With playoff games running all day long last Wednesday, the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center (BJCC) stayed crowded inside and out. The long and tough drive caused by the disrupted interstate system and afternoon rush hour may have caused some Bibb supporters to have second thoughts about making the trip to cheer on their Choctaws as they played in the Boys 5A state semi-final, a.k.a. Final Four. It could have caused some fans to stay home that night, but did it?
“I looked up in the stands and there were lots of folks there,” BCHS Head Coach Russ Wallace said of the crowd, “I’m pleased with the support, the community showing up to support these guys.”
Indeed, more than the usual crowd made the journey to support the boys. Centreville City Councilman Calvin Elliott commented on the turnout that night:
“Even though the BJCC is supposed to be a neutral site I know it’s not far across town for Centerpoint to have a crowd make it. I felt that there was a home team there that night and it wasn’t us. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I got there and was greeted by a set of stands that … wore way more purple and gold than whatever the Center Point colors were.”
It’s difficult to summarize that better. As Calvin also pointed out, our community here has long been centered around football. However, we are more than just pigskins and personal heaters during cold fall evenings.
Coach Wallace, while appreciative of the support that showed up, also said, “You can’t just look at the team’s record to decide if you’re going to show up to a game or not. These kids need support start to finish, year-round. Cheering them on makes a difference. Most of the year we had half empty stands. That’s not to take away from so many showing up to the playoffs, but these kids need that community support when they’re struggling as well.”
Indeed, a rough start to the year lead many to think the team wouldn’t make it as far as they did. “The kids fought hard all year long. They continued to fight and didn’t quit. Very proud of them. We made a run at the end of season like we should have been all season, but it just wasn’t clicking at first. They never gave up. Once it clicked, we really started playing some good ball. Credit to the kids and assistant coaches for that,” Coach Wallace said, commending his team.
The Bibb Voice spoke to Coach Russ Wallace about the Final Four Matchup, which ended with the Choctaws falling 54-47 against the Center Point Wolves. (Center Point went on to lose in the state final to the Wenonah Dragons, 51-34.)
BV: How do you feel about how the game went overall?
Wallace: The team came out in awe of the situation, which I had been warning them about all week. We were a little flat and timid because of it. Center point was physical, big, strong, and athletic. They took us out of some of what we wanted to do, and we didn’t adjust well. We stayed within striking range the whole game but kinda fell a little short.
[#3] De’Yonte Cutts (14 points) and [#14] Zarien Avery (12 points) carried us through these playoffs, and both had good games overall.
BV: What was your impression of your opponents, the Center Point Wolves?
Wallace: We knew they struggled shooting from outside. Our challenge was being able to handle them physically. Finding our offense against them was tough. Their coach does a great job, too. But their size presented a major challenge.
BV: Anything to add?
Wallace: We’re a young team, with three starters coming back. We’ve got to go to work and get better at some things, but we’ve got a good solid group coming back to give us another shot at it next year. I’ve been here seven years, and we’ve made it to final four twice in that time. These kids work hard and they’re listening. They’re starting to get a taste of it, and hopefully that becomes more often.
Perhaps the fans will fill the stands more often next year, too.
Bibb County Board of Education Member Mike Oakley made the following observation about this year’s basketball team:
“Bibb was in a rebuilding year and got off to a slow start. This may have affected seasonal attendance. They began to gel late in the season and finished strong. Even though Bibb County has won State Championships in basketball & baseball and been to more than one recent final four in basketball fan attendance is always strongest in football. We encourage fans and parents to support all of our student athletes.
“Bibb County is making great strides in building competitive sports teams in many areas, including girl’s softball, golf, and track and field. It takes dedicated coaches and consistent support from parents and fans to make that happen. The basketball season for Bibb County ended on a high note and I am proud of our team and coaches.”
