UPPER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RECAP (2012)

Indians Win Upper State Championship with a 55 to 47 victory over the Dorman Cavaliers on Friday night at the Bilo Center in Greenville. The game was back and forth in the 1st half, as Dorman led 15 to 12 at the end of the 1st quarter. The lead changed hands several times in the 2nd quarter with Gaffney ending the 1st half with a 29 to 28 lead.

The Tribe took control of the game with a 12 to 2 run to start the 3rd quarter to increase their lead to 41 to 30. Gaffney's starting point guard Cobby McDowell had to leave the game midway of the 3rd quarter with an ankle sprain. The Cavaliers would cut the lead to 43 to 36 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

The 4th quarter started with Gaffney's L.J. Peak scoring on his third dunk of the game, by driving the baseline and slamming it one handed, to increase the Tribe's lead to 45 to 36. The Cavaliers were not ready to pack it in for the night. After being held to only eight points through the first 12:30 of the 2nd half they would start a comeback. The Cavaliers went on a 7 to 0 run to cut the Gaffney lead to 45 to 43 with 4:32 left in the game. The comeback was fueled by their half court trapping defense, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside's three-point play and then a dunk and two free throws by Curtis Webb. During the comeback attempt by Dorman, the Indians had some trouble with the half court trap, which is Dorman's bread and butter. The injury to starting point guard Cobby McDowell, the Tribe's best ball handler, was becoming a major concern. Behind the strong senior leadership of Quinshad Davis and Micheal Wright, the Tribe got it back together and held Dorman scoreless over the next 3:31 of the game to pull away. Davis had a key basket and a couple of free throws and Wright made 5 of 6 free throws down the stretch and Peak had a basket and a free throw to finish off the game and win the 2012 Upper State Championship for the Gaffney Indians. The Tribe won the game 55 to 47. The Tribe's record improves to 22 and 5 and they have won 16 of 17 after starting the season 6 and 4.

My View From The Stands.....(1) The Gaffney fans turned out in full force and were a factor in the Tribe's victory. (2) The Tribe played outstanding defense in the 2nd half holding Dorman to 19 2nd half points. (3) L.J. Peak had three very impressive dunks and scored a game high 15 points. (4) Gaffney seniors Quinshad Davis and Micheal Wright continues to lead this team with their leadership skills and with their play on the court. They refuse to let the Indians lose. (5) Hopefully the Tribe will have a healthy Cobby McDowell back for the State Championship game against Lexington. He has had a good season running the Gaffney offense. He was missed during Dorman's run in the 4th quarter Friday night.

TRIBE FACTS..... Gaffney plays Lexington for the 2012 4A State Basketball Championship Friday night at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia. This is a rematch of the 2010 State Championship Game when Gaffney defeated Lexington 71 to 57.

TRIBE FACTS..... Head Coach Mark Huff is now 6 and 0 in Upper State Championship Games with Gaffney. He is now 10 and 0 in Upper State Championship Games for his career.

Tribe Blitz will have a State Championship Game Preview on Thursday March 1st.

Until Next Time.

BASKETBALL ROUND 3 RECAP AND UPPERSTATE CHAMPIONSHIP 2012 PREVIEW

I figured it would be a long time before I would see a High School basketball game any where close to the game I saw back in December 2010 at the finals of the Upwards Classic between Gaffney and Irmo. That game had every thing including overtime, which was won by the Gaffney Indians 85 to 84. The round three playoff meeting between Number 1 Irmo and Number 2 Gaffney had the billing to be an instant classic and it most definitely was. These two games between the Irmo Yellow Jackets and the Gaffney Indians were the best two basketball games I have ever seen. The 2012 round 3 playoff game, on Tuesday February 21st, will have to be "Best Basketball Game I Ever Saw" number 1A and the Upwards Classic Championship in 2010 as 1B. The game Tuesday meant more because it sent Gaffney to the Upper State Championship Game. Let's recap the thrilling Gaffney 59 to 58 victory over Irmo in a game played in front of an overflow crowd at The Burial Ground at Gaffney High School.

