Georgia Public Broadcasting presents the American Association of Adopted Sports Programs 2005 Georgia Wheelchair Basketball Championship.

Funding for this broadcast is made possible by sloppy and sad attorneys at Long Desk medical supply and by plumbers and pipefitters.

Local 72 Every day from the arena at Gwinnett Center.

It's the 2005 wheelchair basketball championship featuring the Macon Bears and the Wolfpack of Atlanta.

And hello again, everybody, and welcome.

I'm Jim Tanaka.

For the second year in a row, the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs and the Georgia High School Association have come together to bring you this championship game on.

Georgia Public Broadcasting should be a good one.

The defending state champions from Macon against the undefeated wolfpack of Atlanta.

We go now to the trio court side to call this one, Dave Gardner, Herb White and Leslie Sweat.

All right.

Thanks, Jim.

I'm here with a pair of folks that know a little something about basketball in the state of Georgia.

The elevator from the Carter himself, Mr. Herb White.

And next to me here from the adaptive sports programs is Miss Leslie Sweetman.

And guys, I'm looking forward to a great game here today.

Leslie, we'll start with you.

Last year you did such a great job in really educating us about wheelchair basketball, and I'm looking forward to more of the same this year.

Well, thanks.

It was a lot of fun last year.

It will be again this year.

We're looking forward to a really, really good game between these two teams.

It's going to be a lot of fun.

Of course, Herb, the American Bears, the defending champs, as Jim said, up top, they're back again to defend that title.

Yeah, we remember the Macon Bears great ball game last year in the first televised wheelchair championship.

They're led by a very, very strong player.

And we're going to have some more great action here today because the Atlanta Wolfpack is undefeated.

There's the gentleman I was talking about, Tommy Gray.

We remember him from last year's game.

He dominated inside very, very strong player, Tommy Gray.

Of course, playing in a lot of different sports as well.

Very active.

But the other guys have certainly pulled him through this year.

As we take a look at the starting five for the defending state champion Macon Bears there.

And again, they are pretty loaded.

Got a good a good lineup there.

Again, the five on the floor for the Bears and certainly going to be a very, very fun matchup to watch here today.

Tommy Gray, Jennifer Kinard, are we saw a little bit last year.

Danielle Duncan has certainly been a a great athlete as well.

And talking a little bit about the Atlanta Wolfpack, they come in here undefeated at six and Leslie, I know you know, a little something about these guys as well.

They have really shot the ball well this year.

They really have.

And they are so young Is what scary about them?

I don't think they don't have a senior on the squad.

They do have a junior.

But other than that, we're looking at eight the ninth graders out there.

Unbelievable.

A lot of athletes.

Here you go.

One of the young guys you're talking about, just a freshman, Rafael Rodriguez, averaging 13.6 points a game, getting it done for the Atlanta Wolfpack.

Of course, the Rodriguez, they're attending a tri high and is certainly made an impact on wheelchair basketball here in the state of Georgia.

And they're also loaded very young team.

But again, you've got you've got Reece Johnson.

You've got, of course, Rodriguez, as we talked about, Tompkins, McFarland, Rice as well.

And they are loaded a lot of younger folks, seventh and eighth graders, a lot of middle schools on the team, players on the team there.

But nonetheless, a very fun afternoon of wheelchair basketball set to take place here today and certainly excited about it.

I hope you guys are excited about it, too, and I hope the viewing audience is as well.

Let's go and throw it down to the floor.

Tapia ANNOUNCER Mr. Patrick Cusick from Atlanta's Varsity champions, The Making Bears.

They are representing Bibb County schools, and they are number 32.

Senior Danielle Duncan, Number 12 senior Tommy Gray, Number 33, Edward Hill, Number ten, Antonio Jackson.

Number 14.

Jennifer Canard number 15.

Sophomore Ebony Merritt is number 34.

Freshman Matthew Wing Go.

And number 23, junior Joshua writes, The head coach of the Bears is Glynn Watkins with assistant coach and former Macon Bear Jarvis.

Emory, undefeated this season wearing white.

Your home team is the Atlanta Wolfpack.

They are representing Atlanta public schools and they are number 24.

Gustavus Denson, number 11, Rodriguez Griggs, number 21.

Reece Johnson, number 33.

Freshman Emmanuel McFarland.

Number 22.

Freshman Timothy Peake.

Number 23.

Junior.

David Chris Rice Number 35.

Freshman Rafael Rodriguez.

And number 34, freshman Dominique Tompkins, the head coach of the Wolfpack, is only Lawson with assistant coach Marlow.

We use your referees for today's games certified by the American Associated Association of Adapted Sports programs are Ken Gordon, Anthony White and Christi Joe Scott Making Bears and Atlanta Wolfpack.

When we return for the GHC for the AFC wheelchair championship that not yet is set to go here at the arena at Gwinnett Center.

Let's go down courtside to the other member of our team today, Gerald Oliveira.

What's going on?

Thanks a lot, Dave.

Now, although this is our second year broadcasting the wheelchair basketball championships, a lot of people are still unaware of what the greatest challenges for these kids are.

It's not preparing and playing for the game is actually education in awareness of their sport, and that's why this broadcast is so important.

We're here to educate their peers, parents and potential employers and show them what these kids can do.

And Dave is I'm pretty sure you'll cosign.

We guarantee that after you watch this broadcast, you will see these kids differently after it's over.

Back over to you, Dave.

All right.

I definitely agree with that and look forward to talking to you today, Gerald, and looking forward to the insight there as we get set to go tip off at mid-court.

Dave Gardner, along with Herb Wine and Leslie Sweetman, as you see our officials for today, Ken Gordon, Anthony White and Kristy Jones manning the floor today.

And they'll be calling the finals, as you see, Tommy great breaking open in the lane right at the opening tip bucket, just off the mark there and Gray working for the rebound, but it will go to two Number 15, EBONY Meredith from the starting line up today right back into the hands of gray he puts it home and just like that guys to make it bears are on the board.

Well Tommy Gray had two wide open Sometimes that's tougher to make.

And then he had somebody in his face and he made his first shot there.

And Leslie, as we get into this game, you really kind of want to do what we did last year a little bit and describe some of the rules, because some of it is the same as the say, but some of it is different.

And so we certainly want to kind of educate folks.

The main thing, I guess, is basically via time, you have those six, eight minute periods with a running clock that's right.

And the reasoning behind that is that in our league we don't have anybody who completely sets the bench.

Every player is required to play at least one full period per half.

So that is that is a major difference.

But other than that, you don't see you really recognize this is the able bodied version of the sport.

When you see it, there aren't too many other major rule differences.

Raphael Rodriguez, number 35, the freshman from Tri-Cities High School.

With the basketball right now dribbling around the perimeter, but ruling out the traveling situation as far as the of the two pushes in the in the chute rule.

That's right.

A travel and wheelchair ball is two pushes on the hand rims and a dribble or pass if you take a third push then that's your travel right there.

And there we see an infraction on one of the rules.

It's a little different right there for second call.

You don't see many three second calls in basketball anymore.

We see a four second call there in the wheelchair game.

Yeah.

