Putnam County head coach LaPatrick Marshall called last week’s two losses a “wake-up call” for his team.
Butler and Westside-Augusta completed their respective sweeps of the War Eagles last week in dominating fashion. The Bulldogs won by a 31-point margin, while the Patriots got a 36-point win.
“We got to see where we were at. Going into both of those games, I thought the game plan was okay,” Franklin said. “Every time you play both those teams, you may take that first punch. Sometimes you’re able to answer. We’d been playing like that.
"We would take somebody’s first punch and then we would fight back. But those teams are just too talented to take that first punch, and we didn’t fight back. They put it to us. It was a learning experience for me and the players. (Those two losses) made us look at ourselves in the mirror. It was a real wake-up call for us.”
Butler, Class AA’s No. 5 team, came into the Eagles’ Nest last Tuesday and left with an 83-52 win.
The Bulldogs got a careerhigh from Kwamane Bridges, who posted a team-high 28 points. The 6-foot-3 sophomore guard provided a huge boost for the offense, draining eight 3-pointers in the win.
“As a coach, I admire Butler. They’ve got a great team concept. It’s a next-man-up attitude,” Franklin said. “(Bridges) had one of his best games against us. We knew he was talented going into the game. I tried everything. I threw the kitchen sink at him (defensively). We just couldn’t stop him.”
Butler’s defensive game plan also was perfectly executed, forcing Putnam to turn the ball over. The Bulldogs had 13 takeaways, which led to points on the other end against the War Eagles.
Butler’s strategy worked from the start, building a 21-10 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Bulldogs didn’t let up in the second as they led 37-21 at the half behind strong play from Bridges.
In the first half, Putnam struggled to get the ball up the court against Butler’s defensive front but also grappled offensively by not making shots.
Putnam senior Landon Bonner couldn’t find a rhythm on offense and the 6-foot-1 guard ended up with 18 points on the night, well below his season average this year.
While the War Eagles’ pace of play picked up a little in the second half, the Bulldogs matched it. Butler added outscored Putnam 46-31 in the second half, with Bridges being a dominant force for the Bulldogs.
Butler also had three other players – Willie Taylor (13 pts), Jayden Bell (10 pts), and Marcus Scurry Jr. (10 pts) – scoring double-digits. Senior Roosevelt Brown also added nine points in the win.
Putnam’s J’mari Greene scored nine points, with Zay Hargrove and Koleman Foster adding six points each.
The War Eagles hoped for a better result on Friday at No. 1 Westside, but it didn’t happen. The Patriots took no mercy, defeating them 100-64, with multiple players scoring double digits.
“Our defense hasn’t been up to par this year,” Franklin said. “I consider myself a defensive-minded coach, so I’ve been trying to stress it, but we haven’t been doing it. Going into that game, the plan was to sit down and make (Westside) earn it. Don’t give up easy buckets by turning the ball over. Westside is loaded, man. They are one of the top teams in the state in any classification.”
Also, a slow first quarter plagued Putnam, but it didn’t matter as top-ranked Westside was on a mission. The Patriots led 21-8 at the end of the first quarter, limiting the War Eagles’ offense with many key stops. They slowed down in the second period but still held a 37-20 lead at the half.
To reach the century mark, Westside fired it into high gear in the second half, scoring 63 more points. DeMarco Middleton, LaVonta Ivery, and Jarious Adkinson were all a force to be reckoned with.
While Putnam’s offense woke up in the second half, it was too late. Bonner scored a team-high 28 points, but also led the War Eagles in turnovers with seven in the loss.
Marshall’s squad now heads into its final stretch of the season with four more games on the docket. “We’ve got to stay focused. As bad as it may seem with the two losses last week, we’re now at sixth (place) in the region standings,” Marshall said.
“We just need to beat Washington County this week and win a couple more. That way, we have a chance to maybe host a region tournament game.”