Putnam County’s historic postseason run ended last week at home in the Class A Division I boys Elite Eight.
East Laurens advanced with a 68-66 victory over the War Eagles in a tight game that went down to the wire.
The loss to the Falcons was heartbreaking for Putnam County head coach Patrick Marshall and his players.
“Man, like we’ve talked about all year, winning games comes down to executing the little things: boxing out, getting stops in transition, and free throws. They’re all major,” Marshall said after the game. “They play a role in everything, especially the farther you get in the playoffs when better teams are pitted against each other. [Most importantly], free throws make a difference, and we missed some clutch ones down the stretch.”
East Laurens led 66-63 with 21 seconds left, but War Eagle junior Jmari Greene nailed a triple to tie it up. Falcons guard Rashund Washington Jr. hit a pair of free throws on the next possession, giving them back the lead at 68-66.
In the final 2:51 of play, Putnam missed four free throws, resulting in the two-point loss. However, at the end of regulation, the War Eagles had a chance to win as they had the ball with 5.1 seconds left.
Tamaud Woodson inbounded the ball from the War Eagles’ end of the court to Jaylin Harper toward the left baseline. Harper dribbled the ball past midcourt and found Greene open toward the home bench. The junior heaved up a last-second 3-point attempt at the buzzer, but the ball hit the backboard and rimmed out.
“One of the things you ask for as a coach is to have a shot,” Marshall said. “We drew up a play, hit a three to tie it up, and then we also had a shot at the end. We ran a play and didn’t fully execute it right. We probably could’ve gotten a better look, but at the same time, as a coach, I just ask to have a shot at the end.”
It was a close game throughout regulation, and neither team led by more than a few possessions.
At the end of the first quarter, East Laurens held a 20-15 advantage. Washington was unstoppable in the first period, scoring 13 points and was powering the high-scoring Falcons’ offense. He was also dominant on the glass.
Marshall subbed in senior Bryce Brabham to limit Washington in the second quarter, and his strategy worked. The coach said he wanted to use Brabham if Putnam got a lead, but after Washington went off, plans changed.
The War Eagles also rallied from a 27-17 deficit midway through the second quarter, fueled by strong guard play from Greene and Woodson, who made some big-time shots. They helped their team gain a 36-35 lead at the break.
The third quarter was another tightly contested battle. East Laurens led 51-50 going into the fourth. With 3:32 left in the game, the Falcons led by seven points, their largest lead since the second quarter.
Greene and Woodson again picked up the pace to get Putnam back into the game, although the War Eagles came up short.
Woodson scored a team-high 22 points, followed by Greene with 20, and Harper added eight points.
Despite the end result, Marshall said he was proud of his players.
“This season will always be one that I will remember. It was a special year,” he admitted. “The group of kids, especially our seniors, were extremely special. I coached them (Bryce Brabham, Jaylin Harper, Tyler Evans, and Omauri Wright) all four years. They were a special group, and it was a great season. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but I can’t apologize for it, man. I thought we gave it 100%. We gave it all we could.”
Putnam ended the season with a 27-3 overall record and reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1991.