VHS Claims Region Championships
Vidalia Indians Sweep Region Tournament to Claim Championships The Vidalia High School basketball programs gave their home crowd plenty to cheer about last week, as both the boys and girls teams fought their way to Region Championships on their home court. Both squads showcased resilience and dominant stretches of play to secure their respective titles and build momentum heading into the state playoffs.
Girls vs. St. Vincent's
The Lady Indians opened their tournament run with a commanding performance against the Saints of St. Vincent's Academy. Vidalia established its dominance immediately, locking down the Saints defensively to build a 14-4 lead by the end of the first quarter, fueled by early scoring from Ze Rollins and Tori Polke.
In the second quarter, Henley Zachary found her stroke from beyond the arc, draining a pair of three-pointers to send Vidalia into halftime with a 20-11 advantage.
The Lady Indians blew the game wide open in the third quarter. They held St. Vincent's to just four points while getting offensive contributions from Mischa Wardlaw, Jordyn Goings, and Takaiyah Bacon to stretch the continued from page
lead to 37-15. Za'miyah Hodges and Haidyn Zachary added baskets in the final frame to polish off a comfortable 42-20 victory.
Girls vs. Country Day Championship In the girls' championship game, the Savannah Country Day Lady Hornets provided a much stiffer test. Vidalia struggled to find an early rhythm, falling behind 8-4 after the first quarter and trailing 18-14 at the halftime break.
The Lady Indians needed a spark, and they found it in the third quarter, erupting offensively while completely shutting down the Lady Hornets. Mischa Wardlaw caught fire, sinking a crucial twopointer and a three-pointer, while Polke, Goings, and Rollins kept the pressure on the rim.
Vidalia outscored Savannah Country Day 18-6 in the third period to take a 32-24 lead. The Lady Indians maintained their intensity in the final frame, with Wardlaw hitting another three-pointer to help pull away and win the region crown with a 48-30 victory.
Boys vs. Toombs Co.
The Vidalia boys matched the girls' success, starting their tournament by taking down their local rivals, the Toombs County Bulldogs. The Indians set a blistering pace in the opening quarter.
Rashad Brown led the early charge with six quick points, and three-pointers from Bernard Brewton and Tremendous Troupe helped Vidalia take a 22-15 lead into the second quarter. Adrian Brewton and Jerry Roundtree both dialed in from deep before halftime to push the lead to 30-23.
In the third quarter, Brycen Burns and Brown each sank three-pointers to extend the advantage to 46-33. Toombs County made a final push in the fourth, but another three from Burns and timely baskets from Roundtree allowed the Indians to close out a 58-48 win.
Boys vs. Swainsboro Championship
The boys' championship matchup against the Swainsboro Tigers turned into a physical, defensive grind. Vidalia trailed 13-11 after the first quarter despite early scoring from Dj Wallace and a three-pointer by Roundtree.
The Indians clamped down defensively in the second quarter. A clutch three-pointer alongside a pair of free throws from Burns gave Vidalia a narrow 21-18 lead going into the locker room.
In the third quarter, Adrian Brewton hit from long range, and Bernard Brewton added a key basket to build a 33-26 cushion. Swainsboro fought hard in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter to close the gap, but Alton Boles and Brown came through with critical twopoint field goals to keep the Tigers at bay.
Bernard Brewton hit a late free throw to put the game on ice, securing the region championship with a hard-fought 42-37 victory.
Both teams now shift their focus to the GHSA State Tournament. The Lady Indians kicked off their state playoff run on Tuesday against Southwest Macon in a first-round matchup that concluded after presstime.
The Vidalia boys will look to keep their season alive on Wednesday when they host Banks County in the first round, with tip-off scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
If they win those games the Lady Indians will play again on Friday and the boys on Saturday.
The Region Champion Vidalia High School girls basketball team.Photo by Pop-Pop’s Photos
