It might have been since 1939 that Calvin played for a boys basketball state championship. Still, the Cougars performed as if they played in the championship game every year.
Heartbreakingly, in a nail-biting game start to finish, the Cougars lost in the Class C championship game, 57-55, to Gibsland-Coleman in Burton Coliseum on Friday.
Calvin’s Joseph Adams and Wayne Huckaby combined to score 35 points, with Huckaby adding eight rebounds and seven steals.
Calvin (36-3) led 19-9 at the end of the first quarter and led by as much as 19 before the Bulldogs settled in with a 19-5 run to end the second quarter.
Gibsland-Coleman (21-7) dominated the court in the second half as junior Terrance James led the charge with 20 points and 15 rebounds. At the same time, senior Dontarius Coleman had nine rebounds and nine blocks to keep the Cougars at bay.
However, Calvin kept the pressure on and had a shot at winning after a missed free throw by James with 3.9 seconds left. Yet, a halfcourt attempt by Dylan Kyle fell short of the basket to preserve the win for Gibsland-Coleman.
“My boys played their guts out. I couldn’t be more proud for sure. I want to thank all the fans not only for the support today but throughout this incredible season. Parents, thank you for allowing me to coach such a wonderful group of young men. I love them all and hope this will lead to bright futures for them all. I know it will. CLASS C STATE RUNNER UP CALVIN COUGARS 36-3 record District 4-C Champs…what an incredible group of young men,” commented coach David Huckaby via his personal Facebook.
Game stats collected from online sources.