Round 3 Irmo @ Gaffney..... The top-ranked Irmo Yellow Jackets came out smoking hot in the 1st half against the Tribe. They hit 14 of their 21 1st half field goal attempts to lead 18 to 15 after the 1st quarter and 34 to 27 at the half. Clemson commitment Jordan Roper scored 16 0f Irmo's 34 points in the 1st half. The Indians missed several shots from close range and gave up two many easy baskets but, they were still within striking distance.

The 2nd half started with Irmo increasing their lead to eight points early in the 3rd quarter but, behind good defense and some timely baskets from L.J. Peak and Quinshad Davis the Tribe cut the Irmo lead to 41 to 39 after the third quarter. The Tribe played much better defense in the 3rd quarter holding the Jackets to only seven points.

The 4th quarter started and I knew the game was going down to the very end. Little did I know was the kind of a dramatic end we were going to get. Gaffney's L.J. Peak tied the game at 46 with a tip end with 5:14 left in the game but, fell and hit his head on the floor and had to leave the game bleeding. Peak would return less than 2:00 minutes later with a band aid over his eye and wearing another uniform top. His normal number 10 jersey was covered with blood so he was wearing number 50. The Tribe would take their first lead since the 1st quarter at the 2:56 mark of the 4th quarter on a jumper in the lane by Cobby McDowell that made the score 49 to 48. The noise in The Burial Ground was deafening. The teams kept battling back and forth but, with 18.6 seconds left in the game and the score tied at 55, L.J. Peak went to the line and hit two free throws to put the Tribe up for good at 57 to 55. Irmo got the ball back trailing by two with 10 seconds left, Gaffney's Micheal Wright came up with his second huge steal in the last two minutes of the game and drove in for an uncontested layup to put Gaffney up 59 to 55. A desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer by Irmo made the final score Gaffney 59 Irmo 58. It was an unbelievable game and now it is on to the Bilo Center in Greenville for the Upper State Championship Game against the Dorman Cavaliers.

My View From The Stands.....(1) I got to my seat in The Burial Ground around 6:00 PM and there were a few hundred people already in the gym. (2) I was a little concerned at halftime with all the easy baskets Irmo was getting. Their star guard Jordan Roper was killing Gaffney with 16 1st half points. (3) The Gaffney coaches made halftime adjustments by putting their best defender Quinshad Davis on Roper for most of the 2nd half. They also played L.J. Peak on him when Davis wasn't on him. They are both 6'4" with long arms and they definitely altered his shots. He only scored 10 points in the 2nd half and only had two field goals. (4) Gaffney's two senior starters Quinshad Davis and Micheal Wright refused to let the Tribe loose this game. Their play and leadership has been PRICELESS during the playoffs.

UPPER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW

Gaffney vs Dorman..... The Dorman Cavaliers come into this game with a 25 and 3 record. They have defeated Woodmont, Richland Northeast and Lancaster to make it to their second consecutive Upper State Championship Game. They were defeated handily by Irmo last season in this game. The Cavaliers have defeated Gaffney twice this season. They defeated the Tribe early when the Tribe only had seven players because the football players were still playing football. The second time they defeated Gaffney the football players, except for Quinshad Davis, were with the team but, had not practiced but a couple of times and were not in basketball shape. They will be playing a much different Gaffney team this time. The Cavaliers have improved game by game as the season has played out. Their star player is Curtis Webb who averages 16.1 points per game. The Cavaliers win with defense and they are also playing with a lot of confidence and playing with a chip on their shoulder. They feel like they have been overlooked and haven't gotten the recognition they feel like they deserve. They are averaging 63.9 points per game and they are giving up 50.1 per game. They have really been good at finding ways to win the close game. Their Head Coach Thomas Ryan has done an outstanding job with this team.

