Class 2A’s sixth-ranked Putnam County War Eagles (7-2, 2-0) knocked off Laney and Butler last week to open its Region 4-AA play.
Putnam traveled to Augusta for a road test against Laney last Tuesday and came away with a 77-62 win.
“That’s probably been our most complete game against a quality opponent that we’ve had all season,” War Eagles’ head coach LaPatrick Marshall said. “Our guys came out, got a lead and they fought hard to keep it. We sustained it all the way through. In the end, we hit some free throws to increase (our lead). That was a great team win for us.”
Junior Landon Bonner recorded a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds for Putnam County. Eren Banks and Cameron Stephens also had productive nights. Banks totaled 18 points, five rebounds, seven assists and four steals, while Stephens added 10 points and grabbed five boards.
The War Eagles shot well from the field in the first quarter, scoring 27 points and limiting Laney to 14. Their shots wouldn’t fall in the next period, however, as the Wildcats tightened up defensively. Laney outscored Putnam 14-9 in the second quarter but still trailed 38-28 at the half.
The Bonner and Banks combination then proved to be too tough for the Wildcats down the stretch in the second half. The War Eagles’ ability to shoot from beyond the arc also helped power them to victory. They were sharp, shooting 48 percent (12-of-15) from the 3-point line as a team.
“That was a quality win,” Marshall said. “That gave us a boost headed into Friday’s game.”
While Putnam’s victory over the Wildcats was important, the win over Butler on Dec. 16, represented a huge boost for the program.
With a 65-60 final score, the War Eagles knocked off a squad that was a 2021 state runner-up. The Bulldogs also entered the 2022-23 season ranked among Class AA’s top-10 teams by Sandy Spiel.
“Butler, they’re young, but they are coached very well. They’re also real scrappy and for us to get that region win is big,” Marshall said. “We had great play from a sophomore in Jaylin Harper.
He came in and hit some big shots for us, man. It was a great confidence boost for him.”
Banks scored a game-high 30 points for the War Eagles, as well as totaled four rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Bonner racked up 14 points and eight rebounds, while Harper added a season-high eight points, with six of them coming from beyond the arc.
Putnam struggled offensively in the opening quarter as Butler led 14-9 entering the second. The War Eagles’ defensive prowess limited the Bulldogs to just eight points in the next period, while the Putnam offense scored 19 to retain a 28-21 advantage over Butler heading into the half.
The Bulldogs wouldn’t give up, though. They fought hard as the next two quarters were played tight. Putnam held a slim four-point lead over Butler heading into the fourth quarter. Butler then took a four-point lead in the closing minutes, but the War Eagles would once again respond.
“Jaylin (Harper) hit a shot in the corner while we were down four (points),” Marshall said. “He hasn’t been playing as much over the last couple of weeks, which has been based on who we’ve faced and (different) matchups, but I’ve always preached to him to be ready. He came in and did a great job for us by hitting shots, playing sound defense and handling the pressure. That was big for him.
“Then, in crunch time, we went to the man – Eren Banks – to pull us through. He was able to bring it down the court, make a big move and get to the free-throw line.
Eren was then able to hit a one-and-one shot and we took the lead.”
Putnam competed in the Screamin’ Devils Christmas Tournament this week, held at Warner Robins High School. The War Eagles will resume Region 4-AA competition on Jan. 3, against defending Class AA state champ Westside of Augusta.