WINDER, GA — Region 8-AAAAA is one of Georgia’s best in high school basketball this season. A team with 19 wins didn’t make the playoffs from the region. That’s a tough blow but it also speaks to the level of talent that takes to the floor night in and night out. 

Cedar Shoals and Gainesville will play each other on Saturday night for the championship at the gorgeous Winder-Barrow gymnasium. 

Gainseville won 80-77 in a double overtime thriller in early December in the team’s only pairing of the season. But judging by what happened on Friday night in the semifinals, Cedar Shoals (25-2) looked like the better team going into the championship game. 

The Athens school trumped a good Heritage 53-39. Cedar Shoals allowed just 18 points in the second half. Gainesville beat Salem 60-55 but had to hold on in the second half after opening up strong. 

Cedar Shoals, a Power Poll team, isn’t the biggest team but they are tough and will scrap on defense. Head coach L’Dreco Thomas said that’s what his program hangs their hat on. 

“We just take things one game at a time and focus on the next opponent. We just play the fundamentals of the game. We try to make the game simple for our kids,” Thomas said. “Everything we do is tailored toward them. We hang our hat on defense and try to out rebound you and not give you easy shots. We have to be crafty with how we score because we don't have a lot of burners from the three-point line.” 

Against Heritage, Cedar Shoals was paced by junior guard Phlan Fleming finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds. He finished at the foul line, converting 10 of 12 shots from the foul line. The junior has been terrific this season. 

“Phlan is very unselfish. He doesn’t have to be the leading scorer. He can play anywhere for us, the one, two, three, four or five. A lot of times he plays the five because he’ll do whatever we need him to do in order for us to win,” Thomas said. “I can’t say enough about him. He just does what we need. That’s pretty mature.” 

Cedar Shoals point guard Jarrick Mitchell sparked the second half surge. The senior speedster finished with 10 points, four rebounds, four steals and four assists. 

Winning 25 games this season is not an easy task in Georgia’s deep talent pool this season. Winning game 26 won’t be easy either. Gainesville has a lot of weapons, good balance and strong size that can match-up well with Cedar Shoals. 

Gainesville is paced by Georgia State bound guard DeMarcus Simonds. The Red Elephants had big games from Tae Turner (12 points) and Michael White (11 points) against Salem. 

Fleming and his Cedar Shoals team is ready for the challenge. 

“I think we’re saying that we’re not a fluke,” Fleming said. “All the people that have said we were since last year, I think we’ve proven ourselves being back here again.”