With their backs against the wall and the season on the line, the Eagles came through when it mattered most on the biggest stage Monday to advance to the Class 1A State Championship.
Now East Marion (26-5) has the opportunity to exorcise a demon of its past in its quest to capture its first title in program history. The Eagles will face Okolona (29-2) in the championship Thursday afternoon at 3 in the Mississippi Coliseum in a highly anticipated rematch of last year’s quarterfinal matchup that Okolona won 80-54.
“It will be the biggest challenge of the season, and it’s fitting that it comes down to this because our (theme) this year has been handling pressure consistently,” head coach Calvin Brown said moments after Okolona defeated West Lowndes in the semifinals Monday. “Obviously we’re going to have to do that for four quarters. On top of that, it’s a chance to avenge last year’s loss. We’re playing the defending champs and the team that ended the dream last year, or deferred it. Hopefully this is a chance realize it.”
Senior John Rawls said he was hoping the Eagles would face Okolona in the championship while the Chieftains were tipping off against West Lowndes, and East Marion is hungry to rewrite the script after last season’s loss. Fellow senior Flenard McLin said if the Eagles are the ones hoisting the gold ball trophy Thursday it wouldn’t just be about the guys in the locker room.
“It would feel amazing, but it would be for the fans, though, and all the people who came and supported us, for coach and for really the whole county,” he said. “It would be the first championship in basketball for boys for East Marion; that’s crazy. It’s history. That’s what we’re about.”
The Chieftains graduated several of their bigger players from last season, and East Marion matches up far more favorably this time around. While the Chieftains’ length did play a big role in creating 25 turnovers and winning the battle of the boards 45-35 last year, it was 5-foot-8 point guard Jacorrius Stanfield who gave East Marion the most problems.
He was a menace defensively in that game, creating havoc in Okolona’s full-court press and putting pressure on the Eagles defense in transition, and he’s back for his senior year.
Brown said this year the Eagles will go into the game knowing just how good Stanfield is. He said last year the three Okolona seniors that are playing in college now were more of the focus on the scouting report because it was believed Stanfield’s point production was somewhat a byproduct of the attention paid to the college trio.
“This year we come in knowing he’s really a good player and the engine that makes them go,” he said. “That helps us as we prepare our game plan.”
In Okolona’s semifinal win, it was Stanfield who predictably made the biggest difference. The game was tied with three minutes remaining in the first half when he went on a 10-0 run by himself and ended up giving the Chieftains a 13-point halftime lead.
West Lowndes battled all the way back to cut it to 54-51 with under two minutes to play in the fourth quarter, but Stanfield took over again with a coast-to-coast layup and four free throws to put it away. He finished the game with 30 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and made 18-of-22 free throws.
But for everything Stanfield brings to the table as a hyper athletic lead guard that can beat defenders off the dribble with ease, finish in traffic and cause turnovers, Okolona doesn’t possess the same level of size and athleticism as East Marion.
The Chieftains went with a six-man rotation Monday, with 6-foot-3 forward Jamal Moore and 6-foot-1 guard Jalen McFarland representing the only players over 6-foot. The remaining players include two 5-foot-10 and two 5-foot-8 guards. East Marion, meanwhile, features three starters 6-foot-3 or taller, including 6-foot-8 center John Rawls and 6-foot-6 combo forward Caleb Rawls.
Brown said the Eagles know, though, they are going to have to handle the pressure Stanfield will put on them for four quarters while remaining aggressive on the offensive end.
Pictured Above: East Marion's Vashon Sims soars for a layup in the first half Monday against Potts Camp. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
