The goal, realistic or not, is to win every game. So far, as Alabama High School Athletic Association basketball teams head into subregional playoff action this week, only two teams remain perfect – both on the boys’ side after the Class 1A Spring Garden girls lost to 6A Oxford in their last regular-season game.
Class 5A Valley is 28-0 headed into the subregional at home vs. Sylacauga on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
In Class 6A, Pinson Valley carries a 27-0 record into a home subregional game against Hartselle, also on Tuesday at 6 o’clock.
Darrell Barber’s Pinson team didn’t set perfection as a goal and he said they are only talking about one streak: going 5-0 the rest of the way to win another state championship.
“I’ve been blessed to accomplish a lot,” the four-time state champion coach said, “but being undefeated, I never really thought about it. Of course, you want to win every game. As a coach, watching this team after we lost last year (in the regional), they got back to work immediately.
“With everybody returning, watching them work and starting with our play dates midway through June, there was a lot of buzz about this team. I thought, ‘Man, they could be special.’”
Only five of the 27 games have been decided by fewer than double digits. The Indians were ranked No. 1 the whole season. At what point did the players start believing the streak had legs?
“Coming into the season, we didn’t expect this,” senior point guard Terry Coner Jr. said. “We had some new pieces, but we bonded after the first game.”
Pinson Valley won its first 12 games by an average of 25.4 points going into the WKY Hoops Classic in Princeton, Ky. Against Sandy Creek of Tyrone, Ga., on Dec. 22, the Indians escaped with what would prove to be their narrowest victory of the season thus far – 76-75 in two overtimes.
“Sandy Creek was one of the top teams in Georgia,” Barber said. “We were up by 14 at one point. I look at that one – it was the first game we actually trailed in – and we squandered a 14-point lead.”
But Coner and Barber agreed that game wasn’t the turning point. It was the next one, against Grovetown – a school of more than 2,200 students, the defending AAAAAA state champion with three Division I prospects, that Pinson played in the Big South Shootout on New Year’s Eve in Newton, Ga.
“We played Grovetown and played very well,” Coner said of the Indians’ 77-55 victory. “After that, we felt like we couldn’t be beat. That brought fire to our team, knowing that we could have lost that game.”
Barber said the Grovetown win was special. “They have a guy with probably 12 or 15 Power 5 offers and we held him to 8 points. We had four guys in double figures. Going over there in that atmosphere and playing Grovetown in their backyard.”
The Indians will tackle Hartselle on Tuesday with a 72.1 scoring average while their defense allows 48.9. Pinson is led on offense by 5-foot-11 junior Caleb White, who scores 21.5 points a game. He also leads the team with 3.2 assists a game. Coner, a 6-footer, scores 17.3 points per outing and is second on the team with 5.3 rebounds a game.
Coner Jr. is the son of former Mr. Basketball and University of Alabama standout Terry Coner, who serves as an assistant for Pinson Valley. “He wanted to sit back and just be a dad and watch his sons,” Barber said, “but I knew his background and I told him, in a joking way, ‘You’re going to be my assistant.’ We also have coach Charles Winters, who was head coach at Wenonah and Woodlawn.
Sophomore Austin Coner, Terry Jr.’s younger brother, has scored 9.4 points a game. Coner is out with a broken hand, but is expected back next week if the Indians are still in the hunt.
“Terry is the only guy who has been in the program the past four years,” Barber said. “He saw action with Cam (Woods) and Koolaid (McKinstry) and saw how we wanted to do things. He’s the definition of a point guard. His IQ is as high as any point guard I’ve coached. He can finish at all three levels and can defend.
“Caleb is one of the most fearless kids I’ve coached in my 14 years. He’s not afraid of anything and he’s tougher than nails.
“Austin has been out eight games,” Barber said. “He’s kind of a glue guy. He gives Caleb and Terry a chance to play off the ball.
“Amarion Bowens (a 6-1 senior, 8.9 points per game, 4.7 rebounds) is a transfer from Minor. He is tremendous on defense. Raymon McCants (6-3, sophomore, 9.2 points per game) is a knockdown shooter and he is getting it done on defense.
“Clyde Walters is a 6-6 freshman who has Alabama and Troy offers. He may finish with just 7 points, but he might finish with 9 blocks and 8 rebounds. Since Austin has been down, he’s really stepped up his game.”
Walters leads the team with 6 rebounds a game along with 6.8 points per game.
“To their credit,” Barber said, “our kids don’t talk about being undefeated. I’m super proud we don’t talk about it. At this point, we’re just trying to be 5-0. Our focus is on Hartselle. This is our third year playing them in the crossover. We have a lot of respect for them.”
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