Can Anybody Beat Silverdale Baptist?
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PICTURED: Brett Wright Brett Wright 6'7" | SG Silverdale Baptist | 2024 State TN Saturday early evening Ezell-Harding (8-3) attempted the previously impossible…defeat Silverdale Baptist (14-0). It did not happen. Silverdale won, 66-56. Ezell-Harding’s guard tandem of MJ Gibbs MJ…
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Continue ReadingPICTURED: Brett Wright Brett Wright 6'7" | SG Silverdale Baptist | 2024 State TN
Saturday early evening Ezell-Harding (8-3) attempted the previously impossible…defeat Silverdale Baptist (14-0).
It did not happen. Silverdale won, 66-56.
Ezell-Harding’s guard tandem of MJ Gibbs MJ Gibbs 6'4" | SG Ezell Harding | 2025 State TN and Blake Dean Blake Dean 6'1" | PG Ezell Harding Christian School | 2024 State TN tried to manufacture a comeback with a sharp backdoor pass to the senior Dean.
Early Brett Wright Brett Wright 6'7" | SG Silverdale Baptist | 2024 State TN (Trevecca Nazarene signee) missed a free throw, but Kennedy Okpara Kennedy Okpara 6'7" | SF Silverdale Baptist | 2025 State TN collected the miss and drew his own foul. Okpara made both shots and the undefeated Seahawks opened up an early 8-0 lead.
Silverdale led wire-to-wire.
Defensive Struggles
The Eagles lacked size. Even when the hosting Seahawks missed their frontline was able to tuck away an offensive rebound. Specifically, Okpara, Wright, and Houston Holland Houston Holland 6'2" | PG Silverdale Baptist | 2024 State TN wrangled misses. Holland was solid on the defensive glass too, utilizing expert block-out technique consistently.
Silverdale won the first quarter, 22-10 after Elyjah Richardson Elyjah Richardson 6'0" | PG Silverdale Baptist Academy | 2024 TN made a tricky, banked floater at the horn.
Defensive Streak
Ezell’s most successful block was the first 4:46 of the second quarter, during which they stifled a balanced Seahawk attack. In fact, Silverdale did not score a single point that entire stretch!
Kennedy stripped freshman Zay Bridges Zay Bridges 6'4" | PF Ezell-Harding | 2027 State TN with 2:40 left in the second quarter and hit ’em with a swift three-pointer before the defense could react. Okpara played the sequence like a college guard, not the high school center he was as recently as 2022.
Ezell-Harding started to figure some things out in the second quarter. Blake Dean Blake Dean 6'1" | PG Ezell Harding Christian School | 2024 State TN scored an and-1 jumper from the corner and also beat the halftime buzzer with a challenged 15′ footer.
Halftime 31-28 Silverdale Baptist.
The Third
Brett Wright Brett Wright 6'7" | SG Silverdale Baptist | 2024 State TN nailed a corner three-pointer Houston Holland Houston Holland 6'2" | PG Silverdale Baptist | 2024 State TN followed it up with an and-1 in the lane. Ezell-Harding Head Coach Michael Mays tried to solve the interior defense woes by subbing Zay Bridges Zay Bridges 6'4" | PF Ezell-Harding | 2027 State TN for KJ Hillhouse. It really didn’t work though.
Blake Dean Blake Dean 6'1" | PG Ezell Harding Christian School | 2024 State TN continued his magic in desperation to stay close.
The Seahawks missed a few more shots when Bridges defended the post, but the hosts continued to dominate the offensive glass.
End 3, 46-38 Silverdale up.
Silverdale Starters*
#2 Judah Richardson*
#3
Kennedy Okpara
Kennedy
Okpara
6'7" | SF
Silverdale Baptist | 2025
State
TN
*
#42
Elyjah Richardson
Elyjah
Richardson
6'0" | PG
Silverdale Baptist Academy | 2024
TN
*
#13
Houston Holland
Houston
Holland
6'2" | PG
Silverdale Baptist | 2024
State
TN
*
#12
Brett Wright
Brett
Wright
6'7" | SG
Silverdale Baptist | 2024
State
TN
*
Ezell-Harding Starters*
#2 Toni Olayiwola*
#3
MJ Gibbs
MJ
Gibbs
6'4" | SG
Ezell Harding | 2025
State
TN
* (2025)
#5
Blake Dean
Blake
Dean
6'1" | PG
Ezell Harding Christian School | 2024
State
TN
*
#21 KJ Hillhouse* (2025) 6’2″ C