>> BALDWIN HIGH SCHOOL
Around this time last year, the Baldwin boys basketball team was knocked out of the GHSA Class 4A state playoffs in the second round.
This year, the Braves are looking to make another late playoff push like they did two years ago during its state championship run.
Head coach Anthony Webb’s team entered the tournament as Region 2’s No. 1 seed and have defeated both opponents in the first and second round.
Baldwin first defeated Cairo High School 55-50 to start the tournament before hosting LaGrange High School in the second round 57-47, and Webb couldn’t be happier with how his defense has played through the two contests.
“We were able to make both teams play our style of basketball. We didn’t rebound well against Cairo which is why the score seemed so close, but we were able to make them turn it over down the stretch,” Webb said. “LaGrange liked to press, but not many teams liked to press them, so we kept them off balance with that and made our big shots.”
The Braves have seen a good mixture of scoring from everyone on the roster, and especially from those in the starting five.
Baldwin’s senior Jacobi Nixon and junior Tremarius Lawrence have been the team’s two point leaders throughout the playoffs so far. Nixon has scored 29 points through two postseason games while Lawrence is right behind with 28 total points.
Other starting seniors like Jordan Webb and Kenneth Kelsey have also contributed on the offensive end, but more so by facilitating and protecting the ball. The two Braves combined for half of the team’s assists in the game against LaGrange.
Webb acknowledged that these four have been performing well in big moments, but that it’s been the Braves bench that has kept them in games.
“Those three seniors and one junior really do a lot for the team and have carried us through both of those games,” Webb said. “We’ve actually been getting great minutes off the bench as well. Quentrell Wells, Solomon Burney and Jaylin Robinson have all given us some good minutes, and it’s important for the guys coming off the bench to step up when others are in foul trouble.”
Ultimately, Webb believes his guys are motivated to prove people wrong.
Ever since the team’s run to secure its region championship, the Braves have been playing with an intensity that is hard for opponents to keep up with, and Webb bel Webb’s squad played Pace Academy this Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs, so check back next week for the results.