All-Bi-City basketball: Perennial powers and upstarts

Two seasons ago, the Kendrick girls basketball team was on top of the world after winning the Class 2A state championship. The Pacelli boys were just trying to make it out of a 5-18 campaign, and Manchester’s Demarcus Addie was a sophomore on a team that lost in the Class 2A quarterfinals.

Flash forward two years. Despite lacking the hype outside of the program, Kendrick once again was a state contender, making it to the Class 3A quarterfinals before bowing out of the playoffs. Whereas Pacelli was once a doormat, it had its best season in program history as it advanced to the Class A-private quarterfinals. Addie averaged 24.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in leading Manchester to a Class 2A state runner-up finish.

For their work with Kendrick, Sterling Hicks and senior Brittany Thompson were named girls coach and player of the year. For his work with Pacelli, Alan Griffin was named boys coach of the year, and for his outstanding season leading the Blue Devils, Addie was named boys player of the year.

When Pacelli was in the midst of its five-win season two years ago, Griffin saw some possibilities. He had a handful of sophomores named Tre Sudberry, Armon Prophet and Triston Wells, who he thought could be pretty good. Still, he envisioned a .500 season. What he got was the best season in school history.

“We went to a couple of camps that summer and won Valdosta State’s tournament in the big school division,” he said. “When we did that, I started really thinking about the possibilities.”

The team won 17 games and made a run to the state quarterfinals, but Griffin said it all came down to his players.

“This senior class we had, the talent was unreal,” he said. “The way they bought into the program, it’s like nothing I’ve experienced before. There’s absolutely zero selfish play. They want to see each other succeed as badly as they want to succeed.”

Success is always the operative word when it comes to the Kendrick girls.

They won a state title two years ago with one of the top players in Columbus girls basketball history, Kahlia Lawrence. Last year, they had another successful season despite her graduation. They did the same this year despite losing four key players to graduation.

Hicks said the expectations, while low outside the program, never changed from within.

“Always the same. Always the same,” he said. “Because I really believe that. I believe that we have an opportunity each and every year if we put in that work and that time to be one of those teams at the end.”

The Lady Cherokees made it to the state quarterfinals, falling just short of another semifinals appearance against Beach. A lot of that had to do with Thompson.

Thompson was a four-year starter for Kendrick, during which her teams went 113-7, reached the quarterfinals four straight times, the semifinals twice and won a state championship once. This year, despite playing throughout the season with an injury, she averaged 18 points, six steals and 4.2 rebounds per game.

“When (Hicks) tells us there’s nothing we can’t accomplish, we believe him,” Thompson said. “He pushes you to your limit. Being injured and stuff, he’s just about no excuses. That’s our main motto. No excuses, I just wanted to come back.”

Addie’s season was impressive by anyone’s standards. He’s been a mainstay in Manchester’s successful lineup for years, but this year he nearly got his team to the top. He averaged 24.3 points per game and led Manchester to the state title game, where it fell to Pace Academy.

This story was originally published April 8, 2016 at 4:00 PM with the headline "All-Bi-City basketball: Perennial powers and upstarts."