Putnam County boys’ basketball completed the sweep of Morgan County with a convincing win on Dec. 14.
Four players scored double figures for the War Eagles, who easily defeated the Dogs 76-61 and improved to 12-0.
Putnam head coach Patrick Marshall was happy his team fought hard against a tough Morgan County squad.
“Our guys practice hard. We play hard, man,” Marshall said. “We’ve been playing well, playing a good team-oriented style. When you do good work, you see the results, and so far, we’ve been getting good results.”
Putnam County’s leading scorers were Jmari Greene (23 points), Tamaud Wilson (19 points), and Shamar McClendon (13 points). Jaylen Nelson (10 points) was also productive for the War Eagles in the 15-point win.
Miller preached about his team’s depth and how it can have a different leading scorer each night. However, he was proud to see the trio of juniors – Greene, Wilson, and McClendon – lead the War Eagles against the Dogs.
“Jmari Green, AKA ‘Chuck.’ Tamaud Wilson and Shamar McClendon. They are tight-knit,” Marshall explained. “They’ve been friends ever since middle school, so they always play well together. They had a good night tonight, but the strength of our team is every other night. It could be somebody different. Like next week, it might be [Jaylin] Harper, [Koleman] Foster, or it could be either one of these people. So that’s just one of our team’s strengths. [We’ve] got so much depth that any other night, it could be somebody different. “
Putnam County punched first, leading Morgan County 20-8 at the end of the first quarter. It seemed like Greene couldn’t miss. In the opening period, the 6-foot-1 guard scored nine of his 23 points for the War Eagles.
The Dogs picked up the pace scoring-wise in the second quarter but trailed Putnam County 40-23 at the half.
Morgan County outscored the War Eagles in the second half, but the damage was already done. The Dogs trailed by double-digits entering the fourth quarter, and Greene and Woodson finished the game on a strong note.
Greene and Woodson scored 17 points during the final eight minutes, helping solidify the victory for their team.
Marshall was satisfied with the win and glad his players performed well in front of the home crowd.
“I think it’s more special for the fans because it is a big rival,” Marshall said. “People know each other, and they are kin to people and stuff like that. For me, it’s just another game. Tonight [Morgan County] was without their coach, [Cody] Anderson, a cool guy, great coach. But it’s a good thing for the community. For me, I look at it as a regular game, but anytime you can get a win, man, it’s good. Anytime you get a win is good.”
Earlier in the week, Putnam County defeated Laney for a second time this season. The War Eagles knocked off the Class AA Wildcats 82-50 on Dec. 10. Greene scored a team-high 28 points while Woodson added 14.
This week, Putnam County has one game before the end of the year. The War Eagles, now ranked No. 1 overall in Class A Division I by SandysSpiel.com, will face rival and region foe Jasper County on Dec. 21.