MORGAN COUNTY
Morgan County recently had several boys and girls basketball players named to the All-Region 4-AAA Team.
The Bulldogs had two players earn All-Region honors while two others were honorable mentions. The Lady Dogs also had several players earn All-Region honors and a few honorable mentions.
Harrison Peaster, a senior for the Bulldogs, was named to the Region 4-AAA First Team. Fellow senior Reggie Ross was also named to the Region 4-AA Second Team. Meanwhile, Morgan County senior Jaturi Brown and freshman Zeki Locus garnered All-Region Honorable Mention credits.
The Bulldogs lost their two leading scorers late in the year, so Peaster stepped up in their absence. Ross was also a huge role player for the Morgan County boys team this past year as a senior.
Brown came in clutch for the Bulldogs a lot this past season, especially in the 70-69 win over Putnam County. He was the team’s main threat down low while Locus contributed at guard as a freshman.
The Morgan County boys went 10-16 overall in head coach Cody Anderson’s first season at the helm. The Bulldogs graduate seven seniors in May but return a lot of younger talent heading into 2023-24.
“I can’t say enough about this group,” Anderson said of the class of 2022 earlier this year. “In your senior year, you’re supposed to know the culture already, but with me getting hired so late (in the summer), they had to adjust to my style of coaching, which isn’t an easy thing to do. I really appreciate them for helping lay the groundwork I am trying to build here (at Morgan County).”
Lady Dogs’ point guard Kymora Smith was named to the All-Region 4-AAA First Team. She also averaged 8.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.9 steals per game as a 10th-grader in 2022-23.
MCHS girls’ leading scorer Jaden Young garnered All-Region Second Team honors in 2022-23. She averaged 10 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game during her sophomore campaign.
Lady Dogs’ lone senior Destiny Huner also was named to the All-Region Second Team. She was the team’s second-leading scorer (9.7 ppg) and also its leading rebounder (9.9 rpg) as a senior.
Morgan County girls sophomore Kenwanna “Kiwi” Lane and freshman Cydney Burke were All-Region honorable mentions. They also each contributed a lot this past season for the Lady Dogs.
The Lady Dogs went 20-8 under first-year head coach Milfred Franklin. They placed second in Region 4-AAA and entered the state playoffs as a No. 2-seed, but got knocked out in the second round.
“I’m very proud of this accomplishment the ladies achieved,” Franklin said of his five players selected in a text to the Lake Oconee News. “This award speaks volumes of their work ethic and how coaches in our region recognize their basketball ability. When you have five girls selected from your team, this reflects the PPP: enjoy the process, see the progress and commit to the program.”