BY HOLLY KEE
hkee@localsouthernnews.com
INA -- In a process that began "way back in the summer," Johnston City Middle School coach Trevor Clark said one of his team's goals was to get to the state tournament and get a trophy.
That was one goal Johnston City's young Indians met unequivocally, even though Clark acknowledged his team would have been "happier with something a little bigger."
Even though the team came up short by six points, 44-38, Clark said he was proud of the way they played against a strong Pontiac team in the third-place game of the SIJHSAA Class M state tournament Friday night at Rend Lake College's Waugh Gymnasium.
The Indians managed to stay in the game through halftime, going into the break down 16-15. However, the third quarter was a different story.
"We had a lot of adversity and obstacles to overcome," said Clark, whose team was already missing a starter. Then Brayden Gass went down after a hard foul, leaving the game to a knee injury.
Pontiac took advantage and outscored the Indians 17-5 in the third.
The Indians still did not quit, coming back in the fourth to outscore Pontiac 18-11, but just could not overcome the deficit.
Braxton Stacker put up 29 points for the Pontiac Indians, while Johnston City powerhouse Austin Brown led all scorers with 33.
Brown ended an eighth grade career with 1,074 points, averaging 32 points a game this season.
Clark told his team to do one thing as he sent them onto the basketball floor to play for the third place state trophy -- "Make sure you leave it all on the floor."
He said he was proud of his team's effort.
"The kids gave it everything they had," Clark said. "They just got beat."
Christopher, which beat JCMS in the semifinals, went on to claim the championship with a 35-30 win over Nashville.