Rashod Bateman

TIFTON — Tift County hosts Berkmar at 6 p.m. Thursday in the second round of the state Class AAAAAAA basketball tournament.

This is the round where their season ended a year ago and the Blue Devils won’t forget how it happened — a shot at the buzzer, a dagger in their hearts.

In the second round of last year’s state tournament, with less than one second to go, Justin Brown made a three-pointer for Milton and ended Tift’s year with a 56-54 loss.

The players won’t forget and neither will Dr. Eric Holland.

Holland replayed the video of the game-winning shot before the season and has been pumping his team up even further with photographs and articles about the game.

Tift is ready, Holland said.

“This group bounced back,” he said. “We worked all year to get back in the same position.”

Holland believes his team will win and move on to the quarterfinals, but knows it won’t come easy.

The Blue Devils are 25-2. Berkmar is 21-7, which includes two losses to Norcrogs and another to Newton.

Berkmar is led by the trio of Jay Estime, Al Durham and Zach Cooks.

Durham has committed to play for the Indiana Hoosiers.

In Berkmar’s opening round 69-51 victory over South Forsyth, Cooks led the way with 27 points. Durham scored 17 and Estime had 11 points.

Both Durham and Estime were first team all-region picks.

“Three really good guards,” said Holland.

He said Estime was one of the better shooters he has seen and Cooks was dynamic.

Holland said Berkmar’s offense varied by opponent. Sometimes they like to run and gun, but at other times they are more systematic.

Berkmar has not been beyond the quarterfinals since 2001, but for four years had quite a run.

The Patriots won two championships and was runner-up in that four-year span.

Tift made it into the second round with a 65-44 victory over Marietta, a game Micah Johnson led with 18 points. Fred Lloyd scored 14 points on 5-of-6 field goals and added four rebounds.

Preston Horne scored 12 points, collected four rebounds and blocked two shots. Montae Terrell just missed double-digits with nine points and led the team with three steals.

The squad’s fifth starter, Rashod Bateman, added four points.

Holland has asked fans to fill the gym.

“We need that gym to be rocking,” he said.

A victory would send Tift to their first quarterfinal since the state championship of 2014.

The next round will be a doozy for whoever advances, though.

This section of the bracket would match up this winner against either Westlake or Newton. Newton is considered the best team in the state, with stalwarts Westlake not far behind.