Champion MS vs. Freedom MS

4SHOT Sports

2008-09 Boys Hoops
Champion MS vs. Freedom MS
By Larry "L.A." Williams
Feb 14, 2009, 04:00 EST

2009 DeKalb County MS Tournament of Champions

Championship Game

Champion MS “Chargers” vs. Freedom MS “Rams”

Champion MS wins Championship!

Shamsid-Deen outduels McCrary
Columbia High School – Decatur, GA

Taj Shamsid-Deen ..“The Quite Storm” scored a game high 22 points to pace the Chargers.

Decatur, GA – The much anticipated match-up between Champion MS’s Taj “The Quite Storm” Shamsid-Deen and Freemom MS’s Jonathan “Smooth” McCrary had its moments but at the end of the day it was “The Quite Storm” and his Charger teammates that walked away with the 2009 DeKalb County MS Tournament of Championship trophy.

Taj scored two quick baskets as Champion took the early lead. Freedom’s Dakari Hamilton score at the 1:48 mark to tie the game at 6-6.

Daniel Morrison is another Charger who should be really good by the time he finishes high school; Morrison scored a pair of hoops (one a three-pointer) to put Champion up 11-7 at the end of the first quarter.

When Daniel “The Body” Ezechkwu enters the game for Champion they take it to a different level, especially in the paint and on the glass because for such a young kid he’s so strong and powerful it’s hard for teams to match-up with him. Ezechkwu hit a pair of free-throws and Taj scored again as the Chargers opened up a 16-9 lead with just over 4:00 minutes left to play in the first half.

McCrary, who is going to be an all-star caliber high school player if his game continues to develop the way it is drained a long three-pointer to pull Freedom MS to within one at 16-15.

Phil Knight (red mohawk) and Daniel “The Body” Ezechkwu square off in the paint.

Foul trouble began to plaque Freedom MS late in the half; Phil Knight, the Chargers “Utility Man” picked up his third foul with 2:00 minutes left in the half and had to take a seat on the bench with his team trailing 18-15.

Taj would score back-to-back baskets to give the Chargers a 24-15 lead. Freedom MS would respond when Curtis Wilson drilled a three-pointer from the corner to cut the lead to 24-18 heading into the half.

Just when you thought that the energy and excitement couldn’t get any higher it did; McCrary came out at the start of the third quarter and scored two quick baskets to bring Freedom MS to within two at 24-22. With the Rams fans now standing to their feet Wilson scored to tie the game at 24-24, forcing Champion Head Coach Earl Eberhart to call a timeout.

Taj hit a jumper after the T.O. to put Champion back in front by two; Ezechkwu made it a four point lead when he scored on a put back a few seconds later. Kevin Lewis, who quietly and steadily goes about playing his game would drain a three to give the Chargers a four point lead.

Jonathan "Smooth" McCrary scored 17 points in the title game.

With Freedom MS trailing 31-27, McCrary would pick up his third foul and have to take a seat for the rest of the third quarter.

With 4:45 left to play in the game McCrary and Knight returned for Freedom MS; McCrary would knocked down his second three-pointer of the game to cut Champion’s lead to 33-30.

The players from both teams stepped up their games as the clock started to become a factor. With 1:25 remaining Champion led 36-33; Taj would knock down a short jumper to make it 38-33, McCrary then responded with a basket of his own making it 38-35 as the crowd hit a fever pitch. I’m telling you those kids can play.

Taj would complete a three-point play with less than :20 seconds left to play to put the Chargers up six, 41-35. Freedom MS would get off a couple of more shots but they wouldn’t fall. As time clicked off the clock the Champion MS players hit the floor for a wild championship celebration.

The Final Score:
Champion MS 41 – Freedom MS 35

Scoring Recap

Champion MS: Taj Shamsid-Deen finished with a game high 22 points while teammates Daniel Morrison and Daniel Ezechkwu each finished with 7

Freedom MS: Jonathan McCrary scored 17 points to pace the Rams and Curtis Wilson finished with 7.