After building a 14-point lead in the second quarter, the Wheeler Wildcats had to claw out their 10th boys basketball state championship the hard way on Saturday.
They trailed heading into the fourth quarter, and were holding on to a slender 57-55 lead against Newton in the final minute when “they found a way,” in the words of coach Larry Thompson.
That’s when junior Colben Landrew stepped up, scoring the final 10 points as Wheeler prevailed 61-56 in Macon to win the Class 6A Georgia High School Association crown.
Landrew had 21 points and guard Kevin Savage had 17 for Wheeler (29-3), which becomes only the sixth school, boys or girls, to win 10 or more state titles.
As the clock expired, Thompson was overcome with emotion. It was his fourth state title at Wheeler, and the Wildcats’ fourth in the last six years.
But he was thinking about the last time his team won the state championship, in 2023.
That was the last time his now-late mother would see her son coach, as he told Georgia Public Broadcasting after the game.
“These guys were nothing but great,” Thompson said of his current players, who won their last 21 consecutive games.
They roared to a 29-15 lead before Newton (21-10) reeled off a 15-5 run to end the half, with Wheeler clinging to a 34-30 lead.
Wheeler pushed ahead to stay midway in the fourth quarter. A 3-pointer by Zach Harden got Newton to within two at 57-55, but that’s when Landrew stepped up.
He made four free throws in the final 17 seconds to clinch the championship.
“We had to dig deep to find a little more toughness,” Thompson said.
“These guys found a way and they found a way all year.”
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