About The champion newspaper. (Decatur, GA) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 2020)
SPORTS THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, JANUARY 9 - 15, 2020 • PAGE 11 FOOTBALL j v BASKETBALL Broderick Jones with fellow Georgia commit Darnell Washington. Photo provided by Robert Hamler. Broderick Jones shows out in Orlando BY JAY PHILLIPS Jay@dekalbchamp.com Lithonia offensive lineman Broderick Jones played in the Under Armour All-America football game Jan. 2 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Jones played for Team Pressure, who won the game over Team Savage 30-24. Team Pressure was coached by Deion Sanders while Team Savage was coach by Ed Reed. Both coaches are Super Bowl winners, and both are in the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In addition to being great experience for Jones’ on the field resume, the Under Armour All-America game also works to help all of its players get accustomed to what it’s like to be a big- name player at the next level, according to Lithonia head football coach Marcus Jelks. Jelks said that the players are working out, practicing, eating and watching film in the same way they will when they get to college. Jones is one of five student-athletes from Georgia participating in Under Armour’s All America game, while the All- American Bowl, held in San Antonio, Texas, has 16 high school football players from Georgia slated to participate. Lithonia finished 5-6 in football and ended its season with a road loss to Rome in the first round of the state playoffs. Jones also plays basketball for Lithonia and has helped the Bulldogs reach a 16-1 record on the hardwood, following a 15-0 start. Jones is the ninth-highest ranked player in the Under Armour All-America game and will be the highest ranked prospect from Georgia in this year’s game. The 6’5” 275-pound left tackle from Lithonia is ranked as the No. 3 recruit in Georgia, the No. 2 offensive tackle in the nation and is a top 20 five-star recruit according to the 247Sports composite. Jones is committed to Georgia but hasn’t signed his letter of intent, and the five-star tackle has seen considerable attention from Auburn and Tennessee, following Georgia’s former offensive line coach being hired by Arkansas. All the major recruiting outlets have Jones ranked as a five-star offensive tackle, but Jones lined up at guard in the Under Armour All-America game and still received great reviews. Jones faced off against Team Savage’s trio of five- star defensive linemen in South Carolina commit Jordan Burch, Alabama commit Chris Braswell and Clemson commit Demonte Capehart. Eric Gaines fights through contact from Ian Schieffelin before attempting a layup. Lithonia bounces back after season’s first loss BY JAY PHILLIPS Jay@dekalbchamp.com Lithonia’s boys’ basketball team lost to Grayson 87-66 Dec. 27 at Wheeler High School in the Tournament of Champion’s Holiday Classic, but Lithonia was able to win its next game against Westside 63-46 Dec. 28. The tournament was a good experience for Lithonia (16-1), even though the team picked up its first loss of the season against Grayson (13-1), thanks to everything it taught the Bulldogs’ about their team, according to head coach Wallace Corker. “When you play against one of the top teams in the nation, and one of the top teams in the state, you have to leam how to execute your plays and do everything you’re supposed to do,” Corker said. “It was a great experience because it was a learning experience for us. We’re going to get better and that game is going to help us get better.” Even though the game ended with a loss, Lithonia was excited to take the court against one of the best teams in the country, according to Corker. “We’re not shying away from anybody,” Corker said. “We want to play the best.” On top of that, the Bulldogs played in front of multiple college coaches, including assistants from Auburn, Gardner-Webb, Georgia, Troy and others. “It was a great experience and a great opportunity,” Corker said. “There were a lot of college coaches [watching] the kids. They get that exposure, and that’s what this was about.” Senior point guard Eric Gaines took full advantage of that opportunity and poured in 34 points against Grayson, the top-ranked team in Georgia and the No. 13 team in the country. Gaines’ 34-point outing came against one of the best backcourts in the nation, led by senior Mississippi State commit Deivon Smith and senior South Florida commit Caleb Murphy. Murphy and Smith, with the help of breakout junior forward Ian Schieffelin, snapped McEachem’s 39- game win streak two weeks before doing the same to Lithonia’s 15-game win streak. Gaines became the talk of the tournament with his 34-point performance, with Rivals Sports’ Dan McDonald calling him “a high-major talent.” Gaines also earned a SLAM High School Hoops highlight video while a clip of a late- game layup he had against Grayson went viral. “[Eric Gaines] is showing that he’s one of the best guards [still available],” Corker said. “He’s an exceptional ball player and a great leader. He does all of the things we need him to do.” Both Grayson and Lithonia were at full- strength for their day-one contest, but Lithonia had to play Westside (7-8) without starting senior center Broderick Jones, who was in Orlando, Florida, preparing for the Under Armour All-America Game. However, senior forward Franklin Champion stepped up and led Lithonia with 16 points and earned player of the game honors, despite having to sit out a portion of the game after getting shaken up by a rough landing. “Franklin is a great ball player,” Corker said. “He does so much for us. He’s that kid that’s going to carry us all the way through.” Following the Tournament of Champions Holiday Classic, Lithonia is set to start the new year with games at Cedar Grove (Jan. 4) and at Miller Grove (Jan. 7). Corker believes that the experience the team gained from the tournament will help Lithonia improve and stand a better chance against the rest of its schedule.
