Decatur, Ala. | Saturday, May 25, 2013
Font Size: A A A A

Wildcat boys fall to Johnson
By Justin Graves
The Decatur Daily

HANCEVILLE — Swarming around the floor, Lionel Love didn’t let an opportunity to grab a steal go to waste.

Nor did his J.O. Johnson High teammates.

Using 14 players, Johnson picked up the tempo, smothering West Limestone with unrelenting full-court pressure as the Jaguars advanced past the Wildcats 66-32 Thursday in the Class 4A boys Northwest Regional semifinals.

Johnson (20-11) advances to face rival Butler on Saturday in the regional final, with the winner securing a spot in the state tournament.

“They’re athleticism hurt us,” West Limestone coach Justin Taylor said. “We don’t see that kind of athleticism every day. They got us dribbling sideways, trying too often to survive instead of scoring.”

West Limestone (23-10) turned the ball over 24 times, and Johnson finished with 26 points off turnovers.

“Their pressure is tough,” West Limestone guard Aaron McConnell said. “I’ve beat pressure before, but we haven’t been pressured like that. We tried to give ourselves a chance, but just came up short.”

Johnson raced out to a commanding lead. The Jaguars built a nine-point cushion by the end of the first quarter, and led 29-14 at halftime.

Love and Myles Williams-Jones led Johnson with 15 points each, while Charles Woodard added 11. The Jaguars shot 54.8 percent from the field.

Austin Tuten led West Limestone with nine points, while Kyle Casteel scored eight and Nathaniel Adams tossed in six with five rebounds.

“The ending didn’t turn out how we hoped, but this team has got a lot to be proud of,” Taylor said. “We graduated a strong group of seniors — a great player (Preston Herring) and several good players — and a lot of people didn’t expect us to be 23-10 and back down here. These guys had a very good season.”

Contact Justin Graves at 256-340-2460 or by email at jgraves@decaturdaily.com.

E-mail this
Print this
You must be logged in to post a comment. click here to log in.
Follow Us On Twitter 
Decatur Daily @DecaturDaily
High School Sports @DecaturPreps
Living @DecaturLiving
Seth Burkett @DD_SethBurkett
Bill Campbell @DD_BillCampbell
Deangelo McDaniel @DD_Deangelo
Eric Fleischauer @DD_Fleischauer
Bayne Hughes @DD_BayneHughes
Ben Montgomery @DD_BMontgomery
Meredith Qualls @DailyMeredith
Mary Sell @DD_MarySell
Ronnie Thomas @DD_RonnieThomas

Alerts The Way You Want Them
Sign up for our any or all of our alert services & receive breaking local news, daily updates, sports, weather & more in your inbox or mobile device.
Mobile Devices
View our site on your smartphone or tablet devices.
Text Alerts (Subscribers Only)
Breaking news, bible quotes, weather, sports, horoscopes, stocks & more sent to your mobile devices.
Email Newsletter
Receive breaking local news, daily updates, sports, weather & more. Enter your e-mail address below.




Most Read
Most Recent
Most Commented
Events Calendar
Saturday, May 25, 2013 see all events
  • Sat
  • 25
  • Sun
  • 26
  • Mon
  • 27
  • Tue
  • 28
  • Wed
  • 29
  • Thu
  • 30
  • Fri
  • 31
Pickwick Belle, sightseeing cruises
Pickwick Belle Riverboat
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Memorial Day Skating Exhibition
Point Mallard Park
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Madison City Farmers Market
Madison City Farmers Market Lot
12:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Madison City Farmers Market
Madison City Farmers Market Lot
12:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Morgan County Girls Basketball Camp
Priceville High School
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Morgan County Girls Basketball Camp
Priceville High School
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Madison City Farmers Market
Madison City Farmers Market Lot
12:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Madison City Farmers Market
Madison City Farmers Market Lot
12:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Pickwick Belle, sightseeing cruises
Pickwick Belle Riverboat
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Madison City Farmers Market
Madison City Farmers Market Lot
12:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Morgan County Girls Basketball Camp
Priceville High School
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Poll
Will you try the Lazy River attraction at Point Mallard water park this year?