Mullins boys finish third in Region 7-AA

           Mullins – The goal for any high school team is to win its region, and that was certainly the case

for the Mullins boys basketball squad coming into this season.

           That didn't happen for the Auctioneers. In fact, neither did second. Mullins inished 8-4 in Region

7-AA, a game behind 9-3 Manning.. Atlantic Collegiate Academy won the region with an 11-1 record.

Mullins is led by junior Deyon Ford, who was averaging 16.8 points and 3.5 assists per game,

both team highs. He’s also averaging 3.1 steals and 3.1 rebounds.

           Sophomore Dakarai Worley was averaging a double-double with 15.7 points and 10.2 rebounds,

a team high. He also led in steals at 4.1 and had 2.4 assists.

Other key contributors have been senior Ernest Ford, junior Ayntwain Crawford and junior

Amir Lee. Ernest Ford was averaging 6.2 points and 2.6 assists, Crawford was averaging 2.3 points, and

Lee was averaging 4.1 points and 3.6 rebounds.

Troy uses his bench liberally with sophomore KJ Ford, sophomore Keith Pridgett, senior

Jeremie Page, senior Mykell Raysor, junior Andre Littlejohn, senior Lonnie Alston and junior Braden

Hughes having played in 13 of the first 19 games.

Mullins is ranked fourth in the latest High School Sports Report AA boys poll. ACA is ranked

right in front of it at No.3 while Manning is ranked sixth.

“This region is by far the toughest region I've been a part of in my coaching career,” Troy said.

“Any team on any given night can win against anyone. ACA is at the top of the mountain and looks like

the top contender for AA.”

Troy hopes Mullins remains focused as the postseason looms.

“The recurring theme with my team is to compete and execute,” he said. “We don;t want to just

play hard but to compete every play and be disciplined enough to rely on the system.”

MULLINS GIRLS FINISH FIFTH, SECURE PLAYOFF BERTH

The Mullins girls basketball team finished fifth in the region to earn a berth in the state playoffs,

which begin next week.

The Auctioneers are 7-8 overall and finished 4-8 in region play. Head coach Myron

Gerald is happy his squad will be returning to the playoffs again.

           “The expectation, of course, will be to move further into the playoffs,” Gerald said. “Our growth

is so visible every time this young squad takes the floor to play.”

Three of the returning starters are freshman guard Breanna Ford and NaRiyah Woodberry and

forward Aliyah Tisdale. Woodberry was the leading scorer at 11.8, Ford was 9.5 and Tisdale 7.7.

The other starters are junior guard Autumn Worley and junior forward Moriah McLeod, who

was the second leading scorer at 11.0. Worley was averaging 3.8.

The rest of the roster is made up of Jazmyne Rowell, the team’s only senior, junior Quintia

Dickerson, sophomores JaKenna Baccus, TaMonei Brock and Nakevia Gerald and freshman

Mearrah Burroughs.

“All of them are in practice each day helping the team to continue to improve and move toward

achieving a postseason berth as we did last year,” Gerald said.