek the team that broke the hearts of the Indians and their fans a year ago in the Title game. The State Championship game with Lexington was a game of runs with the last and Championship clinching run being a 22 to 6 run by the Indians to end the game after falling behind 51 to 49 to Lexington to start the 4th quarter. The Wildcats had finished an 11 to 0 run to take the lead early in the 4th quarter. The Indians won this game with their bench outscoring the Lexington bench 29 to 3 for the game and they out rebounded the taller Wildcats 37 to 17. Junior PG Dershawn Dawkins led the Indians with 16 points and executed the Indians offense flawless and sophomore Quinshad Davis scored 15 points and 13 rebounds. The Indians defeated Lexington 71 to 57. THE FINISHERS FINISHED THE JOB AND WON THE 2010 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN BOYS BASKETBALL!!

The loss in the State Championship Game last year was a big motivating factor with this years Gaffney Indians basketball team. They wanted to finish the job and they did. The Finishers are 2010 State Champs!

TRIBE FACTS..... The Gaffney Indians have won four 4A Basketball State Championships in eight years.

TRIBE FACTS..... The Gaffney Indians have won a total of five Basketball State Championships in school history. The Titles were won in 1949, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010.

Until Next Tuesday.

4A BOYS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RECAP

THE FINISHERS FINISH THE JOB, STATE CHAMPIONS!!!

The Gaffney Indians finished the job this past Friday night at the Colonial Life Arena, as they won their 4th State Basketball Championship in the last eight years as they defeated Lexington 71 to 57. It is the Gaffney Indians 5th Basketball State Championship in School history. The Indians finished with a 26 and 2 record with Region 3, Upperstate and State championships.Lets recap the State Championship Game.

1ST QUARTER

The Indians came out as the home team dressed in their home white uniforms. Lexington would open the game with a 5 to 0 lead before Dershawn Dawkins scored on a runner in the lane to give the Tribe their first points of the game. Gaffney looked like they came out a little tight and their first basket of the game seemed to calm them down. Gaffney would out score the Wildcats 10 to 2 the rest of the quarter to lead 12 to 7 at the end of the first quarter. The Indians would show in the 1st quarter how they were going to win this game. The Indians really pounded the boards and got some great play off of their bench.

2ND QUARTER

The Indians depth and rebounding would continue to be the story in the 2nd quarter as well as they held the Wildcats to one and done for most of the quarter and they continued to get outstanding production off of their bench. The Indians bench would out score Lexington's bench 16 to 0 in the first half, led by Zevonta Shands who had two huge three pointers for 6 points and William Smith with 6 points. Eighth-grader L.J. Peak had 2 points off the bench and rebounded and defended well also. Michael Wright was his usual spark plug off the bench as he had 2 points and played good defense and continued to come up with loose balls. The Indians would lead 35 to 24 at the half.

3RD QUARTER

The third quarter started with the Lexington Wildcats making a major run at the Indians, fueled by their star guard Shaq Roland. The Wildcats would go on a 13 to 2 run to tie the game up at 37. The Indians responded with one of their patented runs as they would out score Lexington 10 to 0 in the blink of and eye. The 10 to 0 run took all of 1:21 off the clock. The Indians would then lead 47 to 37. The Wildcats would come off the deck once again, as they out scored Gaffney 12 to 2 to end the third quarter. The quarter ended with the score tied at 49 to 49.

4TH QUARTER

The 4th quarter started with Lexington getting a steal on the Indians first possession of the quarter and getting a basket for their first lead since the first quarter at 51 to 49. Instead of panicking the Indians got back to playing Gaffney basketball as super-sub for the game Zevonta Shands would hit his 3rd three point basket of the game to put the Indians back on top 52 to 51. The Indians would not give up the lead again, as the Indians depth began to take its toll on the Wildcats. Dershawn Dawkins would score 6 points down the stretch and he would drive and dish to Quinshad Davis who had 7 points down the stretch as the Indians increased their lead to 10. The Wildcats got the lead down to 63 to 57, but was unable to get any closer, as the Indians would hit their free throws down the stretch to finish the job of winning the State Championship 71 to 57.

