French Camp rallied from a 20-point halftime deficit to within four before Leake County pulled away for a 62-49 victory in a boys MHSAA 1A opening round playoff game, ending the Panthers' season.
“We were playing well, but we just ran out of steam,” said French Camp coach Robert Leathers. “It was a hot gym. It felt like it was 120 degrees in there.
“There was nothing that happened after halftime I could say I was disappointed in. They played hard defensively. They blocked out well.”
C.J. Johnson and Darrion Smith led the comeback, just as they have led the Panthers all season, Johnson with 17 points and Smith with 16. Zack Williams had eight points, Macon Bentley six and Adam Atkins two.
Looking ahead, the good news is that there are no seniors on the roster. Johnson, Smith, Williams and Adkins are juniors, Bentley a sophomore.
Tyrese Whittington led Leake County with 19 points. Jamichael Banks had 14 points and Bryce Reed 10. “They re a super talented set of athletes,” Leathers said of the Gators.
Johnson, also quarterback on the Panthers' football team, was praised by Leathers for his leadership. “He really stepped up for us.”
Smith is “a very talented kid,” Leathers said. “He's an oddity. He's a kid who dribbles with the right hand but shoots with his left hand. If you're guarding him, you can't figure out what he is doing.”
For the season, Johnson averaged 19 points and Smith 15.
The Panthers were third in the six-team Region 5-1A with a 5-5 conference record. “From the first part of the year, we stressed teamwork,” Leathers said. “We're not the most talented team in the district, but we stressed being one group, taking care of each others. For the most part, they did a really good job of that this year.”
