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MARIETTA, Ga. — Eastside boys basketball’s historic season got here to a detailed Friday evening on the No. 1 Kell Longhorns. The Eagles misplaced 79-48 within the Candy Sixteen of the Class AAAAA playoffs.
Friday’s outcome got here simply two days faraway from the Eagles’ upset of No. 2 Calhoun Wednesday evening. Eastside had its eyes set on the identical factor Friday, however Kell’s multidimensional assault was an excessive amount of to deal with.
Shortly after the tip-off, the Eagles had their work minimize out for them as Kell relied on Payton Marshall, who managed the paint on either side of the ground together with his 7-foot body. And, although the Eagles continued to double and triple workforce Marshall, that allowed the Longhorns’ shooters to start out gaining the benefit on the perimeter.
Head coach Dorrian Randolph highlighted that after the sport.
“It modified all the pieces,” coach Randolph mentioned. “We knew that it will be an issue and we tried to make use of the identical technique we used towards Dylan [Faulkner] in Calhoun, however these are two totally different sorts of gamers. As soon as [Marshall] catches it within the spot, it’s robust to get him out of there. We did a good job however when you must assist out, they’ve shooters throughout.”
On the opposite facet of the ground, Eastside struggled to discover a rhythm offensively, going into halftime down 41-23.
Kell continued to tug away because the third and fourth quarters went on, ultimately ending with a 31-point win.
As the ultimate seconds left the clock to finish the season, Eastside gamers heard a standing ovation from mother and father, followers and college officers who made the journey to assist the Eagles.
Following the loss, the Eagles closing file moved to 23-7, with a 9-3 file inside Area 8-AAAAA.
The 23-7 file is their greatest in nearly a decade, and this Eagles’ workforce is barely workforce in program historical past to make into the Candy Sixteen of the state playoffs.
After the sport, Randolph shared his ideas on how his workforce rose above the adversity to set program historical past.
“I need them to be remembered by how laborious they performed and the way they performed as a workforce,” coach Randolph mentioned. “The journey was a enjoyable one. We noticed the development of them enjoying for one another and never caring about who’s scoring. For being as little as we’re, we performed laborious. That’s what they need to be remembered by, only a bunch of quick individuals who gave it their 110%.”
There have been a number of Eastside seniors who performed their closing video games on Friday, too, however none appeared extra necessary than Kassen Saunders, who was one man who made the Eastsid’s offense go.
Saunders scored 21 factors within the sport towards Kell — adopted by a 23-point outing at Calhoun — whereas averaging nearly 13 factors per sport over the season.
“With out [Saunders], we might not be right here,” Randolph mentioned. “He’s a spark plug; he can shoot that ball. We’re positively going to overlook him; it was a pleasure teaching him over these final two years.”
With the 2023 season over, coach Randolph had a message to the returning gamers for subsequent season as they plan to make these playoff video games a brand new normal for Eastside basketball.
“They’ve to grasp what it takes to get right here once more,” Randolph mentioned. “As a result of now, it’s an expectation.”
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