Morgan County’s season was cut short in the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs.
No. 29 seed Franklin County upset the No. 4 Lady Dogs 43-42 on Feb. 24.
Morgan County head coach Milfred Franklin said that his team put in “a lot of fight” in its game against the Lady Lions, but couldn’t “throw that one knockout punch” to seal a win.
“We didn’t come out and play our game,” Franklin said. “Franklin County kept clawing and scratching, um, they seemed to have a little more want [to win the game] because they didn’t have anything to lose.”
The Lady Dogs maintained a lead for most of the game, and the Lady Lions began to pick up steam as the third quarter progressed. Franklin County took its one-point lead with less than 30 seconds on the clock, and the time ultimately expired before the Lady Dogs could answer back.
Morgan County junior point guard Miracle Ward led the team with 14 points while shooting 4-of-6 from three-point range. Junior point guard Madison Holcomb followed with 11 points, knocking down four of her 11 attempts from beyond the arc.
Franklin said the team didn’t play the game with an “aggressive mentality,” so the Lady Lions ultimately had the edge.
“They weren’t intimidated by us and stood with us toe to toe throughout the entire game,” Franklin said. “We went up by nine points in the fourth quarter at one point, and I felt as if we were in good shape, but then we really got away from playing good Morgan County basketball.”
With the season ending, five of the Lady Dogs were named to the Region 2-2A All-Region team.
Cydney Burke was named on the All-Region first team, with Addisyn Freeman and Miracle Ward placed on the second team. Madison Holcomb and Chloe Thompson were also named to the third team.
“I was very proud of my girls having that accomplishment, because the vote didn’t come from me,” Franklin said. “It comes from other coaches in our region, and so it’s good to see the other coaches realize the tremendous talent those girls have.”
Franklin believes this season was especially meaningful, as it was his first time coaching a senior class since their first year. He said that he hopes they are proud of their accomplishments over the years, as they “improved with each season.”
“I hate to see the season end, but once again, I was proud of how well they accepted when they came in as ninth graders, and the growth they made throughout their four years of high school basketball,” Franklin said.
Overall, regardless of falling short, Franklin is proud of his players for their efforts throughout the season. He described the season as “very satisfying,” with the back-to-back region titles and a 20-win record. “Very rarely, teams get to have twenty-win seasons, and it’s very hard to accomplish,” Franklin said. “All of those accomplishments would not have been possible without my coaching staff and the players buying into what we want to achieve as a program.”
Morgan County concluded its season with a 20-8 overall record, winning its second straight region title.