Even having one wheel of your chair, breaking the playing of that line, you're touching that line and you're in the lane.

And sometimes it gets a little tricky out there.

Ten wheelchairs is a lot for the small area, so you can get trapped in that lane and that's where you see most of the violations.

Well, it looks like they're a little tougher on these guys and they are on the college and high school players.

I see.

Because I can't remember seeing a three second call all year.

Danielle Duncan driving the length of the court right there with the shot off the mix of all back to the Wolfpack.

Rodriguez in the backcourt there, a little bit of pressure.

They've got their 10 seconds to get the ball over half court just like you're used to seeing making bears.

You're right.

They're put in full court pressure on Dave and it's like Atlanta may not have the ball handling that we've seen out of some of the teams in the playoffs.

And that may be what Macon is opening up with the press.

There's a little bit too late arriving to the game here today.

You got to wonder if maybe they were just signing the Wolfpack out there a little bit.

There's a shot right there by Gray, who has the first two buckets here for the Macon Bears.

Well, being the veterans on the floor there, they are a little more comfortable.

They've been here once before.

And this Atlanta team is so young, this might take them a little while to find the rhythm.

But I believe they will.

Chris Johnson with the basketball, He is certainly a fun guy to watch, averaging around 14 points a game.

They're just an eighth grader there.

You're right.

When you talk about young, they have 1/11 greater on the team.

Nobody else over the ninth grade.

So maybe a dynasty in the making here for the Atlanta Wolfpack.

Nice pass inside to Chris Rice lost the handle on it and back to the Bears it goes And Atlanta also drawing the full court pressure here.

Both teams pressing the issue again, Gray with the basketball to make and bears averaging a little over 20 points a game offensively defensively giving up right around 19.

So they've had a lot of close games this year.

Great shot off the mark there follows his own rebound gives it up Johnny another opportunity right there Knocks it home Nice job right there by Danielle Duncan.

Yeah nice pass from Tommy Gray there Off the rebound Duncan from West Side High School a senior one of the rare seniors on the floor today for either team and it looks like we have a time out on the floor are going to be called by the Atlanta Wolfpack as we mentioned, guys, Atlanta with a great offense, averaging over 33 points a game, as you see a replay of that last bucket, the nice dish from Tommy.

Great off there.

He gets the rebound and one more time and he sticks it in that time And the wolfpack call an early timeout and I think you're right Leslie it's probably a little bit of jitters in their first game out because these kids are so very young.

They see the cameras are playing in a huge arena here.

So Coach Glen Watkins trying to get them calmed down because they are a very good offensive team and they hadn't put up a bucket yet.

Yeah, they are.

And they need to be calmed down a little bit.

You know, they're also going up against, you know, obviously they're defending champs and that's tough stuff.

Call for younger Tommy Gray, Very definitely a very strong senior player and he's only played two ballgames for the Macon Bears this year.

I believe the last two ballgames cause time is involved in a lot of sports.

He played wrestles in the GHC High School Association, did very well in that and also plays football, I believe.

Tony Lawson, the head coach seventh year with the adaptive sports programs there, and Coach Lawson doing a great job with the Wolfpack this year under feed it at six and home.

So after the Wolfpack timeout the ball back in bounds and Atlanta trying to work it but once again a little bit of traffic in the back court here.

They're going to be up against that ten second call again, counting the seconds away.

They're making good on the pressure and since that second call right there.

So back the other way ball back to the Macon Bears and the Wolfpack trying to get in a little bit of a rhythm right now.

Again, pretty much leading the league in offense this year but struggling so far here in the first few minutes.

That's tough to score if you don't close half court.

That's for sure.

Dave.

With everything you get, it'll be a three pointer.

Yeah.

Duncan Back on the other end, dribbling for Macon and the ball taken away and back into the hands of Duncan and see Duncan working at being guarded by Reece Johnson Johnson, an eighth grader from Brown Middle School on the floor about another fellow go three, go by the number you saw on the floor there.

It looks like a number of may have fallen off of a chair.

I believe they'll bring it in from the ACA head court.

That's one of the few stoppages in play that you'll have with that running clock.

They stop it on free throws and of course, the injuries in timeouts and things like that and that one dribble away from Joshua.

Right.

So back to the Wolfpack, no zone defense too, which is still a that's a little bit different as well.

So these teams really manning up against each other today Here they have 245 left in the opening period.

As you see Coach Watkins looking in nine seasons with ESP go, go and Coach Watkins, it's like he did a little scouting in advance for this fall game.

I see that he doesn't want the Wolfpack to get down into scoring position because they are dangerous once they get down there and that was shot right there by Tommy Gray.

He's got six points, as is from the Bears, a little bit late arriving, but they obviously came ready to play.

They've jumped out, scored the first eight points of the game and that one taken away by Gray.

Nice give right there to Duncan, who has the open shot just off the mark.

He follows their own shot taken away by Dominic Tompkins.

Play with it right back and that one waved off and got another four second quarter.

And if you watch every time the Atlanta Wolfpack, as soon as they get the ball in play, whoever sees it is double teamed immediately.

So they're having a very, very tough time getting out of that corner.

There you see it right now.

A little bit of pressure once again, nice, nice ball handling right there.

Boris Johnson tries to keep it alive there right along the line.

Chris Rice had it momentarily, then knocked away and into the hands of the bears.

Once again, Tommy Gray feeds it inside.

Nice looking pass right there, having Meredith look at Tommy Gray with a great court vision, made that pass from out down the head of the key, down under the basket for the bucket.

And who gets lost is going to have to make an adjustment.

There you see it.

Nice look, Meredith, with a 3.8 GPA, as you see another shot at it here underneath the basket.

No hesitation there at all.

Fired it right up Nice touch is al cerrado and I'm old broadcast but used to say a lot of iron here under a minute left here this opening period moving right along from the arena Gwinnett Center Coach Lawson is going to have to station somebody near half quarter past and maybe just trying to go with a long pass just to get the ball past half court evidently have not seen pressure like this in the back court have got to you'll notice that the line up on the left, the shooting of the of the free throws a little bit different.

Tommy Gray as the shooter can have his front two casters over that line as long as his rear wheels do not touch the line.

It's considered legal.

And you see Gray's numbers this year, as we mentioned, averaging just over 13 points a game in the two games that he's played this year.

And it's also the same two, Leslie, for the three point shot.

As long as those back wheels are behind, you can have the front casters ahead of the line.

That's that's right.

This the A founded in 1996 as America's first interscholastic scholastic governing body for students with physical or visual impairments.

Man, this program has meant so much to so many of these athletes on the floor right here play a lot of soccer, play a lot of track.

And of course, whoops, got off the match right there.

The look back, I'm able to get it to go scoreless so far here in this very first period as Tommy Gray dribbles back the other way.

Now, Gray with a very baseline shot right there, hits him.

Tommy Gray with eight points here in this first quarter, puts the Macon Bears out by a dozen.

Tommy Gray, not a guy you can leave alone on the fast break.

When he's got the ball, he can pass it.

But you definitely don't want to give him that shot from the baseline.

5 seconds left.

Reese Johnson works it across midcourt, throws it up at the buzzer, just short in the neighborhood right there.