The Gaffney Indians come into this game with a 21 and 5 record. They have defeated Mauldin, Easley and Irmo to get to the Upper State Championship Game for the 3rd time in 4 years. They won the State Championship in 2010 and were State runner-up in 2009. It will really be a different Gaffney team that Dorman will play this time around, as they have only lost one game with their whole team together. They lost the season finale to Spartanburg in a game that they had nothing to play for and they were uninspired. The Tribe has been led in scoring by L.J. Peak with an average of 18.0 per game. They have really gotten inspired play from their two senior starters Micheal Wright and Quinshad Davis. Both of these two were starters on the 2010 State Championship team and Peak was a key reserve as an eighth grader. The Tribe has averaged 68.9 points per game this season and they have given up 55.7 per game.

TRIBE FACTS..... Gaffney Head Coach Mark Huff is 5 and 0 in Upper State Championship Games as the Indians' Head Coach.

See you at the Bilo Center Friday night February 24th at 8:30 PM for the Upper State Championship Game between the Gaffney Indians and the Dorman Cavaliers. Tribe Blitz will have a recap of the game on Monday February 27th and if the Tribe wins a State Championship Preview on Thursday March 1st.

Until Next Time.

ROUND 3 OF 2012 BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS PREVIEW

This time last season the powerful Gaffney Indians basketball team was sitting at home, after a mental letdown in the 1st round against a bad Byrnes team led to a 1st round upset ending their great season with an unbelievable thud. The Indians have come out this post season like a team on a mission, as they have blown out Mauldin and they hung on to defeat a very good Easley team in round 2. Let's recap the first two rounds of the 2012 playoffs and preview round 3.

Round 1 Mauldin @ Gaffney..... The Tribe started slowly on the offensive end of the floor in this one but, they got on a roll late in the 1st quarter and never looked back in blowing out the Mavericks 83 to 40. The Tribe was led by a stellar defense and an offense that executed very well against the Mauldin zone defense. The Tribe was led in scoring by sophomore L.J. Peak with 18 points. Senior Micheal Wright also hit three 3-pointers to help loosen up the Mauldin zone defense. This win was huge for the Tribe, as they got the 1st round monkey off their backs.

Round 2 Easley @ Gaffney..... The Indians came into this game knowing they were going to have to contain the Easley 3-point shooting game. The Green Wave hit 16 of them in their round 1 win over Byrnes. The Tribe jumped out to a fast start and led 24 to 14 after the 1st quarter. The Wave cut the lead to eight by halftime, as the Tribe led 39 to 31. Easley's best player is Senior forward Spencer Collins and he kept the Green Wave in the game. The Tribe started fast in the 3rd quarter and eventually built an eighteen point lead only to see the Green Wave cut it to 12 at 63 to 51 after the 3rd quarter. Collins scored 31 points through the first three quarters to keep his team in the game. The Wave made a serious run in the 4th quarter, led by 13 more points from Collins and some long 3-pointers by Alex Preston to get to within a point at 67 to 66. Quinshad Davis and L.J. Peak made baskets to build the lead back up to six but, the Green Wave would not go quietly. Micheal Wright hit two free throws with 7-seconds left to make the score 81 to 75 and seal the deal for the Indians. Spencer Collins scored at the buzzer to make the final score 81 to 77. Spencer Collins had a monster game for Easley with 44 points. The Tribe was led in scoring by Senior Quinshad Davis with 25 points and L.J. Peak scored 22 points and four dunks. Micheal Wright had a nice game with 14 points and three 3-pointers and Kerry Williams scored 13 points. The Tribes perimeter defense was a key to victory as well holding Easley to six 3-pointers. It's on to round 3 for the Tribe.

My View From The Stands.....(1) The Tribe has come out focused and playing with intensity in the playoffs. They are executing better on offense and they are also playing inspired defense. If it had not been for a superhuman performance by Easley's Spencer Collins, with 44 points, the Tribe wins easily in round 2. (2) The Tribe appears to be playing like a team on a mission and will have to play even better, as the opponents get even better. (3) Quinshad Davis is playing his best basketball of the season at the most important time of the season, PLAYOFF TIME. He scored 25 points against Easley and was a terror on the boards and defensively as well. The most important thing he is giving is great senior leadership. Senior Micheal Wright has stepped his game up as well with six 3-pointers in the playoffs and two double digit point games. Wright is also showing good senior leadership.

