Gray Collegiate too strong for Andrew Jackson in Class 2A boys Upper State finals
After a year absence, the Gray Collegiate boys are back in the state championship game.
The War Eagles defeated Andrew Jackson 68-45 on Monday to win the Class 2A Upper State championship at Bob Jones University.
Gray Collegiate will play York Prep for the state championship at 2 p.m. Saturday at USC Aiken. York and Gray are ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association poll.
It will be the War Eagles’ fourth state championship appearance in the past five seasons. Gray won three straight titles from 2018-20 before losing to Christ Church last season in the Upper State finals.
“I felt we didn’t send our seniors out the right way” last year, Gray Collegiate coach Dion Bethea said. “So getting back to this point was definitely important.”
Getting back to state championship wasn’t the only thing on Bethea’s mind. He called Monday’s matchup with the Volunteers part of the team’s “revenge tour.” The War Eagles wanted another shot at Andrew Jackson, which beat Gray 67-60 in November at preseason tournament at C.A. Johnson.
Gray played that game without four players who were on the War Eagles’ football team.
“I had this one circled. I was hoping they got here,” Bethea said. “My thing was, they celebrated at C.A. Johnson and they ran on the floor. That bothered me. Beat me when it counts. We came here and did what we were supposed to do and we won.”
Trai White led the way with 23 points for Gray Collegiate, while Avante Parker and Calvin Hall each had 17. Parker fouled in the fourth quarter with the game already in hand.
White was key both scoring and controlling the tempo for the War Eagles attack.
Ta’nas Watkins led AJ with 17 points, and Class 2A Player of the Year Ca’Darius Sowell had 15. Both kept the Volunteers (21-8) in the game early, and Sowell’s 3-pointer cut Gray’s lead to 33-26 at halftime.
But the War Eagles used a 16-3 run in the third quarter to lead 52-32.
“I’m proud of my guys,” Andrew Jackson coach Danny Wright said. “We had a great season. We just came up short and didn’t play our game. But we had a great season. Nobody gave us a chance at the beginning of the season since we lost so many guys from last year. So the guys took it as a challenge and worked hard in the offseason and at the beginning of practice.
“We are upset we didn’t make it to the state championship, but these guys gave it everything they had all season.”
AJ: Ca’Darius Sowell 15, Ta’nas Watkins 17, Peterson 2, Ealey 5, Wilson 6. GC: Trai White 23, Avante Parker 17, Calvin Hall 17, Johnson 4, Kelly 4, Britt 3.
This story was originally published February 28, 2022 at 3:49 PM.
