Top-seeded Middle Braves aiming for title 3-peat

(Franklin, GA) — The Heard County Middle School boys basketball team closed out the regular season on a high note Thursday with a dominating 57-30 road win at Mt. Zion.

Now the top-seeded Braves are preparing for this week’s West Georgia Middle School Championship tourney where they hope to become league champions for the third consecutive season.

L.J. Green scored 16 in Thursday’s win at Mt. Zion

A solid team effort in Thursday’s win saw 10 different players make at least one basket and suffocating defensive play that limited the Eagles to only 13 points in the first half.

Leading the scoring for the Braves was L.J. Green with 16 while Jonathan Echols also reached double digits with 10.

Point guard Will Alford again led the offense and scored nine.

Echols scored 17 and Green added 13 in a tough 45-43 overtime loss at Bay Springs last Thursday on the road.

The Braves enter the tourney with a close loss to small school tourney host and No. 2 seeded Villa Rica so earning the third straight trophy won’t be easy.

Regardless of the outcome, however, first year head coach Zerick Green is proud of the effort and work of his squad this year heading into championship week.

“I’m so proud of the way our guys have played thus far,” says Green. “Their work ethic on the court and more importantly in the classroom just blows me away! I am beyond blessed to be apart of this great community and team. Go Braves!”

The Braves will face either the No. 4 seed Mt. Zion or the No. 5 seed Temple in the semifinals Wednesday at 6:15 PM at Villa Rica Middle School and with a win would advance to the Championship game Thursday at 6:15 PM versus either No. 2 Villa Rica or No. 3 Bowdon.

With both the HCMS boy’s and girl’s teams entering the tourney as top seeds, Thursday afternoon at VRMS could be a very exciting day for Brave Nation basketball fans.