And that'll do it for a period Number one end of the first period make it up by 12 over the Atlanta Wolfpack but still plenty of hoops here left.

We'll be right back.

They've got a Herb Wyatt with you along with Leslie Sweatband and Gerald Oliveira.

Courtside today, it's the Georgia Wheelchair Basketball Championships right here on GPB, the Atlanta Wolfpack, undefeated at six and but trailing by a dozen against the defending state champion Macon Bears.

Still a lot of hoops here as we open up, period.

Number two, Chris Johnson of the Wolfpack dribbling puts up a shot from outside off the glass, good looking shot right here.

And that gets the Wolfpack on the board.

Nice use of the glass there.

And we tell you how much Tommy Gray means to this team.

These two teams played earlier in the year and the Atlanta Wolfpack beat the Macon Bears 4220.

And now Tommy Gray back in the lineup for the for the Macon Bears.

And he has eight of their first 12 points.

So he makes the difference for this team.

He saw that last shot, a good looking shot by Johnson.

But Gray quickly down the floor for the Bears as they stay on the attack.

Still up by ten here.

But the wolfpack trying to cut it down to single digits.

And Leslie, a lot of action here in this first half.

Both teams up and down the floor.

Yes.

And anybody who is maybe catching this for the first time are called up for the first time last year, is interested would like some more information.

Visit our website at WW W a.k.a a sports triple area sports and urge everyone to check that out.

There been a lot of hard work within the organization.

I know you're honored to be a part of it.

We're honored to be a part of it here at GPB to have this brought to television here in a very competitive game.

And I'm really looking forward to seeing these two teams because as Herb just mentioned, you got that Tommy great factor, of course, for the Macon Bears, but the Wolfpack really handling these guys during the regular season.

So it could really go either way.

Yeah, I'm surprised that Macon's jumped out by quite this much on this Atlanta team.

I think he's just got to get over their jitters and forget about the cameras and and play their game or do a little better.

And I notice whenever the one of the Wolfpack has the ball and Tommy Gray approaches them, they get rid of it.

They show him a lot of respect.

And again, and I think it's that age factor and the experience, a lot of it, he's kind of an intimidating player for somebody in the ninth grade.

And that's one of the things about getting more kids to participate.

Leslie, you've got one kid as young as a fifth grader out here playing with these guys.

And of course, a lot of seventh graders and eighth graders.

So the more kids who participate, that's going to allow maybe more leagues to develop and kids to participate against more kids their own age and size.

That's right.

And we've also got a what would be the equivalent of a junior varsity division within ASP that you're not seeing here today.

This is more like our varsity.

We call them A and B divisions because we don't have a we don't have a specific age cutoff like you do in varsity and junior varsity due to the population.

And then, you know, you might not be able to make up a team if they have to be over 13 or under 13, what have you.

More the level of play in which league you're playing.

That's right.

And you look at the team as a whole.

So you could have Tommy Gray on a team with a bunch of much smaller, younger kids and you might still play in this division.

Great shot off the mark there.

You saw Danielle Duncan shot a while ago by the bears that put them back up by a does and gray with another opportunity but unable to hit that time he just padden his rebound in stature.

I know how to do that when you're all alone you miss a couple and stick them back.

Leslie You might want to explain some of the foul stick because you do have a lot of the traditional basketball fouls, but you also have the waterfall personal advantage fouls as well.

That's true.

A personal advantage foul is when a player uses his lower body, his legs to lift and get some sort of an unfair advantage over his opponent.

And because this sport was invented by and for people who were coming back from from the wars, missing limbs or paraplegics, it's not fair to use your legs in the sport for you to do that.

They are going to be called on.

Danielle Duncan, little contact right there.

That'll be her first and the team's second.

Reese Johnson will be taking the ball out.

You watch him in the full court.

He's got quite a crossover move there as he's bringing the ball up the floor, shot off the mark by Timothy Peach and then knocked away from Dre in the backcourt there by Johnson.

As I said, we'll stay with the Bears here.

The Wolfpack with the highest scoring season in the league.

The American Bears still in control of it, missing a couple times on that trip.

But a nice job right there by Danielle Duncan.

Good hustle to keep that ball inbounds.

Puts up a shot little too strong there.

The other way, Raphael Rodriguez is open.

Rodriguez only puts up the shot and just misses off the side of the iron.

And we had a great outlet pass by Richardson.

No, look over the head outlet pass and Rafa couldn't quite get the layup.

Then Danielle Duncan back on the other end fires it from long range Rodriguez Griggs with the rebound and Johnson back the other way here and a foul going to be called on Edward Hill Jr and got a blocking call there You'll have chair fouls and wheelchair ball and of course you don't have an able bodied ball and there's of course a legal illegal block.

An illegal and charging is the same but you've also got hooking and holding, which are a little different.

Boris Johnson With the basketball right here, had 20 points in a game earlier this season.

So he is capable of throwing it up from anywhere on the floor and having a big night here and very capable of getting the Wolfpack back into this thing.

Absolutely.

Nice pass right there inside to Timothy Peake who knocks down the shot.

Pick a freshman from North View High School.

All this Wolfpack team got a lot of basketball in front of them, that's for sure.

If they stay together to see another look at it right here, the pass from Johnson inside there and Pete right off the glass and turnover back on the other end here.

Rodriguez the pass a little too tall and he's unable to get to it right there.

But a good effort by Rafael to try to hunt that ball down.

RODRIGUEZ Very impressive.

Two averaging over 13 and a half points a game this year as a freshman.

You mentioned from Tri-City, you see his teammate, Reece Johnson.

Also goes to 14 points a game and just an eighth grader.

Seeing, as you mentioned, Herb, a lot of a lot of middle schoolers and a lot of younger high school kids are going to be around a while.

And that makes the Wolfpack really tough when you can't concentrate on one player.

And that's why they've been able to go undefeated through this season.

A little discussion right here along the baseline possession will stay with the wolfpack.

It looks like you know Duncan not happy with the call and whether Danielle was on the court or not.

If she was partially on the court and that ball hit her, then that's a good class, A great takes on the way right there.

And the outlet look at Danielle Duncan on the receiving end of the pass across midcourt puts up the shot off the glass just missing gets her own shot back though and keeps it alive and knocked away by Rodriguez.

It looks like he touched it last so it will stay with the make it bears in purple today.

Well that bank shot from head on is tough when you're standing still, let alone on the fly on a chair.

So and Danielle Duncan, quite a player I remember her from last year in the making Barry victory.

She really can motor that chair and get up and down the floor Very active here in this first half so far.

Johnny Gray up off the glass right there with another bucket.

He's got ten points.

So gray in double figures here with a minute and a half left here and period.

Number two, Tommy Gray, a guy who will be competing at the next level next year.

Is that correct, Leslie?

That's correct.

He's got an academic scholarship, so he'll be going to play wheelchair basketball.

And I believe he's going to try to be a walk on for the football team as well.

Nice pass by Rodriguez inside there, shot off the mark.

Johnson couldn't quite get it to go.

And now Gray back on the other end feeds Duncan once again another open look right here and a little short That time may have lost the grip on that one.

