Clay Close Strong, Capture Area Championship

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">When Gardendale and Clay-Chalkville stepped on the floor for the area championship, it had all the ingredients of a postseason classic which is shot-making, momentum swings, physical interior play, and guards trading punches possession after possession. In the end, Clay-Chalkville weathered the storm and walked away with the title. But this game was not short on standout performances. Several players left their imprint on a championship atmosphere. Here is a deep dive into the difference-makers from both sides...</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2472288' first='Braylon' last='Hurt'] </strong>(6'4/SF/'27/Gardendale)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: Braylon_Hurt</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @hurt_braylon</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Braylon is an athletic wing who did a really good job at getting to the cup and making plays in the heart of the defense. He provided timely scoring and showed his scoring versatility. He impacted the game with his multi-level scoring arsenal and with his tenacity on the defensive end. He still has room to grow with some of his mechanics when defending on-ball, but his ability to challenge shots and use his athleticism to provide help defense helped Gardendale almost pull off the upset.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2729430' first='Cody' last='Coachman']</strong> (6'1/SG/'27/Gardendale)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: I_am_codycoachman</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @codycoachman</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Cody did a good job playing on and off the ball and putting pressure on the defense. He did not shoot it well from behind the arc, but he lived in the paint, creating offense and drawing fouls. He is a crafty finisher who did a good job finishing through contact. There were moments he forced the issue, but he also showed his ability to make tough shots. He proved to be comfortable and confident on the perimeter while showing game instincts and the ability to balance scoring and facilitating.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Cannon Combs</strong> (6'8/PF/'29/Gardendale)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: Cannon1.showtime</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @cannon1showtime</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Cannon is a young, versatile talent who has a budding floor game. He competes with energy and effort and showed a lot of potential as a scorer and secondary ball-handler. His feel for the game is there, and he competes on both ends of the floor as well as on the glass. He is a prospect to keep an eye on as he has size, skill, and mobility.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2889160' first='Xavier' last='Beavers']</strong> (6'1/CG/'29/Clay-Chalkville)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: 2010.Zay_</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @BeaversXavier11</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Xavier is a true lead guard who can be trusted with the keys to the squad. He did a really good job keeping Clay's offense fluid and executing what the coaching staff wanted. He had moments when he made plays that helped Clay to make a run to get back into the game, hold Gardendale off when they made a run, and seal the victory down the stretch. He is a heady lead guard who is highly skilled and can impact the game when orchestrating as well as when looking for his offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2748364' first='Christian' last='Bennett']</strong> (6'3/PF/'28/Clay-Chalkville)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Christian is a stout interior presence for the Cougars, and he caught my eye with his play on the inside. He brings toughness and a level of physicality to the floor. Despite being undersized, he does a good job using his body to create space and finish around the rim. He also did a good job using his body on box outs and being active on the glass. Clay is guard-heavy, but Christian gives them a presence on the inside that is needed for postseason play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2194893' first='Demar' last='Hinton']</strong> (6'3/CG/'27/Clay-Chalkville)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: Demar23_</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @Demar23_</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Demar got into foul trouble in the first half and got out of rhythm, especially as he sat for most of the 3rd quarter. He started the game connecting at all levels and looked to be headed for a huge night. Despite foul trouble and time on the bench, the minutes he logged proved valuable as he created his own offense and showed that Gardendale did not have anyone who could really slow him down. He is no doubt the guy Clay will lean on for scoring production.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->