Colquitt County boys basketball team finishes 10-10, has four on All-Region team
Published 11:31 am Monday, March 1, 2021
- Colquitt County’s Dijmon ‘Baby D' Wheeler (3) was named the Region 1-7A Defensive Player of the Year. Three other Packers were named to the All-Region team.
MOULTRIE – The 2020-2021 season was a difficult one for coach Tremaine Facison and his Colquitt County boys basketball team.
For much of the season, the Packers roster consisted of just nine players and the team lacked size (“We might have been the smallest team in 7A,” Facison said.). It was the victim of a COVID-19 quarantines that cut into practice and preparation time.
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Considering its limitations, “I think, this season we held our own.”
But when it went to Covington to play its first-round state tournament game, the team was without first-team All-Region selection, and primary ball-handler, Omar Daniels, a senior who had recently undergone shoulder surgery.
The result was an 82-32 loss to No. 2-ranked Newton that ended the season for the Packers, who finished 10-10.
“Losing Omar created a big void for us,” Facison said. “He played all season with a tear in that shoulder. I knew it. I’m just happy he’s OK now and he’ll be all right.”
But Facison says he enjoyed this year’s Packers because of how they played, despite their limitations.
“Some people were surprised at the season we had,” Facison said. “Not me. I know how we played.
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“I sincerely enjoyed coaching this group of kids. The best times I’ve had coaching have been with these kids.”
Among the team’s high points were a six-game winning streak early in the season, a home victory over Tift County and a first-round Region 1-7A tournament victory over Lowndes.
But the Packers were unable to build on the win over the Vikings and lost their second-round region tournament game by one point to Camden County.
“That one hurt worse than the loss to Newton,” Facison said.
The Packers placed four players on the All-Region 1-7A team, including Daniels and junior Dijmon “Baby D” Wheeler, who earned the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Senior Zy Brockington and junior Nathan Harden were named to the second team.
“To have four kids on the All-Region team is really a blessing,” Facison said.
Facison was especially pleased that Wheeler was recognized for his defensive ability.
Wheeler was charged much of the season with guarding the opposition’s top player.
Another blessing is that the Packers will have much more experience next season.
Facison will lose Daniels and Brockington, but will have Wheeler, Harden, Dy Williams, Montana Edwards and Ontavious Carolina returning.
Jakari Byrd, a 6-foot-3 eighth-grader, had a promising season this year and is expected to help the varsity next season.
“Next year, we’ll be so much better,” Facison said. “We’ll be more experienced, more seasoned.”
The rest of the All-Region boys team includes Tommy Blackshear, Tift County, Coach of the Year; Jatarion Warren, Tift County, Player of the Year; Eric Gaines, Camden County, Offensive Player of the Year.
The other first-team players are Jyamier Beckhom and Torrance Galmer, Tift County; Jarcqves Williams, Lowndes; and Aiden Olmstead, Camden County.
Joining Harden and Brockington on the second team are Tyler Parker adn Hezekiah Jackson, Tift County; Jalon Baker and JC Riley, Lowndes; and Amarion Jackson and Erick Powell, Camden County.
Of the four Region 1 teams that advanced to the playoffs, only Tift County has survived. The Blue Devils defeated South Gwinnett 54-49 in the first round and knocked off North Paulding 45-43 in the second round.
Tift will host to Berkmar in a quarterfinal game on Tuesday.