It looked like a little bit.

Well, the Wolfpack can ill afford to miss those wide open shots as they try to climb back into this ballgame under a minute left here.

And period number two, again, three periods make up the first half, three, eight minute periods right at the half.

Yet Johnson dribbling nice bounce pass into pique once again Shaq short this time on the ground there with it and foul going to be called on Johnson and we talk a lot about the athletic achievements that these young men and women but when you look at the academic achievements, a lot of 3.0 GPAs, Rafael Rodriguez with a 3.5, a 3.8 for Ebony Meredith, as you see the field goal picture eight of 21 for Macon, just two of ten for the Wolfpack.

The Danielle Duncan is also going to college on a scholarship and academic scholarship.

So that's it for a period.

Number two is time runs out.

It's the Macon Bears who lead at 6 to 4 in the Georgia wheelchair basketball championship.

We'll step aside, be right back here in number three.

Coming up from the Arena here at the arena at Gwinnett Center, the accuser, high cheerleaders in the house here, the Accuser High School volunteers inside the arena here, as you see the cheerleaders and the Macon Bears and captains, Hannah Cochrane, as you see coaches Jody Knapp and Maria McGuire for the American Bears there, and also a set of cheerleaders here rooting on the Atlanta Wolfpack as well.

And back to action here.

They've gone are here with you, along with Leslie Sweetman and Gerald Oliveira.

Courtside with us here as we open up, period.

Number three, the final period here in this first half.

And it's been very it's been back and forth, although the Macon Bears have really established some offense here, they need it 6 to 4 kind of a surprise.

We expected the Wolfpack to put up some points for sure, but they've missed four or five relatively shots I'm sure that they would normally make.

But again, a little different atmosphere out here in their first game on television in a big arena.

Nice look, a shot right there by the Macon Bears in Macon, Ga. With a couple of substitute players into the ballgame, Ebony Meredith, number 15 and Matthew Wingo, number 34, seeing some action.

Joshua Wright with that last bucket and you see it right there.

And of course, the Wolfpack back the other way.

And I know we talk a lot about Tom A-grade.

This team is certainly a lot more than Tommy.

Great, but he's really playing unselfishly here today.

A lot of the bears are really getting involved for different bears in the scorebook so far.

And another ten second violation, as we mentioned, Rafael Rodriguez, you saw him right there in the picture, 3.5 GPA averaging 13.6 points a year for the Wolfpack.

Certainly going to have to step it up offensively to try to get back in it here as the bears establish that there's Eddie Meredith shot wasn't quite though foul by Duncan is off the mark still kept alive though Gray will draw the foul got a hack on the shot there it looked like it was number 21 Reece Johnson that got Tommy Gray Miami.

Rafael Rodriguez called for the inside, basically allowed five fouls.

And of course, this year, the one of the changes from last year, instead of shooting a one on one at five fouls, is now at the traditional seven.

I guess that was a rule change in the off season to bring us back in line with the GHC rules.

Yes, just a shot for the first Poitier officials for the wheelchair basketball a.S.A.P come from they come from the normal officials leagues and take special training.

Or is it right from the start some some are GHC officials or have experienced officiating in other areas.

Some are just community folks who have an interest.

A lot of people from the school systems and whatnot that we find we bring them in and train them and give them everything that they need to go out and start calling the games.

You've got three real fine officials on the floor right here today and two from school systems.

One is a community.

So just as you are always looking for, more folks participate in the program, I assume more officials, anybody.

Is Instagram becoming an official?

Just needs to get in touch with you guys.

Absolutely.

They can get us to that website we mentioned before with your study a WW dot a sport that we'll get in touch with them and find out, find their information, let them know when the next training is and get them involved in that way.

Now, we've looked at the numbers now across the state and we know that we could easily grow this program.

We could double it with the number in terms of the population that we have in the state is eligible to participate.

So somebody out there in the local community sees this and thinks this would be a great program to have in their community.

That's something that we can be made to happen.

NBL Duncan on the other end, off the glass right there follows Tanya Griffith.

Alana was one of two.

They're a while ago.

The tie not going to be called by coach only Lawson as we see it again, Daniel Duncan very active in this first half.

She's got six points now.

Well, it's Friday.

The banks are open and Danielle's taking advantage of it.

She's wearing it out.

She's a senior.

This is her big show.

She's talk about the experience.

There's we talked about the a senior from West Side High School.

You see her numbers six points, two of three from the line here today.

And the senior playing her final prep game right here.

And wanting to go out big.

And so far, the Bears have jumped out big 21 to 4 541 left here, close the loss and really intense over there trying to get her young squad together.

Got to feel and we're going to see a lot more of this Atlanta wolfpack in the years to come.

As we've mentioned a couple of times, the oldest player on the team is just a junior in high school.

Nobody else over the ninth grade and going down to his youngest, the eighth grade on this ballclub.

Now you see Coach Glen Watkins of the Bears, nine years as coach.

And of course, Macon winning the championship last year, finally getting over that hurdle called the Clayton Eagles, who had been a nemesis to those guys for several years, have been the one team that kept them out of this game.

They finally got them last year in the championship and hoping to make it two in a row.

They've I thought maybe we had the Temptations here to sing the opening anthem.

When I saw Coach Watkins and Coach Embry over there in their white suits that definitely dressed up to maybe receive a trophy and got the team colors on to the purple shirts underneath there.

Raphael Rodriguez trying to follow their shot to strong out of bounds and back to making Yeah those guys I wonder if there's a story they wanted to put Gerald on that find out that these guys obviously coordinated today a little bit Good luck suits I guess.

I guess they're brave wearing those white suits around these wheelchairs pass intercepted right into the basket.

Boris Johnson trying to get a shot off.

He get that wonderful Rafael Rodriguez having a really tough ball game at Everton, 13 and a half points.

Again, you know, he makes a lot of those that he's missing so far today.

Move that ball back the other way.

Now to the work.

I see Coach Watkins decked out.

They're having fun, too.

And that's what it's all about.

It's a good crowd on hand as well.

They've got the signs up, a lot of banners around the arena here at Gwinnett Center with both of these teams, with the cheering section on hand here.

Of course, as we mentioned, the accused of high volunteer cheerleaders in the house here as well, helping out.

Coming up later today, Calhoun County and Terrell County in the class-A girls championship game, followed by the class AA boys game a little bit later on today, all the way through triple-A boys action.

Well, count them down as championship weekend rolls on right here on GPB Hill.

We had a walking call there.

Leslie was too many pushes before he touched the ball, tap the ball out in front of him to catch up to it.

But it took three pushes to get under it.

And he got the traveling grease.

Johnson's going to break away.

Johnson in the lane puts up the shot too strong off the glass there the follow.

All right.

Go in and out of there.

And we've seen a few of those today.

It's like there's a lid on the bucket for the Wolfpack here in this first half, just unable to really get any kind of rhythm going offensively.

Joshua Wright Meanwhile, on the other end puts it in there.

Well, the good news for the Wolfpack, Dave, is they're getting a lot more shots in this quarter.

But the bad news is they're still not following right.

