Indians Sweep Opening Rounds of GHSA State Tournament
It was a great week on the hardwood for Vidalia High School, as both the Lady Indians and the boys varsity squad dominated the first two rounds of the GHSA State Tournament.
Playing with incredible energy, the local squads gave the fans plenty to cheer about with four hard-fought victories filled with clutch shots and suffocating defense to keep their postseason dreams alive.
Girls vs. Southwest
The action kicked off on Tuesday night with the Lady Indians setting the tone against Southwest Macon. Vidalia came out firing in the first quarter, building a commanding 22-13 lead behind quick back-to-back baskets from Ze Rollins and a late three-pointer by Mischa Wardlaw.
Southwest Macon refused to go quietly, battling back in the second quarter to narrow the gap to just 30-27 at halftime. Coming out of the locker room, Vidalia tightened up defensively and leaned on Takaiyah Bacon and Kelcie Howard to stretch the lead to 39-29 by continued from page
the end of the third. The Lady Indians maintained their composure in the final frame, utilizing timely free throws from Jordyn Goings to close out a 52-41 victory.
Boys vs. Banks Co.
The boys took the floor on Wednesday and showcased their resilience in a thrilling 64-48 opening- round win over Banks County. The Indians looked unstoppable early, draining threes courtesy of Rashad Brown and Adrian Brewton to jump out to a massive 26-13 lead by the end of the first quarter.
However, Banks County caught fire in the second, executing a stunning 20-point quarter to steal a 33-30 lead at the half. Unfazed, Vidalia regrouped in the third quarter.
Brycen Burns and Bernard Brewton sank crucial three-pointers to reclaim a 44-38 advantage. The Indians then completely slammed the door in the fourth, holding Banks County to just 10 points while Alton Boles and Kashun Coney consistently attacked the rim to seal the 16-point win.
Girls vs. Commerce
Riding high on momentum, the Lady Indians returned on Friday for a second-round matchup against Commerce and delivered a defensive masterclass. Vidalia established dominance immediately, ending the first quarter up 24-10 thanks to relentless inside scoring from Ze Rollins, who seemed to score at will.
After a slower, defensive- heavy second quarter that left Vidalia up 26-18 at the half, Takaiyah Bacon took over the third. Bacon hit a barrage of shots, including a sharp threepointer, fueling an 18-2 run that blew the game wide open to 44-20.
The massive lead allowed Vidalia to comfortably control the pace in the fourth quarter, cruising to a definitive 54-33
victory.
Boys vs. Jeff Davis
Friday night concluded with the boys engaging in a tense, physical battle against Jeff Davis. The teams traded blows in a tightly contested first quarter that ended knotted at 14-14, highlighted by two early deep threes from Vidalia's Brycen Burns.
Jeff Davis managed to edge ahead going into the locker room, holding a narrow 25-24 advantage at the break. The second half became the Alton Boles show. Boles consistently fought his way to the paint and the free-throw line, helping Vidalia seize a 3834 lead by the end of the third.
In the final quarter, Vidalia's defense stepped up to silence the Jeff Davis shooters. Clutch late-game free throws from Rashad Brown and hard-fought layups from Dj Wallace allowed the Indians to pull away for a gritty 54-43 win.
Mischa Wardlaw goes up strong against the Lady Tigers of Commerce in the Sweet 16 last week at VHS.Photo by Pop-Pop’s Photos
