By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

The 2A Region 3 Central High Lions varsity boys basketball team took 4A Brewbaker Tech. Magnet High of Montgomery to the wire in a hotly contested home game last Friday night in Hayneville falling 77-79.

The contest was tied 19-all in the first quarter, and Central trailed 38-35 at the half.

But the Lions scrapped their way to 74-73 lead with 18 second left on the clock before the Rams of Brewbaker Tech. eked out the 79-77 victory.

Top scorers for Central included T.J. Saffold and Edmond Johnson with 21 points each and Marcus Mitchell with 11.

Last Friday night was also senior night for the Lions, and recognized were Marquis Thicklin, Saffold, Johnson, Dominic Surles, Calvin Harris and Jamarcus Rush.

Central head basketball coach Toriano Baker said his team hadn’t practiced in three days. Schools were closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as a result of the winter snow and ice storm that struck Central Alabama.

“We needed a game to kind of get us going because playoffs start next week,” he said.

Baker said he thought his guys played hard for the most part but “we were not as smart as we need to be.”

The Central High varsity boys went on to defeat Greenville at Greenville on Saturday, 75-53, to improve to 15-10 on the year.
Top scorers for Central were Mitchell with 23, Johnson with 21 and Dominic Surles with 10.

Central plays this Friday in the 2A Region 3 area tournament at Luverne against Calhoun at 3:30 p.m.

Luverne will host the playoff for the boys and girls in the region as the one seed. Central, the second seed will open with Calhoun, the third seed, next Friday while Luverne will open with Highland Home.

Things were not so pretty for the Central girls varsity, which fell to Brewbaker Tech. 75-17 last Friday night.

But the girls are 14-10 overall and 4-2 in the region and will be the second seed in the playoffs.

Senior girls honored Friday night included Fantavia Brown, Kendreuna McPherson and Dacia Hunter.