2005 Newton County p2
From 9-8-14
Newton Co. Rams, playing in one of the toughest regions in the state, faced an uphill battle in trying to go to the state tournament for the 3rd consecutive year. The Rams were seeded 3rd & were considered to be a mild threat when pitted against the other bigger & more talented teams. In the opening game of the Region Tournament, the Rams fell behind vs. Lithonia, & it looked like it was going to be a short trip for the Covington lads. Down 8 pts., with 5 minutes left, with Jerrell Boswell leading the way, the Rams rallied to a 64-56 win as Jerrell scored 34 points! In the Region Semi-finals, host Douglass led Newton by 11 pts. at halftime, but the lead had dropped to 7 pts. by the end of the 3rd qtr. Todd Hoskins' spirited play helped pull the game out for the Rams as they rallied to a 53-49 victory. Hoskins scored 19 points. This pitted the Rams against a far-superior Stephenson H.S. Team. The Rams were no match as Stephenson proved that they were the best team in the region! The loss did not dampen the Newton boys' spirit, as they were thrilled to be going to the State Tournament! The 2nd place finish in the Region Tournament gave the Rams a home game in the 1st round of the State Tournament. Trailing East Coweta (22-6 record) going into the 4th qtr., the Rams rallied to a 45-37 win! This put them opposite one of the tallest teams in the state, Lowndes Co., which had a front line of 6'9, 6'8", & 6'5". Early in the 2nd qtr., Newton trailed by 11 pts., but in the 2nd half it was all Newton as they rallied once again, to a 62-41 win (putting them one game away from a highly-coveted trip to the State Final Four at Gwinnett Arena). The big win was paced by Todd Hoskins' 24 pts., and much excitement was added to the evening when it was announced that the win over Lowndes Co. was the 1300th varsity win in his coaching career! When the Ram team pulled out of the parking lot with a police escort, headed back to the MaconColiseum, the team was excited to still be playing. After a pre-game meal in Macon, the team toured the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. (The day before, they had toured the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, & enjoyed seeing the plaque commemorating the Newton High's National Record 129 Home Court Winning Streak!). The Rams, playing what was one of their best games of the season, beat Douglass 51 to 44, to earn their 3rd straight 20 win season and their trip to the State Final Four. Awaiting them in Atlanta was a team which had won the State Championship two of the past three years. (This Wheeler team was built from the same pattern used by the most recent large schools State Champions, as they were loaded with Division 1 talent picked up from the star players from other teams.) The early going made it look as if it were going to be a close game as it was 8-8 at a time-out. The Wheeler Wildcats were just too strong, as they pulled away, defeating us, and going on easily to another state championship the next night! The final record of 21-10 was not even close to describing the excitement that this team created for the Newton High fans! Boswell led the team with a 21.8 scoring average, Hoskins averaged 14 ppg, & led the scoring in all 4 state tournament games. The defense of Brandon Finch & the rebounding of Rudy Nolley (8.7 rpg) were important factors in the team's success. The 2 guys who were most responsible for the success of the season would not be recognized as such if you looked at the stats, only. John Monk & Trent Brown only averaged 3 ppg. each, but their contributions (& leadership) were immeasurable when one really knows their true value! As we near the 100th story on our career, and prepare to end our posts, we can't help but think of the thousands of people who have meant so much to us as they have shared our life!
