“The Skinny on Boys High School Hoops”

Last week I wrote about the ladies high school hoops scene so this week it is the boy’s turn. This is quickly shaping up to be another outstanding season for high school boys in the county as several are off to excellent starts and the rest are also off to good starts. At the writing of this column all five teams have winning records.

The top of the heap, at least at this point, has to go to the Marianna Bulldogs and the Malone Tigers. The Bulldogs are off to an 9-1 start and look like they can make another run towards Lakeland. They’ve got three big guys like Kruize Pinkins, Kendall Leeks and Tommy Stephens that can control the game down low. And with outside players like R.J. Bowers, Tre Long and Tre Jackson the Bulldogs are solid.

Malone, off to a 10-2 start returns T.J. Smith as one of the top scorers around the Big Bend. And he’s got a supporting cast that makes these Tigers dangerous. Ladarius McElroy, Marcus Leonard, Chai and Ty Baker are just a few of the cast members that make this another classic Tiger team. They’re cat quick, love to shoot the long ball and play pressure D.

Right behind these two squads come the Sneads Pirates and the Cottondale Hornets.

The Pirates are off to a 7-4 start and seem to be coming together just fine. They don’t have the one go to guy like some squads, but they have several players that on any given night that can take the helm. Terrence Green, Jamar White and Jeff Bell have been leading the squad in scoring. But players like Will Holmes, Jeff Davis and Josh Rogers can score as well.

Cottondale, like Malone and Graceville, has a prolific scorer that can light up the scoreboard. Marcus Humose is averaging over 20 points a game and can score from anywhere on the floor. He has a solid group around him as well as big men Drew Bellamy and Cody Saye patrol the lane. The Hornets, 6-4 on the season, have a bevy of talent on the perimeter in Dominique Webb, Juwon Johnson, Tristin White, Darien and Darius Pollock.

The Graceville Tigers are last but certainly not least. They are off to a 4-3 start but don’t let that fool you. They’ve got a kid that can score as well as anybody in North Florida. Cameron Dozier can fog it from the outside or take it to the hoop. He can square up, shoot off balance or weave his way to the basket. He’s had three straight games of 30 plus points. The cast around him is young and inexperienced. But Craig Myrick and Jamal Miller can score as well and Leander Ford is the big man inside.

Simply Put, buckle up it’s time for Jackson County Basketball.



From the front porch: Coach said average is as close to the bottom as it is the top.