It was only fitting LSU’s attempt to upset No. 1 Kentucky occurred simultaneously when Jonesboro-Hodge tried to upset No. 6 (in LHSAA Class AA) Ferriday Tuesday night.

While Kentucky’s freshmen overcame a 19-2 LSU run in the second half and held on for a 71-69 win in Baton Rouge, Ferriday’s big men — Dantreize Scott in particular — held off Jonesboro-Hodge and used its size advantage to capture a district championship with a 60-52 win.

The atmospheres for both games were outstanding (as I discovered through a kind Ferriday gentleman making his “Hopper” iPhone application available to me between the Ferriday girls and boys game, and later through DVR). After I watched the LSU game when I got home from work, it hit me that this Ferriday team is a lot like John Calipari’s Kentucky squad.

Ferriday head coach K.G. Watkins starts a freshman, a sophomore, two juniors and a senior. This starting lineup has quickness with Ronald Davis running the offense, an outside scoring threat in Kerry Brooks, length at small forward with Ronald Williams and muscle underneath with Scott and Shannon Morales making plays in the paint. He then brings in a completely new squad — a unit that’s even bigger than the first with 6-foot-8 freshman Dare Rosenthal and 6-foot-6 sophomore Jayshon Foster — to grind and wear down opponents, you know, sort of how Kentucky did against LSU. Sure, LSU’s NBA talent — Jordan Mickey, Jarell Martin and Tim Quarterman — could hang with the Wildcats, but the Tigers lacked the depth to sustain Kentucky’s pace for a full-length contest. For that reason, in that same fashion, I believe Ferriday has a chance to make a run in the playoffs and perhaps reach the state championship game like the 2008 team did under Watkins. Speaking of that 2008 team, a team that had great athletes like Alrion McKeel, I’m not so sure that team had the same type of depth this 2014-15 Ferriday team possesses.

“This deep? No,” Watkins said. “That state championship team was really deep, but to have two, sometimes three players in each position, I’ve never been that deep. The caliber of the players we have, you know, we don’t substitute. We just replace the player. We don’t lose anything when we go to our bench.”

Equally as impressive as Ferriday’s depth is the excitement they provide. Something that’s been lacking in the area this season and in Ferriday for a few years now is a player that can bring the fans to their feet by breaking in the backboard on some rim-busting dunks. That’s no longer the case in Ferriday, as the gym nearly erupted in an all-out dance party when Scott laid down the hammer on a fast-break opportunity.

What I loved most about that moment was the tension surrounding it. Time and time again, Scott would get a step on the defense, but because either his teammates didn’t see him or because Jonesboro-Hodge reacted quickly enough to get back on defense, a run-out by Scott was halted. It was as if a good storyteller was pulling the strings, teasing the crowd and keeping them on the edge of their seats for a climactic breakaway. But once big Rosenthal received a pass from Davis on the other end and saw Scott, time slowed as he lobbed a gimme to the airborne Scott. Down came the slam and down came the house. As Jonesboro-Hodge called timeout, I sat back and watched Ferriday’s fanbase jump up and down, waving their arms and seemingly having the time of their lives. In that moment, I got it. These fans have been waiting for excitement like this, and with Scott and this immensely talented group, they have a team that’s going to really challenge for a state championship.

After the game, I knew for certain I’d be making a return trip when the Trojans host the first round of the playoffs later this month. If you’re a basketball fanatic like myself, I’ll see you there too.

Free up your calendars.

 

JAKE MARTIN is the sports editor for The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3633 or jake.martin@natchezdemocrat.com.