The Putnam County boys’ basketball team remains undefeated after knocking off rivals Greene County (80–76) and Morgan County (70-55) this past weekend, giving the War Eagles a 6-0 record.
The War Eagles are young, but several players have stepped up beyond top-scorer Landon Bonner to help lead the team.
Putnam County head coach LaPatrick Marshall highlighted his guys are clicking well at the right time. However, Marshall doesn’t believe his team has found its identity yet heading into region play.
“To me, that remains to be seen, but that’s a positive,” Marshall said. “We’re undefeated, but from a rotation standpoint, we don’t have a legitimate order in what we’re trying to do, so we’re trying to find our way. I think that’s a positive and a negative. But even more of a positive because we’ve found a way to win games. We just don’t know who’s going to step up each night.”
Putnam needed all the help it could get against Greene County on Friday, especially in the second half. The War Eagles led 37-27 at the half, but the Tigers wouldn’t go down easily.
Greene came out firing on all cylinders in the third quarter, scoring 28 points to trail 57-56 heading into the fourth quarter. Tigers’ junior forward Laryous Burt scored 18 points in the third quarter alone.
The game was back-and-forth throughout the fourth quarter as Bonner went down with an injury at the 6:47 mark. In his absence, War Eagle guard J’mari Greene stepped up to keep his team in the game.
Greene went on a 7-0 run to lead 70-66 with 3:14 left, but Putnam tied things up less than a minute later as Bonner returned. The senior guard missed a tough layup inside the paint, but teammate Shamar McClendon got the rebound and tied the game with a putback off the glass.
The two teams battled for the next two minutes, with the Tigers leading 76-75 with 53 seconds left. However, Bonner put the War Eagles on top with a contested layup on the other end to retake the lead at 77-76. They also made a few more foul shots and Greene County didn’t score again.
Marshall was proud of how his team battled in the closing minutes of the game.
“I was telling everybody that people put us on their target board. We’ve got to be ready to play everybody because of the success that we’ve had in the past,” he said. “People are thinking we’re vulnerable this year, so we’re going to get everybody’s best shot. Greene played us tough. They were more physical than us and had size, but our determination came out at the end.”
J’mari Greene totaled a team-high 23 points, with 10 points coming in the fourth quarter. Bonner, who was double-teamed all night, finished with 17 points. Finally, Jaylin Harper and Rashod Daniel each added 10 points, finishing out the War Eagles’ players in double-digits against the Tigers.
Marshall said with Greene County doubling up Bonner, it left the door open for others to score.
“J’mari and Jaylin found a way to lead us out. Every other night, somebody has to step up,” Marshall said. “Jaylin fought it out in the first and fourth quarters. J’mari is also one of the sophomores I talk about. He had some big moments, but as a whole, those two guys picked us up.”
Putnam County had another battle on its hands Saturday at home against rival Morgan County. The War Eagles struggled in the first two quarters and trailed the ‘Dogs 29-28 at the half.
Putnam County regained the lead at the end of the third quarter, though, holding a slim 45-43 advantage over Morgan. The War Eagles then kicked it into overdrive and ran away with the game in the fourth.
Bonner scored a team-high 26 points and Rashod Daniel added 11. Harper contributed nine points.
Marshall said Morgan County was another tough test for his young team.
“That was a good, classic rivalry. I love going against (Morgan County head coach Cody) Anderson because we do a good job of trading wits as competitors,” Marshall said. “He does stuff and I have to adjust and vice-versa. He and I are cool, so we go into the game with that type of mindset. I have a lot of respect for him. They led at halftime, so it was a great back-and-forth fight.”
This week, Putnam County faced Laney on Tuesday at home (after press time). The War Eagles will continue their schedule on the road against region foes Butler on Friday and Jasper County on Saturday.