Round 3 Irmo @ Gaffney Preview..... I am really looking forward to this game. Number 1 Irmo coming to The Burial Ground. The defending State Champions coming to The Burial Ground. The game features the last two 4A State Champions, Gaffney 2010 and Irmo 2011. The last time these two powers played was in December of 2010 in the Finals of the Upwards Classic at Dorman. The Tribe won that game 85 to 84 in overtime. Irmo's Jordan Roper had a monster game with 43 points but, missed a free throw that would have iced the game for the Yellow Jackets by giving them a four point lead with 2.5 seconds left. He missed and the door was left open and the Tribe took advantage of the opportunity. Micheal Wright took the ball out of bounds and passed it 3/4 of the court to Quinshad Davis who caught the ball and quickly passed to L.J. Peak who drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game and send it to overtime. Then in overtime the Tribe trailed by one point 84 to 83 with five seconds left in the game. Micheal Wright drove to the basket and missed a layup but, L.J. Peak was there for the put back to give Gaffney a thrilling 85 to 84 overtime victory. It also gave them the Upwards Classic Championship. Everyone thought and hoped for a rematch of these two titans in the playoffs last season but, we know about Gaffney being upset in the 1st round which opened the door for the Irmo Yellow Jackets to roll to the State Championship and they did. We finally have the rematch but, it comes a year later than expected.

Irmo comes into this game with a 24 and 3 record. They are and have been Number 1 in the state all season. During the season they have averaged 68.1 points on offense and they have given up 49.3 points on defense. They are led by future Clemson Tigers point guard Jordon Roper. The bottom line is they are Number 1 and defending Champs for a reason, THEY ARE VERY GOOD. They beat Northwestern 63 to 37 in round 1 and Hillcrest 73 to 59 in round 2.

Gaffney comes into this game with a 20 and 5 record. They are on a roll winning 14 of their last 15 games. During the season they have averaged 69.3 points on offense and they have given up 55.6 points on defense. The Tribe is led by the nation's 21st ranked sophomore L.J. Peak, Quinshad Davis and Micheal Wright. The Tribe is playing with a purpose, to bring the State Championship back to Gaffney. In the playoffs the Tribe has defeated Mauldin 83 to 40 in round 1 and Easley 81 to 77 in round 2.

This should be one heck of a High School basketball game. The overtime game these two teams played last season is the best High School basketball game I have ever seen. If this game is half as good as that one was we are in for a good one.

Tribe Blitz will have the recap of this round 3 Playoff game between Irmo and Gaffney on Thursday February 23rd. If Gaffney wins we will also preview the Upper State Championship Game which will be Friday the 24th at the Bilo Center in Greenville.

Until Next Time.

FINAL THREE REGULAR SEASON GAMES RECAP AND PLAYOFFS PREVIEW (2012)

The Tribe finished their regular season winning 2 of their last 3 games and clinching the Region 3 4A Championship. They head into the playoffs with an 18 and 5 record overall and 9 and 1 in Region 3. Let's recap the final three regular season games.

Clover @ Gaffney..... The Tribe came into this game knowing all they had to do was win one of their final three games to win the Region 3 4A Championship. The drama was over quickly, as they clinched the Region 3 Championship with a 69 to 51 win over the Clover Blue Eagles. The Tribe improved to 17 and 4 overall and 8 and 0 in Region play. It was also their 11th consecutive victory.

Northwestern @ Gaffney..... Score wise it looked like another impressive performance by the Tribe. Not so fast my friend. It was a flat lackluster performance but, a win is a win and I would rather win ugly than loose pretty. The Tribe just couldn't put the Trojans away until the games final minutes, as they pulled away for a 67 to 49 victory over Northwestern. The Tribe improved to 18 and 4 overall and 9 and 0 in Region 3. It was also their 12th win in a row.

