ROME — Fourth-ranked Model, who lost two of their final three games, righted the ship in the first round of the Class A DI state tournament easing to an 86-58 decision here over Brantley County.
The fifth-seed Blue Devils (21-4), who finished second in Region 6, reached the 80point mark for the sixth time in 25 games and fourth time in the last 10 games. Their 86-point effort trails only two December 89-point outings.
Model has put together six consecutive seasons of 20+ victories.
Brantley County (13-16), the 28th seed and fourthplace finisher in Region 1, was making its third consecutive state playoff appearance and ninth overall. The Herons have lost in the first round of each tournament.
The last state tournament boy’s victory for the Brantley County school system was the 1958 state Class B championship game with Nahunta winning 45-44 over Forysth County.
Model raced out to a 23-5 first quarter lead aided by a 17-0 run with Dominic Fraley scoring 10 of his team-high 21 points. Bryson Bell (four teys) buried three long-range jumpers in the second period scoring half of the Blue Devils points keying an 18-13 scoring advantage in building a 41-18 halftime lead. BCHS got as close as 30-18 with a 90 run before Model closed the half with the final 11 points.
The home team continued to stretch its lead during the third stanza riding the 10 points of Chadon Woodley (18 points) to outscore the Herons 25-19 extending the margin to 66-37. The Herons scored the final four points of the period to fight off the “mercy rule” being enforced for the last quarter.
Brantley County chipped one point off the deficit in a high-scoring final eight minutes clipping the Blue Devils 21-20.
Tristan Dyess poured poured in 11 of his careerhigh and game-high 22 points for the Herons in the last period. Dyess (teamleading five treys; team-high three assists, two rebounds, steal) finished with 16 second-half points.
Jayden Simmons (trey; rebound) netted 13 points while Cole Courson (two rebounds, assist) contributed 10 points. Jayden Byron (trey; team-leading eight rebounds, assist) and Holton DePratter (five rebounds, steal) bagged seven points and six points respectively.
Model finished the game draining 11 threes to the Herons’ seven. The Blue Devils were 5-of-11 from the free throw line while BCHS finished 3-of-4.
