To win its sixth boys hoops state title, Myrtle Beach must beat two-time defending champs
Craig Martin’s plan is simple for the Myrtle Beach boys basketball team: make this weekend’s trip to Columbia as normal as possible.
The Seahawks (20-5) will take the court at Colonial Life Arena to compete for the S.C. Class 4A state championship against two-time defending state champions Ridge View. The task is formidable, but Myrtle Beach has a confidence that comes from playing a rigorous schedule and succeeding all season.
“We’ve prepared for this kind of game,” Martin said on Wednesday. “We know they have great length, size and speed; they’re very similar to some other teams we’ve played this season. It’s going to take a great effort by us to make sure we can crash the boards, play great defense, and make the most of the opportunities that are in front of us. If we can play our pace and our game, our guys will be comfortable.”
To keep his team focused on the task at hand, Martin said he hasn’t loaded up on game prep or scenarios on the hardwood. Instead, he’s made his team go back to the basics with the extended time to prepare for Saturday’s matchup.
“It’s different to have this much time between games, it’s something we really only see in the early season schedule where you’re scrimmaging and have some time between games,” he said. “The kids are ready to play because we’ve gone back to work on some fundamentals, so they want to get after it in a game situation.”
While Ridge View has a wealth of experience in state championship games, Myrtle Beach has to feel out the weekend and try to keep their routine as much as possible.
“Obviously, going into this game we’re considered the underdog,” Martin said. “They have a ton of experience playing in that game, with the facilities, and the expectation, but we’re just working to treat it like another game. We’ll try to keep it as close to a normal schedule as possible. We’ll eat as a team, have a shoot around, watch some of the games and then get on the floor and compete. That part is no different for us.”
Providing championship experience for Myrtle Beach are members of the football team, JJ Jones and Darius Hough, who played for a state championship just a few months ago at Williams-Brice Stadium.
“I have the same approach that I did in football,” Hough said. “We are showing up to win. We’re not going down there with the mindset that we just want to compete. We came up short in football, so I’m excited to have another opportunity to get a ring. It’s a great opportunity for us. At the end of the day, our mission is to win.”
To get to this point, Myrtle Beach has defeated Midland Valley 72-52, Colleton County 73-60, North Myrtle Beach 58-47 and A.C. Flora 68-59 in the playoffs.
Ridge View (22-8) eliminated Eastside, Daniel, Greenville and Wren, winning games by single-digit margins and 40-point blowouts. In the Upper State final, the Blazers faced a 19-point deficit before junior guards Cincere Scott and Tyler Rice took over.
“They have everything you want in a team, but we do too. It’s going to be a great matchup,” said Myrtle Beach guard James Marques. “We watch a lot of film and I’m looking to pick up on small things and tendencies that can be useful in the game. . . . We work hard and that’s what we’re going to do again this game.”
As the final contest on Saturday, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m., the winner of the Class 4A boys state championship will have the lasting image of a weekend of champions. Marques hopes to add another great memory to his senior season.
“It means a lot; I’ve been with most of these guys since I got to Myrtle Beach in the seventh grade,” he said. “We’re making a lot of memories, things that I’ll cherish for a long time. Putting on that uniform for the last time on Saturday is going to be one of those moments that really mean something to me. (The entire trip is) going to be some fun, we’re going to have a good time as a group. But, we know that we’re going there for a reason and that we’re going to have to lock in and be focused on the game.”
The Seahawks are trying to win their sixth boys basketball state title and first since 2008, and have never finished as a state runner-up.
Health measures
The South Carolina High School League is putting in place safeguards against the coronavirus, flu and cold as a way to help protect the health and safety of spectators at this weekend’s state championship games, according to a league press release.
The league is working in conjunction with Colonial Life Arena in Columbia to provide hand sanitizer throughout the venue, and will also regularly sanitize bathrooms and have health professionals on site throughout the event.
“The administration and athletic staff at our member schools are well versed in the precautionary measures being taken across the state to prevent the spread of the COVID-19,” SCHSL Commissioner Jerome Singleton said in the release. “We are circling back over each health and sanitary step in place at the arena to keep everyone from harm’s way.”