Jackets closing on 30
- Updated: February 17, 2021
UPDATED: Win over Woodlawn sends Oxford to Northeast Regional for fifth straight year, travels to Mountain Brook in 6A Sweet 16
By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD – There are certain numbers that signify an elite level of success in sports. High school basketball team would like to have a 20-win season and call it a banner one. The Oxford Yellow Jackets have done that and more.
The Jackets moved within one win of the magical 30 Wednesday night when they beat Woodlawn 51-37 in the Class 6A sub-regionals. It was their 25th win in a row.
The win the sends the Jackets (29-2) to the Northeast Regional for the fifth year in a row, where they’ll travel to Mountain Brook in the Sweet 16 Friday night. The Spartans (26-6) have won four of the last five 7A state titles before dropping down to 6A this year.
This is now tied for the second-winningest team in Oxford history, tying the team that won 29 games in 1962. The Jackets went 31-3 in 1977.
There was some debate that the Jackets were at the 30-win threshold already, but one score reporting service credited them with two victories over Vestavia Hills when the teams only played once and a second game was canceled.
VanMeter’s teams the previous four years had won 22, 23, 24 and 21 games. In his own high school career he won a total of 31 games and never more than 15 in a season, and that was playing for a school that had 500 students K-12 facing some of the biggest schools in basketball-mad Kentucky.
“In your program you’re trying to take steps,” VanMeter said. “We’ve won the 20 games, but you see those elite programs in high school win 30 games so that kind of helps you to say, ‘Hey, that was the next step.’
“The next one obviously is to have a chance to get to the Final Four, which we have a chance to do. It’s a hard road, but nobody’s road to get to the Final Four to win a state championship should be easy.”
Rylan Houck’s two dunks, a big 3-pointer from Josh Patton, a bucket from Bakari Daily and five points from Roc Taylor led a fourth-quarter explosion that carried the Jackets to victory in the physical battle with the Colonels (19-10).
The Yellow Jackets fought off several charges by the taller Colonels, but went on a 14-3 run to break open the game over the final six minutes. They never trailed after taking the lead 10-8 in the first quarter and their defense just wore down Woodlawn in the final quarter.
“It was our defense that was the story of this game,” Van Meter said. “They only got 37 points. We do not have their kind of height, but we got in there and battled.”
Houck had nine points and nine rebounds, while Taylor had 20 points and 8 rebounds. Justin Moore had 9 points and five rebounds.
“We have a three-headed monster in those guys,” Van Meter said. “They make the other players better around them. Teams that try to guard all three of them are leaving our other players opportunities and our kids can make those shots.”
Both teams took turns trying to figure out what was going to work in the opening quarter. Mike McGraw started things for Oxford with a traditional three-point play and Justin Moore dropped in a 3 and Oxford led 6-4. Taylor scored the last three points of the quarter and Oxford led 11-10 going to the second quarter.
The Yellow Jackets defense put it into another gear in the second quarter as they held the high-scoring Colonels to just one field goal. Meanwhile, they pounded the ball inside to Taylor, who scored seven in the quarter.
Dailey came off the bench to nail a jump shot and Patton buried a 3 and that quickly Oxford had a 25-16 halftime lead. The Jackets missed five free throws in the second quarter or it could have been a bigger lead.
Oxford left the door ajar in the third quarter and Woodlawn stepped through with 6-foot-9 center Courtney Knight ducking his head and scoring seven points. The Colonels cut the margin to four twice and Oxford would pull the lead back out to eight points. The quarter ended with Oxford ahead 35-30.
Oxford 57, Woodlawn 37
WOODLAWN (19-10) – Ryan Wilson 0 0-0 0, Richard Braxton 4 2-4 10, Ryan Wilson 3 1-2 8, Courtney Knight 4 3-4 11, Mandrell Horton 0 0-0 0, Simeon Wright 1 0-0 2, Jamario Wright 0 0-0 0, Anthony Fairfax 0 0-0 0, Robert Reasor 0 0-0 0, Kelvon Townsend 2 2-3 6. Totals 14 8-13 37.
OXFORD (30-2) – Avelon Bush 0 0-0 0, Cordell Chatman 0 1-2 1, Rylan Houck 4 0-3 8, Peyton Watts 0 0-0 0, Mike McGraw 1 1-1 3, Roc Taylor 6 8-12 20, Bakari Dailey 2 0-0 4, Justin Moore 2 4-5 9, Josh Johnson 0 0-0 0, Josh Patton 2 0-0 6, Zurrell Garrett 0 0-0 0, Jarek Burroughs 0 0-0 0, Aaron McFarland 0 0-0 0, Kyler Wright 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 14-23 51.
Woodlawn 10 6 14 7 – 37
Oxford 11 14 10 16 – 51
3-point goals: Woodlawn 1 (Wilson); Oxford 4 (Patton 2, Moore).
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