It all came down to one play. Down one point with 2.1 seconds on the clock, the Middle School boys’ basketball team gave it all they had in hopes of defeating rival Rockmart in the final round of the Middle School League Tournament on Feb. 2. And it worked.
In one last effort to come out on top, eighth-grader Cedric Spivey threw a pass down the length of the court to teammate Cameron Gibson, also an eighth-grader. Gibson caught the ball and laid it up over a Rockmart defender. The ball bounced on the rim and dropped through the basket as time expired, earning Darlington their second consecutive tournament title with a final score of 48-47.
“When Cameron scored, the fans went crazy and everyone stormed the floor,” said head coach Joe Pieroni. “This was the best Middle School game I have ever seen. Both teams played at or above their abilities throughout the entire game.”
Eighth-grader Shaqueille Calhoun was responsible for 26 of Darlington’s 48 points. “It feels good to have won the tournament because a lot of people didn’t believe we could do it,” he said. “I think our greatest strength is the fact that we played as a unit, not as individuals. Teamwork is important because you can’t win by yourself.”
Both Calhoun and Gibson said they look forward to playing basketball at the high school level next year. “Next season I want to get bigger, stronger and better and maintain the same winning attitude that I had in Middle School,” Gibson said. “As you move up a level, the competition gets harder, but I am ready.”
