Cross Creek boys head to third straight championship game

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Cross Creek boys basketball team knocked off Beach 52-43, advancing to the state championship for the third straight year.

Junior Antoine Lorick led the way with 20 for the Razorbacks, who led by seven at the half. Beach came storming back in the third quarter and actually took the lead on a Larry Johnson layup with less than a minute to go in the quarter.

But the defending champs clamped down in the 4th, holding Johnson scoreless over the final eight minutes, and picking up the win.

The Razorbacks play with a chip on their shoulder, not something you usually see from a team fresh off a state title. Head coach Lawrence Kelly said that’s because of the groups who came before this one.

“The biggest thing is the culture that’s been built here at Cross Creek,” Kelly said. “Everything from the first team that went to the state championship, they built the foundation for the guys that are playing right now. And they just want to keep that tradition going.”

The Razorbacks split their previous two appearances in the state championship. In 2020, Cross Creek lost to Woodward Academy 75-56 in the 4A championship. After being re-classified last year, the Razorbacks went on to beat Sandy Creek in the 3A state championship 57-49.

We had a shot at another all-CSRA state championship in 3A, but Thomson fell to a tough Windsor Forest team out of Savannah. Jahkias Jones went down with an eye injury in the third quarter and wasn’t able to return. Marcellus Brigham sat much of the third quarter with foul trouble, and the Knights were able to capitalize, ending the Bulldogs’ season.

“We didn’t have one of our bullets in the second half,” said Thomson head coach Michael Thomas. “If we had our other bullet, we’d probably still be playing.”

Cross Creek and Windsor Forest will meet in the title game Friday at 3:00 at the Macon Coliseum. The Razorbacks and Knights battled in a classic semi-final matchup last season, a game Cross Creek won with a Corey Trotter layup in the final seconds.

The Razorbacks are one of five teams representing the CSRA in Macon. Warren County plays in the A-Public championship Wednesday at 3pm. Butler and Westside meet in the 2A championship Thursday at 3pm. Grovetown plays in the 6A championship Friday at 7:30pm.