Wilkinson County wins 11th state basketball championship 40-36 over Charlton County
Though it did not count, a dunk as the final buzzer sounded put an emphatic cap on Wilkinson County’s 11th boys basketball state championship. The Warriors beat Charlton County 40-36 in the GHSA Class A Division II title game Wednesday afternoon at the Macon Coliseum.
With his arms around his daughter and her arms around the trophy, Wilkinson head coach Xavier Whipple basked in his first championship as a coach.
“It feels good man, and to do it with a group of guys like I have… we put in a lot of hard work,” he said. “As a coach, there’s a lot more thinking going into it… I’m just happy for my guys, my guys and my coaches.”
The game was a defensive battle, with the Warriors notching their lowest point total all season. Wilkinson County took their first lead with two minutes left in the contest but held on to win thanks to clutch free throws from Kwaveon Hill.
“It’s all about defense and rebounding in the Coliseum… you just have to keep grinding it out,” Whipple said. “That’s probably the lowest scoring game I’ve ever been a part of. It was a tough game but a good game.”
The win gives the Warriors their first title since 2018, and the first trophy for 11 seniors on the squad.
“That’s all we talked about since last year, the majority of those guys played last year, we got put out in the Elite 8,” Whipple said. “Our goal was to win three seasons this year, that’s the regular season, win the region, and then win in the state tournament. Those guys focused and refocused in the postseason, I’m just happy for them.”
The game was Charlton County’s first-ever championship appearance.
A defensive contest
The first quarter was low scoring, as both squads had some open looks but couldn’t knock down baskets. Charlton County got the edge early thanks to some open threes and Warrior turnovers and went into the second period with an 11-6 lead.
Both teams picked up pace in the second quarter but couldn’t get shots to fall. Wilkinson County had trouble scoring in the paint as Charlton County big man Elyiss Williams had a field day blocking shots throughout the game, acting as the biggest star for the Indians.
“Get number four off the floor and we could score,” Whipple said of Williams after the game. “He’s a great young talent, only a sophomore.”
The Warriors did not score a second-quarter point until a layup with about 3:30 left in the half but hit a scoring run to stay in it, scoring 10 points in the final three minutes to cut the Indians’ lead to 19-16 at half.
The third quarter brought more of the same defensive battles. Good rebounding by both teams’ big men inside made it difficult to get more than one shot on a possession, and both defenses played even tighter than in the first half. The fourth quarter began with Charlton ahead 25-20.
The Warriors fought hard to come back in the fourth quarter,battling into the lane multiple times to draw fouls and hit free throws. With five minutes to play they had Charlton’s lead to 29-26.
After a mostly defensive game, the final five minutes were filled with electric offense. Both teams traded threes before Wilkinson County went on a scoring run to draw within one point, then took the lead with just under two minutes left.
From then on the teams traded the lead on clutch layups, including one for Charlton County off of a putback from a free throw. When it mattered most, though, the Warriors came through. They knocked down multiple free throws in the final minutes of play to take a 40-36 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
This story was originally published March 8, 2023 at 5:26 PM.