Berkmar punched their ticket to Macon with a nail-biting, 59-58, victory against McEachern. The Patriots are now set to take on Milton for the state championship. 

Berkmar’s balanced attack was the difference in the game. The Patriots had four players finish in double figures. Jermahri Hill and Dara Olonade led the way with 14 points each. Jameel Rideout scored 12, and Malique Ewin added 11 despite being in foul trouble.  

Cam McDowell did it again and led the Indians with 25 points. The Georgia commit was the most consistent offensive threat on the night. 

In the fourth quarter, McEachern had a 3-point lead until the game devolved into a shootout in which Berkmar won. 

Malique Ewin hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 46. Then, Bobby Moore hit one for McEachern to give the Indians the lead again. Jermahri Hill then hit back-to-back 3-point field goals to give Berkmar the advantage. 

With under a minute left, Berkmar had the momentum and a 5-point lead. Cam McDowell drained a shot from beyond the arc to cut the Patriots’ lead to two. With 19.9 left in the game, Dara Olonade was called for a travel that gave McEachern a shot to tie or take the lead. 

After a missed shot by Chance Moore, Bobby Moore secured the offensive rebound and put up a shot. The ball rolled around the rim and dropped through the net to tie the game at 58.

Berkmar’s Destin Logan was fouled with 2.8 seconds left in the game. After missing his first free throw, he hit the second to give the Patriots the 59-58 lead that would secure their date with Milton for the championship. 

Berkmar took an early lead, but McEachern battled and tied the game as the teams went into halftime. The Indians used a 12-2 run in the third quarter to gain a slight advantage over the Patriots, but Berkmar’s depth won out in the end. 

Bobby Moore got going at the end and finished with 10 points, including some clutch shots. Chance Moore finished with 8 points. With Coach Mike Thompson retiring, McEachern now turns its focus to searching for its new leader.