Gaffney @ Spartanburg..... The regular season finale had the Tribe heading on the road to play rival Spartanburg on the Vikings senior night. Hoping for a more inspired and focused performance heading to the playoffs, the Tribe looked even more uninspired and showed a cause of some concern heading to the playoffs. The starters were benched for most of the 3rd quarter with star L.J. Peak not coming back into the game until less than two minutes left in the game. The Tribe could not get any closer than two points in the 4th quarter and saw their 12 game winning streak snapped by the inspiring play of the Spartanburg Vikings, as Gaffney fell 64 to 58. Gaffney's record fell to 18 and 5 overall and 9 and 1 in Region 3.

My View From The Stands..... I like this team but, I am concerned heading to the playoffs. For most of the season they have faced adversity and found ways to win ball games. They found ways to win games even when they didn't have their A-game. The issues from Friday night at Spartanburg looks as though there might be some dissension developing on the team. The maturity of star L.J. Peak has come into question, as has the teams focus and intensity. When they play smart and focused on both ends of the court they can beat anyone in the state. When they don't they can lose to anybody. Just look at the playoff debacle, in the first round, to a bad Byrnes team last basketball season. I think we will have a good idea about this teams chances in the playoffs this season with how their focus and intensity level is against an inferior team in the 1st round. It is going to be interesting and hopefully not another disappointing and egg laying performance by the Indians.

PLAYOFFS PREVIEW

The Tribe opens the playoffs as Region 3 4A Champions with an 18 and 5 overall record. If they can continue to win they will have home court advantage through the first three rounds until the Upper State Championship Game at the Bilo Center. Let's look at Round 1 of the 2012 High School basketball playoffs for the Gaffney Indians.

Round 1 Mauldin @ Gaffney..... The Mauldin Mavericks come into The Burial Ground on Wednesday night February 15th for the 1st round match-up with Gaffney with an 11 and 13 overall record. They are the 5th seed out of seven team Region 2 4A. If the Tribe will focus and play with intensity it should be an easy victory for the Indians. You can't take a win for granted, just think back to the 1st round last season when a BAD Byrnes team came into our house and pulled one of the biggest upsets in state playoffs history. THE TRIBE CAN NOT LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN! I have confidence that they can right the ship and get it done. I expect L.J. Peak to have a big game and carry the Tribe to the 2nd round on Saturday night.

Round 2 Possible Opponents..... The 19 and 5 Easley Green Wave, the number 2 seed out of Region 1 or the 9 and 12 Byrnes Rebels, the number 3 seed out of Region 2. The Tribe cannot afford to overlook Mauldin or the Easley Brynes winner to a possible game with Number 1 Ranked Irmo in the 3rd round. If they do it will be an early exit. Being a fan I would love to see a Gaffney vs Irmo game in the 3rd round. They played in the Finals of the Upwards Classic in December 2010 which was a double overtime game won by the Indians. It was the best High School basketball game I have ever seen. LET'S FOCUS ON MAULDIN AND TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS THERE AND THEN FOCUS ON THE 2ND ROUND GAME AGAINST THE BYRNES AND EASLEY WINNER.

We will recap the first two playoff games in the next Tribe Blitz on Monday February 20th.

Until Next Time.

SECOND HALF JANUARY BASKETBALL UPDATE (2012)

The Gaffney Indians went 5 and 0 during the second half of January. They have now won ten games in a row and have an overall record of 16 and 4 and they are on top of the Region 3 4A standings at 7 and 0. They had to go on the road in 4 of their previous 5 games. Let's look at the games.

Gaffney @ Clover..... The Tribe went into Clover, which is always a tough place to play and won an ugly ball game. It's always better to win ugly than to loose pretty. The Tribe beat the home team 59 to 51. This was the first region road game of the season after two emotional region wins over ranked teams Rock Hill and Lancaster. Their record improved to 12 and 4 overall and 3 and 0 in Region 3.

Spartanburg @ Gaffney..... The games between the Vikings and Indians are always tough emotional ball games and this one was no different. The Spartanburg Vikings controlled the tempo for most of the game and had the game tied at 44, late in the 4th quarter, when they got called for a technical foul for delaying the game. The Indians Kerry Williams hit a technical free throw to put the Indians up for good and they finished off the Vikings 53 to 46. Gaffney won their 7th game in a row and stood 4 and 0 in the region and 13 and 4 overall.

