The postseason might be the first break the Christian Heritage boys’ basketball team will get in some time.
Playing in a GHSA region with four teams that boast a state top-10 ranking, the Lions finished the regular season as 7-A private’s top team. After defeating one of those ranked squads, Walker, 63-56 on Thursday night in Dalton, coach Tyler Watkins’ top five-ranked team will have to defeat another in North Cobb Christian on Saturday.
“It’s loaded and it’s tough every single night,” Watkins exhaled after holding off Walker’s second-half rally Thursday. “They’ve got two sophomores who already have Division I offers, but tonight we stuck to our game plan, played with discipline and showed a lot of toughness. Our defense was outstanding.”
The Lions (19-5) held the Wolverines (18-8) to 12 first-half points, using an aggressive man-to-man defense to help offset their own early shooting struggles. Playing with the lead in the second half, Christian Heritage forced the visitors into going away from their zone defense into a man-to-man look, and that’s when Jax Abernathy went off.
The Lions’ sophomore star scored 11 of his game-high 25 points in the third period and added seven more in the final – all on free throws – as Christian Heritage held on. Cash Hare added 13 points, Zundra Jackson 12 and Braden Koneman nine for the winners.