Peachtree Ridge knows it is going through some inconsistencies with its early schedule. However, navigating through the first two months has been a growing process.

The Lions took another step closer in the maturation process. Peachtree Ridge held on to beat Savannah’s Sol C. Johnson 64-62 in the second game of the Nike Explosion at Wheeler High.

“I knew they were missing some people,” Ridge coach Keith Arrington said. “We’re looking very young at times.”

Peachtree Ridge (3-3) has let some games slip through its grasp but not this time. The Lions found hard with the success of Jacksonville signee Amir Warnock. The 6-foot-8 was strong inside with 21 points. He just controlled the Atom Smashers who did not have an answer for him.

Johnson, however, was not about to let up. The Atom Smashers (6-1) started out slow in the third quarter before waking up late. They battled back when it tied the score at 59-59 with less than a minute to play. Johnson could just not get back into the lead.

“That was a Warriors effort,” Atom Smashers coach Utaff Gordon said. “We had an opportunity to win that game. We didn’t do the little things early in the third quarter. You have to the little things in close games.”

Johnson came to the one-day showcase without four players, who stayed home to take care of some testing. Samuel Mitchell picked up the scoring slack with a team-high 14 points. Junior forward Antwan Maxwell chipped in with 12 points.