His second field goal of the game here, as you see them back on the other end, they're rattled at home by the reaction from the Macon beer crowd in the house here today.

They were back.

On the other hand, Reece Johnson knocks down a bucket.

Quigley There as the Wolfpack got the ball across midcourt there.

Johnson with his second field goal Nice athletic shot there moving away from the basket.

Reece Johnson able to make it home early on the great quickly back down on the other end there being guarded by Rodriguez a fun matchup to watch here today Great inside to strong Ebony Meredith takes it out of the air, kicks it back to Wright who puts up the shot off the front of the eye.

No good.

And now hustle for the ball.

Matthew Wingo trying to get over there, but Gray will get it.

that.

We all went right on the line, though.

And it goes right back to the Wolfpack.

What a competitor.

Tommy Gray doesn't want to concede anything.

Player substitutions.

Now it looks like Jennifer Kinard will return to the line up there.

It looks like we're also going to see Antonio Jackson.

And here is this might be the story of the game right here.

A fifth grader from Rosa Taylor Elementary School into the lineup right here and contributing in a mano a mano man.

Jennifer Kennard also saw action in last year's championship game.

Take the floor.

It's fun to watch the older making players, Danielle and Tommy, work with these young kids.

You'll see them out there giving them direction, telling them where they want them to be, sometimes giving them a helpful little push in that direction, which is illegal.

Just rice with ball movement right here kicks it over, got off the mark there from Johnson, but fights for the ball, gets it back there it kicks it inside to Rodriguez follows his own shot and in and out of there again and the follow is there though by Johnson you can see a little more of that.

The Wolfpack starting to pick it up here a little bit.

They trail 23 to 8 as we take another look at that one right there.

I feel this and we have followers.

We're going to put that Tommy, great.

Quickly back down on the other end there and a whistle.

Hey, boy, wonder.

Tough to get yourself to go over and pull in front of Tommy Gray when he's on the breakaway on that full court.

On the full court maneuver.

Takes a brave soul.

He's got some speed up and some power foul on Chris Rice.

He's been a member of Team Holyfield for a couple of years from Banneker High School.

As you see, Jennifer kind of countered by freshman at William Hutchison Career Center, high shot Tommy, great again at the line there, one of two on his first trip.

we'll have one more to see Gray's numbers right there, 11 points and 11 rebounds here.

So a busy first half by minute, 26 here to go before the break and a second free throw rattles off the rim.

They're so empty on that trip and back, the Wolfpack, Chris Johnson once again works it ahead to Rodriguez Parker and a foul on Rodriguez.

It's one of the things you'll see is some some of that picking the defense tries to or even the offense will try to keep the best defensive player You'll see Rafael and Reese both trying to keep Tommy in the back in the back court when they can.

Now, they didn't need that one win.

Rodriguez has already broken free.

I don't think Tommy Gray could have caught him, but the official decided he was going to make the call anyway.

Danielle Duncan Morgan being guarded by Rodriguez.

Duncan throws up a shot.

Going to be a little short there and under a minute and roll in here, get a continuous clock except for timeouts and free throws.

Maybe just enough time here for the Wolfpack to work it back down the floor here and possibly cut into that lead right before the break.

Johnson moving it, guarded by Duncan on the other end here under 30, Rodriguez stopped the glass.

No good policies on shot up and in and again nice ball hand Boris Johnson to take the ball up the floor with the crossover dribbles and set up Rodriguez for the shot and that's the first bucket of the day for Rafael as an inch and averaging close to 14 points a game as you see it right here.

Missed it, but stayed with it and put it home.

3 seconds left and it looks like we've got a whistle just prior to the final horn here with 1.1 showing on the pretty good run by the Atlanta Wolfpack the last four or 5 minutes to get back in this ballgame.

And if Rodriguez can follow up now, they've broken the ice.

They can make a ballgame out of this second foul going to be on Rice's second.

And that will put Daniel Duncan at the line here.

And you see Duncan's numbers, six points and five rebounds today for the senior from West Side High School, really for a shoot, rebound one on one situation right there.

This is the first one out of bounds.

So back to the Wolfpack here, just a tip left on the clock.

They're going to get threes Johnson will inbound it over long outlet pass downcourt there and it's back of course will not run until somebody touches it No one able to catch up to it so now the bears will take it out under their own basket.

So an interesting situation right here.

A chance for one final shot right before the break.

Good news for the Wolfpack is Tommy Graves over on the bench right now, Ebony Meredith to inbound it.

You got to think they're probably looking to number 32 and they are right there.

But it's taken away by Rodriguez, who plays good defense.

And that'll do it for the first half of play in this Georgia wheelchair basketball championship from the arena at Gwinnett Center, an exciting first half to went back and forth.

But it's the Macon Bears who have put together the offense there, as you see Antonio Jackson into the lineup for the Bears in that first half and what a half it was indeed, for the Bears.

Let's go ahead, throw it on down to Gerald Oliveira.

Thanks a lot, Dave.

Now, the Wolfpack is a high scoring team.

How have you been able to contain them so well?

We had a constant team defense and we have been getting out on the fastbreak and keeping the ball.

You can't school without the ball.

Talk about the play of Danielle Duncan and Tommy.

Great.

They are my two seniors and they are very excellent players and they are really on the money and they move in real quick out there and they're on rebound and everything.

Now your team is playing exceptionally sharp, but not as sharp as is suit man.

Talk about the coordination going on here with you and your assist.

Well, we just kind of it just kind of happened.

I picked up a suit.

He picked up a suit and we didn't happen to beat his way.

All right.

Well, good luck in the second half.

Back over to you, Dave.

All right.

Glen Watkins in the house here has the making bears ahead.

They lead it 23 to 10.

We've reached the half here at the Arena Gwinnett Center, 23 to 10.

Our halftime score.

The Macon Bears lead it over the Atlanta Wolfpack in the Georgia wheelchair basketball championships.

Now to Jim Janaki, who's standing by with some special guest.

I thank you, Dave, and welcome to the halftime show here, Making Bears League at 23 to 10.

Joining me is the president and CEO of American Association of Debt Adaptive Sports Programs.

Bevan Bev, welcome to the broadcast.

Thank you so much.

Great to be here today.

Okay.

And also joining me is Dr. Ralph Swearingen, the executive director of the Georgia High School Association.

Good to see you again, doc.

Thank you.

Always good to be with you.

Okay.

The HSA and the acronym ASP, the alliance has been a successful one so far.

Very much so.

And I think that the is really exciting about it is the fact that we all believe we've just begun to scratch the surface of what we could be doing, and it's going to have to increase the awareness of a lot of our student athletes that our disabled students across the state to know these opportunities exist.

And when they want to play, then Bev and her group are going to tell us what they have available for the people to play.

That's great.

And you guys are trained in the track and field to write this.

Yes, This will be our third year for track and field.

We have two races, the 200 meter and the 800 meter wheelchair races.

And then we have two divisions of Shotput wheelchair shotput.

And the numbers are starting to grow and we're just really excited about it.

That's great.

Bev I tell you, you know, you guys have some exciting programs for the kids out there.

You know, we've covered a couple of them on prep sports, plus you've got many sports that you cover.

We do.