THE KEYS TO VICTORY

The keys to the Gaffney Indians winning the State 4A Basketball Championship was the Indians being so dominant on the boards as they out rebounded the taller Lexington Wildcats 37 to 17 for the game. The depth of the Indians payed off as usual, as Gaffney's bench outscored the Lexington bench 29 to 3 for the game. The Indians were able to out score Lexington 22 to 6 the rest of the game after falling behind 51 to 49 with 7:30 left in the 4th quarter. Lexington probably handled Gaffney's press better than anybody had all season, but it still took its toll on the Wildcats as they ran out of gas in the 4th quarter.

Gaffney's All-state guard Josh Corry did not have one of his better games as he only scored 9 points with two big three point baskets in the first half and two key free throws down the stretch. The Indians showed just how good they are by winning the State Championship game with their star having a sub-par game. They got a team high 16 points from junior point guard Dershawn Dawkins, 15 points and 13 rebounds from sophomore forward Quinshad Davis, 11 points and three key three point baskets from junior reserve guard Zevonta Shands, 6 points and 6 rebounds from eighth-grader L.J. Peak and only 2 points but 7 big rebounds from senior forward Chase Smith. CONGRATULATIONS INDIANS FOR FINISHING THE JOB OF WINNING THE STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

TRIBE FACTS..... The Gaffney Indians moved into a tie with Lower Richland High School for the most 4A Basketball State Championships with 4. The 4A classification was formed by the South Carolina High School League back in 1969. The Indians have a total of 5 basketball State Championships in their history.

Until Next Tuesday.

4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW

INDIANS WIN THE UPPERSTATE CHAMPIONSHIP!!

The Gaffney Indians are Columbia bound for a second year in a row, as they defeated Easley 74 to 66 to win the 4A Upperstate Championship on Friday night at the Bilo Center in Greenville. The Indians got off to a fast start as they led 22 to 8 at the end of the 1st quarter. Easley would chip away at the Tribe's lead and eventually tie the game at 54 with 5:39 left in the game. The Indians would then turn up the pressure and go on a 10 to 0 run to pretty much put the game away. The Indians would hit 9 of 10 free throws down the stretch to finish off the Easley Green Wave. Josh Corry had 16 of his 23 points in the 1st half as the Indians built their halftime lead. Dershawn Dawkins would score 12 of his team high 24 points down the stretch after the game was tied at 54. Eighth-grader L.J. Peak had another big game, off of Head Coach Mark Huff's bench, with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Sophomore Quinshad Davis had a solid game as well with 8 points and 8 rebounds. SO THE GAFFNEY INDIANS ARE 2010 4A UPPERSTATE CHAMPIONS!!

4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW

Lexington (25-4) vs Gaffney (25-2)..... The Gaffney Indians are in Columbia for a second consecutive season to try to bring home another State Basketball Championship. The Indians came up shot last season losing to Goose Creek 63 to 58. This season the Indians intend to Finish the job! The Indians have been focused and motivated to get back to the title game and finish the job. Head Coach Mark Huff named this years team The Finishers. The Indians will be ready to play, as they have seen a great 2-3 zone from Dorman, a great 1-3-1 zone from Spartanburg and a mixture of defenses from Easley. During the regular season the Indians scored 76.5 points per game and gave up 59.4 points per game. During the playoffs the Indians have averaged scoring 64.3 points per game and they have given up an average of 49.5 points per game. The Indians will continue to do what they do best, full-court pressure and try to run as much as possible on offense and use their speed and quickness and deep bench to wear down the Lexington Wildcats. IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT !

The Lexington Wildcats are the Champions of Region 5 4A and the 2010 Lowerstate Champions. The Wildcats have been pretty impressive during the playoffs with wins over Dutch Fork, Berkeley, Sumter and defending 4A State Champions Goose Creek 72 to 61 to win the Lowerstate Championship. During the regular season the Wildcats averaged scoring 63.4 points per game and gave up an average of 51.1 points per game. During their playoff run, the Wildcats have averaged 72.5 points per game and they have given up an average of 60.5 points per game. The Wildcats will probably try to slow the game down, as they usually play at a slower pace than Gaffney does on offense. As I look at this game, I see Lexington as a very good team and they can beat Gaffney if the Indians don't bring their A-game. I see the Indians bringing their A-game and The Finishers will finish the job this season and bring another State Championship back home to the School of Champions..... Winner Gaffney

Tribe Facts..... The Gaffney Indians are playing for the 4A State Basketball Championship for the 5th time in the last 8 years. With a win it would be their 4th Title in 8 years and 5th all-time.

GO INDIANS! GO INDIANS! GO INDIANS!

Until Next Tuesday.