Devils qualify for State Tourney...
Blue Devils desparately defend against Catoosa late in GRPA 5th District Title game last Sunday.

DALTON, Georgia - The Summer Hill Blue Devils finished second at the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association Fifth District Tournament in Dalton last weekend.

The Blue Devils opened with an 84-82 victory over Smyrna 2 on a last-second layup by Michael Reynolds. The game was tied at 82 when Mike Linley dribbled upcourt and was forced to make an awkward pass to Reynolds. Reynolds drove the baseline and the ball left his hand just before the buzzer sounded and went through the net to send Summer Hill into the quarterfinals. Chris Morgan led the way with 21 points. Marcus Henderson followed with 14, Reynolds, Joe Hamilton and Linley had 12 apiece and Rod Ashmore tossed in 10.

In the quarterfinals, Summer Hill steamrolled Gordon County, 127-55, as Reynolds scored a stunning 66 points for the Blue Devils. He scored 32 in the first half as Summer Hill built a 66-28 lead by halftime and added 34 more points in the second half. Ashmore had 16, Henderson 14 and Demarcus James tossed in 12 in the romp.

The Blue Devils then mauled Calhoun 2, 107-56, in the semifinals. Calhoun 2 stayed with Summer Hill in the first quarter, but the Blue Devils outscored Calhoun 2, 38-12, in the second period to open up a 61-27 advantage heading into halftime. Jeff Croft paced the Blue Devils with 26 points, including hitting four straight 3-pointers during one stretch in the fourth quarter. Hamilton finished with 19, all coming in the first half. James had 16 and Ashmore chipped in 10 as all 11 Summer Hill players scored.

The championship game pitted Summer Hill against Catoosa County, which survived a 109-105 shootout with Rome ServPro in the other semifinal game. The Blue Devils led 36-25 with three minutes to go in the first half, but Catoosa closed with a 10-4 run to get back to within 40-35 at halftime. Holding a 50-41 lead midway through the third period, the bottom fell out for Summer Hill, as Catoosa County ripped off a 26-3 run to go up 67-53 early in the fourth quarter.

Summer Hill closed to within eight on two occasions and a layup by Reynolds with 1:40 to go brought the Blue Devils as close as 83-76. However, Summer Hill missed on two chances to trim the lead even more and Catoosa County hit its free throws down the stretch to win the championship, 91-84.

Even though the Blue Devils finished second, they still qualify for the GRPA State Tournament March 9-11 in Augusta.

The Blue Devils will face the District 1 runner-up in the first round March 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Henderson shoots FT vs Smyrna.... Reynolds hit 66 on Gordon.. Croft hits another trey vs Calhoun

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SUMMER HILL TOOK FRUSTRATIONS OUT ON SHAW-13 IN 96-POINT WIN...

Cartersville, GA (Feb. 28, 2007) - The Summer Hill Blue Devils were not happy with claiming the second place prize, after losing 91-84 to Catoosa County in the GRPA 5th District Tournament last weekend. They weren't happy with seeing their 17-game win streak snapped in that championship game. The weren't pleased with dropping a game to a team they feel they should not have lost to. With two games remaining on their City League schedule before going to the State Tournament, the Devils took the court on Wednesday night with a mission to execute from start to finish. Unfortunately for Shaw-13, they just happened to be the Devils next opponent. In what turned into their largest margin of victory ever, Summer Hill swamped Shaw 141-45.

Frustrations were released on Shaw, the last place team in the league, as every Devil player scored in the first half. Backed by Dee Henderson's offensive surge and combined seven threes by Linley, Croft and Morgan, the Devils rolled to a large 77-23 lead by half-time. The onslaught continued in the second half, with Mike Reynolds and DeMarcus James repeatedly receiving outlet passes from Marcus Henderson and Chris Jones. The Devils outscored Shaw 64-22 in the second stanza.

All nine Summer Hill players, who dressed for the game, scored double figures. Reynolds led the way with 24 points, while Henderson and Croft both finished with 20. Morgan and Linley each netted 17, James 15, Jones 12. Henderson and Marlow Simmons tallied 10 each. Jones recorded a triple-double, while also blocking 10 shots and pulling 10 rebounds. Marcus Henderson reached another double-double, as he pulled 13 boards. Dee Henderson's effort was his career high point-total.

The Devils moved to 31-6 on the year, and will play its final City League game next Wednesday against OLD, in preparation for the opening round of the GRPA State Tourney. The team will practice Sunday, Monday and Thursday, before facing the District 1 runner up next Friday night at 7:30pm at Diamond Lakes Park in Augusta.