In addition to wheelchair basketball, we have wheelchair soccer, wheelchair hockey.

We have a sport for the visually impaired students called beat.

But baseball and we're introducing a new sport this spring, wheelchair football.

So that should be very exciting.

The kids and parents and schools are very excited about our new sport.

We've totally integrated our track and program with the Georgia High School Association and we just like to say thanks to thanks to GHC.

And there I think you can see a little bit of our wheelchair soccer program that's offered in the fall.

And a lot of the students that participate in these sports participate in them throughout the school year.

So it's been a great alliance working with Georgia High School Association and we're thrilled to be here today.

We commend City of Atlanta School District and the Bibb County School District for stepping forward and working with us to make sure their students with disabilities have these opportunities.

And we just really want to see equitable opportunity for these students.

We have a couple of seniors here today that have been awarded one, an athletic scholarship and won an academic scholarship.

So it's just tremendous benefit.

So here we have hockey.

We are actually showing the wheelchair hockey that right that aired, I think last weekend.

And this is a sport exclusively for students in power wheelchairs.

And they just love it because they're everything they're doing out there, they're doing on their own.

So a lot of teamwork is strategy and they just have a blast and they're having a good time doing it, that's for sure, is no question.

They're having a great time doing it.

Just like any of us that grew up playing sports, We had a great, great time doing it.

So.

That's right.

How can other school districts get involved in something like this?

Any school district that would like to provide these programs can contact us for more information.

They can go on our website at WW dot rsp dot or go org and we'll be glad to come in and talk to the the administration at the school districts.

Talk to them about how they can get the programs up and running for their their their kids and their district.

It's got to be exciting for the program for ASP to be live on Georgia Public Broadcasting for the second straight year, especially for these kids.

It's quite a milestone for our organization.

We've been in existence since 1996 and we grew out of the DeKalb County School District.

And so we're just continuing to grow.

And his daughter, Swearingen, said the initiative and the alliance were just kind of scratching the surface and were very proud to be here today, proud of our athletes, our coaches or our school districts, our volunteers and especially our staff is very excited to be here.

And the kids out there today, I mean, they're hustling out there.

It's a great ball game.

they're working very hard.

They're working very hard and they're very excited.

I think some of the nerves are calming down now.

We're into the getting ready to enter the second half and they're all out there.

There's no question.

It's Extremely competitive.

All right.

Thank you.

Best thank you so much.

Appreciate your time here at halftime of the the basketball championship between Macon and Atlanta.

All right.

That would throw it back courtside and Dave Gardner David.

All right.

Thanks, Jim.

And we're joined now by a special guest, Mr. Ryan.

Like into the US Paralympic women's wheelchair basketball coach.

And we're going to talk to him a little bit at the start of the second half.

We're going to take a look at some first half stats, though.

And I'll tell you what, Herb White, a great game right here, making Bears, really putting up a lot of offense.

Yeah, they're making bears really jumped out.

They were up eight or ten points early in the ballgame and and maintain that lead and even expand it a little more now Atlanta Wolfpack did manage to crawl back into it the last quarter and a half and got a lot of shots And I'm sure Raphael Rodriguez and Reece Johnson would make a lot of the shots they missed in those quarters.

Now we'll take a look at some of the first half highlights.

And you see right there Tommy Gray playing an important role as expected coming into this game as a senior.

First, Daniel Duncan, though, also playing a big role here as well as you see a good ball movement by the Macon Bears throughout that half.

Tommy great with another field goal right there.

First, the Atlanta Wolfpack trying to work their way back into it.

But I'll tell you, Macon really kept the pressure on them with Daniel Duncan.

Well, the first quarter and a half making just dominated and it was mostly Tommy Gray.

And then Danielle Duncan got into the half for the Macon Bears.

But again, we talked about the youth for this Atlanta Wolfpack team.

There you see another nice shot, Meredith hitting that one home and then the Wolfpack back on the other end.

High off the glass.

Right there was Reece Johnson there as you get a look at another Macon pair bear basket right there.

Daniel Duncan, as you mentioned, very busy as you take a look at the halftime stats there, Again, 23 to 10, our score, 11 to 19 field goals for the Macon Bears, five of 16 for the Wolfpack.

That's really where it's at, 30, almost 38% from the floor there for 19.2.

So indeed, some catch up work The Atlanta Wolfpack free throws, rebounds and turnovers there.

So indeed looking forward to a great second half, which is coming up right here from the arena win at center to make it Bears lead to 23 to 10 over the Atlanta Wolfpack will be right back right after this set for a second half action here again, Macon, 23 to 10 over Atlanta.

Let's quickly go down to Gerald Oliveira.

Thanks a lot.

Thanks a lot, Dave.

We're here with Coach Lawson.

Used to a high scoring game.

How do you plan to get the offense going in the second half?

Well, doing the second half with our defense, that's going to step it up.

We got off to a slow start, but they're going to step up those picks and tight defense and our scores are going to also step it up.

You just going to see a different team in the second half and saw two in the first half.

And we going on to victory with that slow start.

Do you think it was just nervousness?

I think so.

I think sometimes our players just a little cold in the first half.

So but we expect again, to see a different team this year.

Okay, Congrats.

Good luck in the second half.

Back over to you, Dave.

All right.

Again, the Atlanta Wolfpack in the white shirts here today with the basketball first to open up the half.

Hear the whistle there.

And so back to the American bears again.

They've got a Herb White with you, along with Leslie Sweetman and joining us right now here at the table is Ron Likens, the U.S. Paralympic women's basketball coach, and also the the head trainer of the coaches for the triple ASP.

And Ron, certainly glad to have you here with us today.

And really, we've seen some good basketball here today.

I know that you've worked with a lot of these Wolfpack guys, so you were happy to see Rodriguez get a bucket right there before the half, but a little catch up work right now for those guys.

Yeah, I think the biggest thing they just need to do is relax, get get used to it, get into the game and just take their time.

They've had some good looks and, you know, they handle the ball pretty well at times and, you know, just relax and shoot the ball.

I think they'll be okay.

Danielle Duncan, to inbound it for the make and bears with it have been both of the seniors, Duncan and Gray have been very busy here through the first half.

As we open up second half play there off the glass a little bit back the other way, talked a little bit about what you do as far as the training director.

You're really responsible for training these coaches to prepare these young men and women.

Yeah, my job is to make sure the coaches know how to teach the sport of wheelchair basketball.

They have to go through our training program.

We it's a two part training.

The first part, some coaching principles, of course, which is through the American Sport Education program ASAP.

And then they have to go through a sports specific training with us.

So for our coaches here, a lot of them do soccer and do basketball.

So it's it's a two part training where we really look to try and teach individual fundamental skills and basic team play.

Boris Johnson Trying to fade away there and fade away just a little too much, came out of his chair, but he's back in and ready for action and he looks very determined this half and a very confident coach, only Lawson to begin this half thing.

So teams are going to get back in it.

There's a shot right there and maybe she's right.

Rafael Rodriguez opening up the half with a bucket.

And that's good news right there for the Wolfpack.

Yeah, I thought on that shot you look, he took his time, he went right up and he shot it.