Gaffney @ Northwestern..... The Indians made the first of back to back trips down highway 5 to face the Northwestern Trojans. After a close 1st half the Tribe raced out to a 56 to 38 lead late in the 3rd quarter only to see the Trojans storm back to get within 3 late in the game. The Tribe hit enough free throws down the stretch to hold on for a 74 to 69 victory. Gaffney won their 8th in a row and stood 5 and 0 halfway through the Region 3 schedule. Their overall record improved to 14 and 4.

Gaffney @ Rock Hill..... The second of the back to backs down highway 5 was to face the Rock Hill Bearcats a team the Tribe had beaten 81 to 63 to open region play. It was a much tougher game this go around, as the Tribe just couldn't put the Bearcats away. They also lost star sophomore L.J. Peak to fouls early in the 4th quarter. The Tribe over came the adversity and missed free throws to pull out another tough road region game. Gaffney won the game 64 to 58 to win their 9th straight and go to 6 and 0 in Region 3 play and 15 and 4 overall.

Gaffney @ Lancaster..... The Tribe made the long 1 hour and 1/2 trip to Lancaster last night to face the 4th ranked Bruins. The Lancaster gym is a small and hostile place to play for a road team to come in and win. This game was a match-up for 1st place in Region 3 between 2nd ranked Gaffney and 4th ranked Lancaster. You had a standing room only crowd and a playoff atmosphere. Could the game actually live up to the hype? YES IT DID! It started off like Gaffney was going to blow the Bruins out of their own building racing to a 20 to 8 lead after the 1st quarter. Late in the 1st half the Tribe pushed their lead to 29 to 12 after two consecutive dunks by L.J. Peak. The Bruins scored the final two baskets of the half and Gaffney led 29 to 16 at the half. The 3rd quarter started with the Lancaster Bruins finishing a 22 to 2 run to take a 34 to 31 lead. The Bruins continued to lead 38 to 36 after the 3rd quarter. It looked as though the Indians were out of gas but, they were able to get a free throw from L.J. Peak with 1.7 seconds left in the game to tie the game at 51 to 51 after regulation. Lancaster star Sindarius Thornwell scored 29 points but, he fouled out to put Peak on the line to tie the game. It was all Gaffney in overtime, as they made their free throws and their defense put the clamps on the Bruins with Thornwell on the bench. The Tribe outscored the Bruins 15 to 6 to win the game 66 to 57. The Tribe's record goes to 16 and 4 overall and 7 and 0 in Region 3 4A. They have also won 10 in a row.

My View From The Stands.....(1) The Tribe is playing very good basketball and finding ways to win ball games even when they have things go against them. The game against Spartanburg they were o for 15 from behind the 3 point arc and missed 15 free throws but, they found a way to win the ball game. The Northwestern game, they let an 18 point lead almost completely disappear but, they won the ball game. The 2nd Rock Hill game, their best player fouled out early in the 4th quarter, in a close game but, they won the ball game. The Lancaster game, they overcame a late technical foul and blowing a 17 point lead but, they were able to win the game in overtime. They are doing what they need to do by overcoming adversity and finding a way to win tough ball games. That should bode well for the upcoming playoffs. (2) The Tribe is 7 and 0 in Region 3 and have a two game lead plus the tiebreaker over Lancaster who is 5 and 2. All Gaffney has to do to win the Region 3 4A Championship is win one of their last three games.

Upcoming Schedule..... Clover @ Home on 2/3, Northwestern @ Home on 2/7 and @ Spartanburg on 2/10.

Gaffney's Football Signings..... WR Quinshad Davis to North Carolina, QB Joey Copeland to South Carolina State, DL Edward Bigby and DB Snoop Byars to Presbyterian, LB Savon Dukes to Lenoir-Rhyne and DL Robert Grandy to Mars Hill.

You can catch the next Tribe Blitz on Monday February 13th to recap the final three regular season games for the Tribe and preview the playoffs.

Until Next Time.