Putnam County basketball competed in the Eagles Classic at Northside High School in Warner Robins last week, finishing runner-up to Veterans High School with a 97-88 loss in the championship game.
Despite the loss, the high-scoring affair was entertaining as the War Eagles scored a season-high in points. Combo guard Landon Bonner was responsible for 40 points, also a season-high for the senior. Junior Jaylin Harper contributed 19 points and senior Messiah Walker added 12 points in the loss.
Putnam had a tough road to the championship game, facing Taylor County and Rutland High School first and winning those two contests by a combined 11 points to advance.
Overall, Putnam head coach LaPatrick Marshall thought his team gained some valuable experience last week.
“Man, that tournament was great for us. I always talk about how we’re young and I got to see these young kids grow up a little bit,” Marshall said. “During that first game against Taylor (County), Landon Bonner got into foul trouble, so our younger guys had to step up and play a lot.”
Putnam County defeated Taylor 82-76 as four players – Bonner (19), Harper (16), Tamaud Woodson (12), and Jeremy Banks (11) – scored double-digits and kept the Vikings’ defense off balance.
The game was tied 42-42 at the half, and the War Eagles trailed 63-59 after the third quarter, but they rebounded in the fourth and started to pull away.
Walker also tallied eight points and made some big-time shots down the stretch. He also helped lead the younger War Eagles in the final few minutes.
While the win over Taylor was significant, Marshall acknowledged his team showed even more grit in a 60-55 win over Rutland the next day. Although the game was sloppy on both ends, Putnam County found a way to win in the last few minutes.
“It was back-and-forth, but we held the lead for a majority of it,” Marshall said. “(Landon Bonner) came back strong. He had 29 (points) that game and Jaylin Harper had a good game, too.”
Finally, Veterans got the best of the War Eagles in the championship game in a high-scoring contest. However, Putnam competed well against the Class 6A Warhawks, who are 8-4 overall on the year.
The game was neck-and-neck, with Veterans leading 47-41 at the break behind a strong first half from War Hawks seniors Chandler Thomas and Antonio Scott. Together they accounted for a total of 59 points in the end.
Putnam got to within striking distance during the second half, as the duo of Thomas and Scott, paired with juniors Tristan Abner and Jordan Watson, were often too much down the stretch.
Marshall felt as if his team was meant to play in a game like that against a quality opponent from a higher class. He said his players would get that same taste in the next few weeks during region play.
“We were in the championship game for a reason, so we tried to win it,” Marshall said. “The guys played their hearts out, man. We just ran out of time. (Veterans) is a really talented team.”
Putnam County faced defending Class AA state champion, Westside-Augusta, past print time on Tuesday. The War Eagles will next take on Washington County at home Friday for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.