Didn't think about it.

Just went right up and went right in leave.

He's scored the last two baskets for the Wolfpack, and that's got to be a good sign for them as more teams and they've cut into Natalie just 11 point lead here now at 23 to 12.

But look like Coach Watkins came out with a pretty good strategy.

He put that full court pressure on and really made it tough for Wolfpack to get the ball up into the offensive zone and created a lot of had a girl in the ballgame.

we should read that when what when Atlanta finally spread the court, they were able to move.

But what happens?

They all clustered together.

There's no room to move.

When they spread out, they'll be able to beat the press pressure right there.

Ball taken away by Edward Hill and then lost the handle on it back there in the backcourt and Joshua Wright with it now.

Tommy Great puts it back inside and it's good to go out of bounds right there.

Ron, you're also, you know, you have the opportunity to coach the U.S. Paralympic team.

Talk about that experience.

You guys won gold and I mean, just that had to be just an amazing feeling.

It is the greatest feeling I've had in sport to represent your country and to win a gold medal at the Olympic caliber event was just phenomenal.

We had this team for four years.

We worked together, we struggled a lot and we improved each year and then we were able to win a gold and it was a tremendous experience.

And if I'm not mistaken, I think it was the only gold medal that the US Olympic team came away with.

It was the only team, team, team to win gold medal that we had.

Yeah, So another basket.

Boris Johnson.

Sorry to interrupt, fellas.

And the Atlanta Wolfpack continues their comeback to see another look at it right here.

Johnson again, an eighth grader from Brown Middle School.

Reece is going to be a heck of a ballplayer.

All he needs to do is get a little bit older and you really can't coach, you know, it just happens.

Yeah, he's got the long arms and the big hands and he really can handle the ball.

He's got a nice crossover maneuver.

Good feel for the game.

And Ron, when you're coaching a team like that, how long are you all together?

Do you do national tours?

Are those players playing on their own individual teams?

How long are y'all actually together playing as a team we we picked our team in March at the Women's Nationals and then we would get together monthly or every every five weeks at training camp for three or four days a time.

Our ladies going to college students.

So they worked full time so they would come in after work, we'd train for, they say, for three or four days, and they'd have to go back home and start working.

There were a couple of times last summer we were together for a week or two where we'd have competitions and training camps.

When we went to Athens, we were there about a month, but with our pre competition training camp and the actual competitions.

So unfortunately we're not full time.

But that was the most a U.S. team has ever prepared and got results with a team yesterday.

Greece.

Johnson took another tumble there a while ago, but he's tough back in there.

He's got the basketball right now, feeds it off to Rodriguez who spots up Texas crime.

And just a little short left here, but the Atlanta Wolfpack have come out here in the second half and scored the first two field goals.

And they finally walked away.

It's down to nine points, nine point gap, is it?

That's a nice shot.

I'm telling you, that is a tough shot.

Two straight on bank shot on the move.

Joshua Wright, the junior from Rutland High School, averaging 11 points a game this year.

And you'll see another look at it.

Wright Knock it at home there.

And now a near turnover in the backcourt there But last touch by Duncan so the Wolfpack will maintain possession You know you look at Josh Wright and and Reece Johnson for Atlanta they got what I called a perfect build for will to basketball They're very tall thin but they got the long arms and wingspan in this game very important because there's more verticality to it.

So for them to be able to put that kind of pressure off, it's just amazing.

And as you can see, when when they get a little bit older and a lot of strong are going to be able to just hold the ball with one hand over their head and flexing.

Well, that's big in any kind of basketball fan in the hand.

So you look at all the great players in basketball history, that's a roll for two there.

And count it the foul for Danielle Duncan and a chance for a three point play right there.

And how big is Danielle Duncan been today?

she's great.

I tell you.

She's a senior and she's shown a lot of leadership playing in the championship game last year and she wants to go out a champion this year.

I love Naron.

We were talking about you training these coaches, but what I want to know, do you have anything to do with the wardrobe?

Coach Watkins, You know, the assistant coach, they're all coordinated today.

Now, is that something that you work on too, or.

No, I don't have anything to do with that.

I'm what you're called Fashion challenge.

Looking at gym shoes, I'm in trouble.

Coach Watkins could break into a rendition of my girl at any time.

I have limitations over it.

He might not be back on the other end.

The Atlanta Wolfpack on the move.

Here is Johnson trying to put it up, keeps the dribble alive, throws it down.

Going to be a little short.

There and under 2 minutes here in this fourth period.

First period, of course, of the second half.

And you're also looking maybe to coach all the team in the world championships coming up, You having to make a decision about that run.

Yes, I am.

It's they just put out the call for coaches right now.

Send in your application So it'll be a two year commitment for this year and next year.

Next July, the World Championships will be in Amsterdam.

And I was fortunate to coach the last women's World Championship team in Kyushu, Japan, and we came up with a silver medal there.

So I kind of like to do it again and see if we can improve on that a little bit.

Is there a difference in the quality of the competition in the Paralympics in the World Championships, more teams or what's what's the difference in the Paralympics?

You'll have all sports, whereas world championships, it's just basketball and it's the same amount.

The men all have 12 teams there and they've two pools a second round robin play.

Women will have eight teams and I just see the website there.

Once again, Double Uww dot AA Speed Board.

The American Association of Adaptive Sports Programs encourage everyone to check out the website to learn more.

There you see Rafael Rodriguez.

He's warming up.

He's got six points here and he's come out in the second half and started in no doubt he's a different player.

He was missing those shots in the first half and it was all nerves.

But today, well, I tell you, it's too bad Atlanta got so far down.

They've got a long road to come, but they're continuing to play hard, chipping away right here.

Clock down to 12 seconds.

The players working it.

Danielle Duncan trying to get off here at the buzzer.

Tommy Gray puts up a shot.

No good off the mark follows own shot.

That'll do it for the period.

Mr. Ron Larkins joining us right here today.

And Coach, thanks for being with us.

You did a great job and good luck in the future with you.

With the Paralympics and the world and looking forward to seeing you out there.

Thank you so much.

Really enjoyed this.

All right.

Well, that's going to do it for period Number four, we'll take a timeout with scored 27 to 16.

The Gap starting to close a little bit.

We'll be right back.

Back here at the Arena at Gwinnett Center, the Coosa High volunteer cheerleader is in the house here this weekend, cheering on the crowd here and the players Today you see our score 2716 as we start the fifth period against six periods here today.

We were in the fifth period.

So moving right along here, they've got a third Y with you, Gerald Oliveira, courtside, and we're rejoined by Leslie Sweat.

But did you see Tommy Gray put up a bucket right here on him?

Gray has been relatively quiet here in the second half as the Wolfpack have made a little bit of a run here to try to get back in the game.

Yeah, hopefully there are some of those jitters are gone and maybe we'll see a little bit of that scoring we've seen in the regular season.

Back on the other end here, Rafael Rodriguez at the end of the lane puts up the shot and missed that one right there.

But Rodriguez has come on here a little bit in the second half, had four points in that last quarter, but they need more of that, try to work it out.

They are feeling the pressure from the gray coming down the floor.

And nice pass from Tommy Gray in the basket.

