Birmingham vs. Birmingham: Sweet 16 Match-Up In Jacksonville

When two Birmingham City powers travel to Jacksonville with a trip to the Elite 8 on the line, you expect intensity. You expect pride. You expect high-level shot-making.   Wenonah vs. Ramsay delivered all of it.   This wasn't just a Sweet 16 matchup, it was a showcase of elite guard play, wing dominance, and future stars stepping into the spotlight. Here is a deeper look at the standouts who made this clash must-watch basketball…   Wenonah Dragons   [player_tooltip player_id='2699980' first='Brendon' last='Davis'] (6'4/CG/'27/Wenonah)   IG: showtimebrendon   X: @BrendonDav40665   Brendon is one of the most talented players in the state, and he played a very mature game. The lights of the platform did not get him out of character, as he did not look to force action, but scored when needed and kept letting Santez eat, as he was practically un-guardable. The gravity that Brendon creates leaves gaps, and his teammates take advantage. I had another member of the media come up and say that Brendon is hands down the best player in this region, which got me thinking: Is Brendon now the #1 player in his class, given the level of play he has displayed throughout the year? He is a smooth scorer who can get a bucket at any moment of a possession, regardless of how closely he is guarded.       [player_tooltip player_id='2472436' first='Santez' last='Pendleton'] (6'3/Wing/'27/Wenonah)   Santez was the man for the Dragons in the Sweet 16, and he showed his scoring versatility from all levels but was at his best when he was attacking off the bounce. He showed craftiness when finishing around the rim, and with no premier shot blocker for Ramsay, Santez lived at the cup. Despite Santez's performance and the numbers he put up on the offensive end of the floor, there was one area that you can nitpick at in his performance, and that was his free-throw shooting, which he struggled with at the line.   Demazzia Taylor (5'11/PG/'27/Wenonah)   Demazzia anchored the lead guard role and is the demonstrative leader of this squad, and showed to be the personality of the Dragons. He is a floor general who showed his ability to break down defenders with crossovers, hesitations, and change-of-direction moves. He did a really good job navigating through traffic with tight control and balance. He created opportunities for teammates with quick reads and flashy passes, making sure the offense ran through Brendon and Santez. Demazzia plays with a fearless mentality and is a reason why the Dragons will never be afraid of the big moment, but welcome it.   [player_tooltip player_id='2472433' first='Devonte' last='Penn'] (5'9/CG/'27/Wenonah HS)   IG: Tayy.glizz   X: @Wenonah_sports   Devonte is a small guard who can play on and off the ball, but he spent majority of his time in this game off-ball, where he was a threat with his perimeter shooting. Despite getting in foul trouble early, he made an impact when he was on the floor with his outside production, and when looking at the game, his presence and just spot-up ability around the arc kept Ramsay having to know where he was at all times.   Ramsay Rams   [player_tooltip player_id='2313930' first='Marcellous' last='Hall'] (6'2/CG/'26/Ramsay HS)   IG: marcelloushall1   X: @marcellous_hall   Marcellous sees his high school career come to an end with a Sweet 16 loss, but he did not go down without leaving it all on the court. He has been a staple in the Rams program throughout his career and has become known as one of the top perimeter shooters in the state. He showed an improved floor game and scoring versatility. He scored it off the bounce and posted up smaller guards, and you could see that his strength was a problem for a couple of Wenonah defenders who took their chances defending him.   [player_tooltip player_id='2194487' first='Deonte' last='Jiles'] (6'2/CG/'28/Ramsay HS)   IG: etdjxo   Deonte seemed to be in facilitating mode throughout the night, but had a few moments where he showed his scoring ability. I would have liked to have seen Deonte be more aggressive looking for his offense, but his ability to orchestrate was vital for the Rams. He is a young talent who is the obvious leader for the Rams moving forward, and his leadership was clearly evident when he went out for a stretch of the game, and the Rams struggled. Deonte scores from all levels and has a really good feel for the game.     Chase Holt (6'1/SF/'27/Ramsay)   IG: chasex3x   Chase surprised me with his play on one of the biggest stages of the year. He is a stout talent with a really good physical profile, the result of his work on the gridiron. He puts tremendous pressure on the rim when he is attacking from the dunker spot and the elbow area. He finishes well at the cup, and Wenonah struggled defending him throughout the night. He was aggressive, attacked with purpose, attacked thru contact, and was really good finishing in traffic.

When two Birmingham City powers travel to Jacksonville with a trip to the Elite 8 on the line, you expect intensity. You expect pride. You expect high-level shot-making.