Paramore column: Regional battle was good stuff

I still can’t get Friday morning’s Boys Class 5A South Regional final up in Troy out of my mind. I can only imagine how the players, coaches and fans of both teams must feel.

Down through the years, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve devoted this space to high school sports. The other five writers at this publication spend countless hours covering the prep scene along with their other duties. But Friday’s deal was special.

I actually rode up to the Trojan Arena with a friend on a mere whim. I knew the reputation of LeFlore and its wealth of state championships. I also knew Eufaula had been a basketball town dating all the way back to the 1950s when the great Jack Powell was helping the Tigers to repeated state titles.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the consummate effort, teamwork, chemistry and ability of the two clubs. LeFlore probably wasn’t quite as gifted overall as the Barbour County school, but they had a huge ace in the hole. Namely, 6-foot-11-inch DeMarcus Cousins, a mountain of a young man who did exactly what any other top national recruit should do in a prep contest — stick out like a sore thumb.

That’s what I always tell callers or e-mailers who ask for help in getting notice for what they think is a major prospect. I also ask two questions.

“Honestly, how big is he?,” is one of them. The other is “Can your grandmother watch him play and say ‘That guy was clearly the best player on the floor?’”

That, in a nutshell is Cousins. He scored 35 points against a collapsing, help-out Eufaula defense, a back-breaking 15 in the fourth period alone.

But even Cousins — who is being recruited by several major powers — almost couldn’t rally his troops against such a gallant bunch of Tigers. They fell behind by 10 points early in the third quarter, but coach Mike Henry used a timeout brilliantly, settled his troops down, made a key substitution or two and got his bunch back in the game. When LeFlore went zone after Cousins got into foul trouble, the Tigers used great patience and quick ball-movement to get open looks and buried enough of them to eventually take the lead.

In fact, Eufaula appeared to have the game won with just 90 seconds to play. Nursing a five-point lead, they fell prey to a LeFlore trapping press that the Rattlers hadn’t unveiled until then, at least not with that intensity. And credit is due to the odds-on favorites to win the state championship this week. They knew they were in trouble, had to create some turnovers, and they did it.

But my heart went out to Eufaula as the packed house filed out of the building. They were a solid, well-coached, well-oiled machine that was good enough to win it all under normal circumstances. For the Tiger seniors, it was their last chance. However, if the crowd support and the effort of their players is any indication, Eufaula will be back.

Sports writers don’t normally pay to get into an event. I left my identification at home Friday, so I forked over the $8 along with everyone else. I’m glad. It was worth it.

Phil Paramore’s column appears Tuesday and Thursday in The Dothan Eagle. He can be heard weekday mornings from 7-9 on AM 560 WOOF or at http://www.woofradio.com. He can be reached at the same Web site.