Morgan County boys basketball captured the Region 4-AA title after defeating Westside (Macon) on Feb. 15.
The Dogs defeated the Seminoles 54-40 at home in the championship game, earning the title of region champions. This victory marks their first region championship since the 2018-19 season when they claimed the Class 3A state title.
Morgan County head coach Cody Anderson was happy for more than just his players.
“I’m really happy for our players, staff, families, school, and the community,” Anderson said. “A great deal of effort has been put in by many people from the administration on down. I’m really excited for everyone involved.”
Morgan County executed its defensive game plan, limiting Westside to 40 points. The Dogs played well on the defensive end, keeping the Seminoles’ talented senior duo of Jatavion Zellner and Joshua Harden in check.
“For us to come out and hold a good Westside team to 40 points just speaks a lot to how we play [on defense],” Anderson added. “Our kids have bought in, and the collective effort scoring from this group was great.”
Anderson likes that his team doesn’t rely on one player to do all the scoring. He hopes it continues in the playoffs.
“The secret to our success this entire season has been our team,” Anderson explained. “We’ve been perhaps as consistent a group as I’ve coached in quite some time, largely because we’ve never relied on just one player.”
Junior guard Zeki Locus was brilliant and scored a team-high 21 points against Westside, while junior Kobi Jeffries contributed eight against Westside. Senior Jaylen Elder and freshman Garrett Ward each added six points.
Morgan County triumphed over Rutland 61-54 in a hard-fought victory, securing a spot in the title game during the semifinal round. Elder contributed a team-high 17 points, while junior Jacoby Simmons added 14.
Morgan County had previously beaten the Seminoles two times before last Saturday’s matchup. With the win, the Dogs completed the regular season with a 21-6 overall record and a perfect 12-0 mark in region play.
Morgan County returns to the postseason for the first time since 2018-19. The Dogs are the No. 3 seed in the Class 2A bracket and will face No. 30 seed Appling County (past press time) on Wednesday in the first round.
Anderson has high expectations for his team but doesn’t want his players to underestimate the Pirates (9-18).
“Our kids earned the No. 3 overall seed in the tournament. You have the right to host games throughout the playoffs, but none of that matters if you don’t go out and play,” Anderson said. “I’m excited, but before Wednesday, none of the players in our program have ever participated in the tournament. After Wednesday, everyone will be able to say they have. We're just focused on what we can control, which is prep and practice.”