KENNESAW, GA — The Stratford Academy fans climbed down the stairs and embraced senior guard O’Showen Williams after their team beat North Cobb Christian 67-57 on Saturday night. 

Everyone wanted a chance to tell the Macon native thank you for job well done. 

“I’m so proud of you,” they said through ear-to-ear smiles.

Williams was showered with hugs, smiles and well-wishes as he walked to the exit after his dazzling performance. Williams obliged everyone he could. But he wanted to get into the locker room with his teammates. There was a victory to celebrate. No one could really blame him.

“He was big time on a big stage and carried us. He deserves that, too, because everybody doubts him and nobody thinks he is good enough,” Stratford head coach Jamie Dickey said. “He carried us.” 

Williams pumped in 27 points, including a huge second quarter flurry that revived Stratford from a sluggish first quarter start. He was dazzling for three quarters of action. He hit five three-pointers in the game. 

“Not just Stratford came to support but the whole city of Macon came out to support. We wanted to set a statement that Macon basketball is good. I’m a part of that. This is my last year and I want to go out with a bang,” Williams said. 

Williams scored the go-ahead bucket at 3:24 on a gorgeous pass from Quintez Cephus that put SA up 53-51. Then Cephus had back to back lay-ups and clutch free throws in the home stretch. James Mitchell, the ever-steady senior, added 16 points and ice cold free throws to help seal the victory in the final seconds of the contest. 

Stratford went zone in the ever-so-important second quarter because of early foul trouble. Dickey said he put a zone in three weeks ago before the region tournament. It payed off. 

North Cobb Christian wasn’t going down without a fight. Neither was Region 6-A Co-Player of the Year Demiere Brown. The 6-foot-6 junior was outstanding in defeat. He pumped in 31 points and scored in a variety of ways. Brown was the most versatile player on the floor on Thursday night at Kennesaw State. 

He had help from 6-foot-9 junior Will Crumly, who scored 11 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked four shots. His older brother, Jonny, added 14 rebounds in the defeat. Senior Nick Fleming was back despite playing with a  recovering broken arm. He was clearly limited with the injury. 

For the season, Stratford Academy shot 58 percent from the foul line. In the post-season, the team is shooting 73 percent. In tonight’s win, the Eagles were 18-25 from the foul line. The team hit 11 three-pointers in the contest. 

Stratford is in year two of GHSA play after years in the GISA league, the same league where North Cobb Christian dominated. 

Thursday night’s win is the biggest in school history. 

As soon as Dickey walked into the locker room, he was already barking instructions for Friday’s schedule at school. Class then practice. Greenforest, the state’s most intimidating team, awaits them on Saturday in the semi-finals. It is time to prepare. 

Another chapter awaits.