1984 George Walton

From 8-5-14

When we began the '83-'84 season at George Walton Academy, little did we realize that this year would be the beginning of a great 4-year run. We were coming off a "so-so" season, & felt that we could have a good season. At the beginning, not many would have predicted that we would have the great season that we had. When the Bulldogs won their first 16 games, word was out that this was one of the better teams in our league! Seniors Doug Cassiday (with an average of 20 pts. & 11 rebounds per game), and Todd Carter (14 pts. & 10 reb. per game), became the ones most opponents feared. But the real secret of the strength of this team was the talented sophomores. Ken Harrison & Ed Healy avgd. better than 8 ppg, and Roy Roberts & Jeff Capes avgd. better than 5 ppg. The Bulldogs swept through the region tournament, & entered the state tournament with a 21-1 record! In the opening game of the state tournament, Doug Cassiday's 21 pts. led the way, as they defeated Worth Academy 62-60. The semi finals were another "cliffhanger" as GWA defeated Barnesville 50-48. With the stage set to finish off a great year, the Bulldogs led 59-58 with 2seconds on the clock! A Georgia Christian player caught the in-bounds pass at the top of the key, and let the shot go! The ball bounced on the back of the rim 3 times, and fell in! With no time on the clock & the game over, GWA finished the season with a heart-breaking loss! Carter & Cassiday were rewarded for their play by being named to the All-State team (to go along with their All-region status). All-region player Ed Healy, & his sophomore teammates, were anxiously awaiting the 1985 season, (& made plans to win their last game of the season with a championship!). The 23-2 record, Region Championship & State Runner-up, made for an outstanding year--but we were 2 seconds (& 3 bounces) away from the coveted State Championship!