LAFAYETTE, Ga. - The raucous LaFayette High student section's chant of "Rambler Nation" echoed off the gym walls late in the fourth quarter Wednesday night as the school's starting basketball players left the court.
It might not have been the ending the standing-room-only crowd had hoped for, but that didn't take away from everything this team had accomplished.
LaFayette lost 70-40 to top-ranked Upson-Lee from Thomaston in the GHSA Class AAAA boys' quarterfinals, ending the longest postseason run in program history. The win was the 61st in a row for the Knights.
"I'm just so proud of our guys," LaFayette coach Hank Peppers said. "This success has brought the community together. Positive energy is contagious, and school morale is up because of this team. When you have everybody pulling in the same direction, anything can happen."
LaFayette (25-3) had the gym rocking in the early going, taking an 8-2 lead in the first two minutes after two 3-pointers by senior Jon Morgan. A few minutes later, Morgan was fouled while making a spectacular up-and-under layup. After he made the free throw, the Ramblers led 14-8.
The hot start did not continue, however. Upson-Lee (29-0) used its length and athletic ability to crank up the defensive intensity and closed the quarter on a 7-0 run to take a one-point lead.
"They come at you in waves," Peppers said. "They're just big, athletic, fast and long. They hurt us on the boards a lot with their size."
The Ramblers had difficulty finding any offensive rhythm throughout the rest of the game. They scored just six points in both the second and third quarters, and the Knights had a commanding 42-26 lead heading into the final period.
The Ramblers managed only three field goals during that stretch, and though they opened the game 3-of-4 from behind the arc, they made just two of their final 15 tries.
Despite the offensive struggles, the Ramblers kept working on defense, and with just over four minutes remaining they found themselves behind 52-38 and with a little momentum.
That momentum was crushed over the next minute, however, as Upson-Lee's star guard Tye Fagan drilled three 3-pointers in a row, followed by a thunderous dunk by Zyrice Scott to extend the lead to 25 points. Fagan led all scorers with 23 points.
LaFayette's Morgan, who had 13 points in the first 10 minutes, was held to four for the rest of the game. He also had six rebounds. Dee Southern had nine points and 10 rebounds, while Alex Kelehear chipped in eight points.
Morgan and Stone Graham are the only seniors.
"I feel very good about the way we're headed," Peppers said. "We won a region championship, hosted three playoff games. We're in the conversation now going forward as one of the top teams."
Contact Kevin Llewallyn at sports@timesfreepress.com.