It wasn’t until last week that someone approached Banks County girls coach Steven Shedd with some research they’d done on Georgia High School Basketball Project. The program hadn’t been to the semifinals since 1965, when they finished as Class B runners-up.
“It’s been long enough for people to not know,” said Banks County coach Steven Shedd, who took over in 2016 after 16 years coaching the Leopards’ middle school program. “I made it a point to check the rafters, and sure enough, there was a banner.”
With a 61-56 win over the Central Chargers on Wednesday in the third round, the Leopards (27-3) are once again in the semifinals, which will be hosted at Georgia College in Milledgeville. They’ll play the Josey Eagles (25-4) in a rematch of last year’s Round of 16 matchup, which the Eagles won.
Tip-off is 2 p.m. Saturday.
The Leopards, champions of Region 8 and ranked No. 3, withstood a late run from the Chargers (28-2), ranked No. 2 and the top seed from Region 2, to escape with a win in front of the home crowd. Because both teams were No. 1 seeds, home-court advantage came down to the GHSA’s universal coin toss.
“We had a great crowd and they were definitely a difference-maker,” Shedd said. “(The Chargers) brought two buses of fans, so there was a huge crowd and it was packed on both sides.”
Kamryn Grier, the Leopards’ senior 6-foot post, led the way with 22 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Addison Hoard had seven assists and 16 points, including a pair of free throws to bring the score to its final margin and ice the game with nine seconds left.
The Leopards led 25-23 at the half, then outscored the Chargers 20-11 in the third quarter, leading by as many as 12.
“We had a decent lead right before halftime,” Shedd said. “But they can score in bunches and they reeled off several points and got to within two at halftime. We just weren’t doing some things defensively, so we had to adjust. We were able to shut down some drives to the basket, and a lot of our set plays were just working. We had some fast break points on turnovers and we just went on a roll in the third quarter, and thank goodness we did, because I told the team, ‘We’ve seen the film on Central, and no lead is safe. They’re too good and they’ll make a fourth-quarter run.”
The Chargers would storm back and take a three-point lead with four minutes left, and the two would trade baskets until 1:30 remaining, when the Leopards scored on the first of two consecutive Central turnovers. Hoard’s two free throws came after the second turnover.
Though their semifinals matchup against Josey will be at a neutral site, the Leopards are familiar with the court. For over a decade, the program has traveled to a summer camp hosted at Georgia College, seeing the trip as an opportunity to play South Georgia competition and other out-of-state teams.
That experience, coupled with their non-region schedule, is what has prepared the Leopards for this moment, Shedd believes.
“We’ve been very goal-driven all year,” he said. “This is where I thought we had the chance to be, and the team is aware that this opportunity hasn’t come around here in a very long time. I do not want the Central win to be the high point of the season. It is up to this point, but I want us to achieve more. Even though we’re in unfamiliar territory, the stage won’t be too big. Before last night, the team hadn’t been in that situation before, but they handled it extremely well. Sometimes you wonder if they can continue to maintain their focus, but they show time and again that they can.
“This is a special group.”
Last year in the second round, Josey beat the Leopards 41-29, pulling away in the fourth quarter after leading by five. The Eagles, who won 2A in 2021 and reached the semis last year, beat Murray County 47-38 in Chatsworth on Tuesday to punch their ticket to a third-straight Final Four.
The Eagles entered the playoffs ranked No. 7, and as the No. 2 seed from Region 4.
“They’re a great program with a great history, and we’re going to respect them,” Shedd said. “We can’t underestimate them. But we have confidence, we’re playing well and when we show up, we feel like we have a chance against anybody.”
For all quarterfinals scores, check the updated boys and girls brackets on GHSA.net.
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