Joshua Wright with another field goal right there.

And Joshua Wright quietly having a big game with eight points.

He and Danielle Duncan have eight apiece here, and that is really propelled the American bears out to a big advantage here at 3116.

All right.

All right, boys.

The bears, the defending state champs trying to make it two in a row right here at the arena.

That center taking on an undefeated Atlanta Wolfpack team.

It comes in here at six and but that is certainly in danger here today, as you see how many Meredith, with some room.

Tony Gray set a little bit of a defensive pick there.

Pair this shot off the mark there.

Gray unable to follow Tennessee.

He comes up with it for the Wolfpack.

Reece Johnson got great hands and he knows long arm he can reach back and scoop in any pass they throw to him.

Met with coach Likens and he basically explained that you know wingspan is certainly a big deal when it comes to wheelchair basketball that it is you sit up high like these guys like Tommy and Rafael do, and there's not a whole lot of defense you can do against somebody that's sitting there is going to shoot like that.

Well, I played against 20 Hopkins and Dr. Jay, and I can tell you, Wingspan and Big Hands means a lot.

Whoever you're playing and what whatever kind of basketball come down here, I feel shot off the mark.

They're back.

They're the way out the pass by Dre into the hands of Joshua Wright.

And he's got some time here, puts up the shot, knocks it home.

Joshua Wright in double figures with ten points today.

Well, just when the Atlanta Wolfpack trying to get back in the ballgame the last couple of quarters to make it better, showing their experience and really turn that on here.

I just saw the numbers there, ten points and a rebound both right and another opportunity right here and make it it doesn't it's too nice a pass not to make that one great No look pass from Tommy Gray over the shoulder to Joshua Wright for the Deuce.

You see another look at it here.

And a quick timeout called by coach Arnie Lawson and the Atlanta Wolfpack.

We want to talk things over here.

They were starting to get into the flow a little bit at the beginning of the half, but the Macon Bears obviously got a good little talking from Glynn Watkins as well.

And they came right back to counter.

I'll tell you, Macon Bears, they were shooting a good percentage in the first half and their percentage in this half is excellent.

I only remember missing one shot so far.

So they've really upped their play and you see coach loss and talking things over with the Atlanta team.

We've all coached in Watkins Park and things over with the Bears who realize there's still plenty to play here, but they can feel it was a few grins over there on the bench.

yeah, they feel it pretty good right now, and they should.

There's a fella over there behind the bench.

I don't know if we can see him there.

That bearded fellow that you mentioned to us, Leslie, is really an outstanding one.

I'm actually Ed Owens, who's an international wheelchair, a Hall of Fame basketball player, and voted by the National Wheelchair Basketball Association as the all time best wheelchair player ever.

Yeah, it is.

Is quite a quarter.

You know, the funny thing about it is he's about an inch shy of seven feet when he's on is when he's standing and he's the rock and the family.

He's post-polio.

That's what caused him stunted his growth.

Wow.

I never met his siblings.

But what a family, Seven foot helps no matter what you are.

So he sits up pretty high as well.

Yeah.

He was a big star at the university of Illinois when he went there, and I think they retired his jersey just recently and he's a many time over Paralympian and then multiple sports to boot.

Great to have somebody like that in the building today and to see the field goals there.

6 to 17 for Macon, Atlanta, three of nine here in this half.

A little bit better for the Wolfpack, still well shy of where they want to be here with 5 minutes left and period number five here again, we play six eight minute periods and Chris Johnson on the other end Trapp up little baseline shot there but missed and Gray going to feed Joshua again on the other end here right A little bit of room unable to hit it kept alive though by the bears and there's Anthony Meredith trying to keep it in boy and does so good hustle right there Tommy great being guarded by Reece Johnson.

Those two have been at it all day long.

And now for the turnaround, they're great.

Still short, knocked away there.

Good defense by the Wolfpack just to clear that ball out of their We don't have individual stats, unfortunately, but Tommy Gray is probably working on a triple double.

I mean, he's double figures points no doubt and rebound and I wouldn't be surprised if he also had double figures in assists.

If you look at him right there in Gray, the senior from North Side, Warner Robins High School, and they actually finished fourth in the state in his wrestling classification in the DHS.

Right.

So he puts that boat to good use.

And while Johnson, as I mentioned, an eighth grader up and coming star there, along with Rafael Rodriguez, a freshman, it's going to be fun to watch those two guys work in the future, starting to come along here a little bit.

The main thing is keeping these teams together.

And if they can do that, there's no reason why the Wolfpack can't consist, only be back at this level every year.

Yeah, I think they're a young dynasty in the making here.

Roster right back on the other end Knocks down another bucket right there and right has really come out of nowhere and quartered on here the second half had four at the break but has since turned it on and he's got ten here in the second half and Joshua averages 11 points a game He's just a junior so we can look the big things in the future from Joshua as well.

I'd like 37 to 16 Wolfpack still trying to cut into that lead as we go on to 3 minutes here in the fifth period.

Hey, Brian, I heard it with you, along with Leslie Sweatband and Gerald Oliveira joining us courtside as well.

The back on the other end now is right again, the outlet pass from Drake and this time right pulls up does not want to force the issue there in the hands of Meredith who puts up the shot.

Matthew, you go try to come up with that ball.

They're taken away by Johnson and Russ Johnson back on the other end with ten points.

Nice pull up Jumper right in the middle of the lane.

Tommy Great Trying to exert some pressure Maurice's chair handling skills really are exemplary.

It's not easy to do what you see him doing weaving in and out and control the ball at the same time.

We've seen Johnson also take a couple of fumbles here today to leave the seat there a little bit.

Certainly can't question his toughness without a doubt and see what percentage of his wheelchair basketball athletes compete in other wheelchair sports.

Would you say it's quite a high percentage.

It's a very high percentage, yeah.

We start off in the fall with our indoor wheelchair soccer season.

Pretty much the same kid you see here.

Plus you throw in the power wheelchair users.

Then we come into basketball and most of the kids who play soccer do play basketball with the exception of the power chair users.

And we we have traditionally gone to track and field, but we now have the initiative with Georgia High School Association for Track and Field.

In any of these kids that are in high school can compete on their able bodied high school team and go to their meets with their team and they turn their scores into ASP and the top qualifiers go to the state, meet the end of the track season and look at that.

Some of the biographies.

Jennifer Kiner had one of those track and field has got right around 25 medals or so.

So these are certainly athletes that do cross over and play two and three different sports.

There.

Now that they do, we're going to try our hand at wheelchair football.

That's a new one for us.

We're starting that right after basketball.

I assume there's going to be tackling, but I may not know for sure.

It's too hand task.

You're right, no tackling as played indoors on a basketball court.

So basically what you're saying is it's got year round for the most part.

I mean, there's there, right, as long as schools in session we're running the sport or to Johnson again to look at some of their big stadium and another nice looking shot right there the right outside shot by Joshua Wright who has taken over the team high there.

He's got 16 points here today.

And Joshua right.

Well over his 11 point average.

So the junior will be back again next year and that'll do it for a period five.

So the making bearers grab the momentum back as they lead it.

39 to 18.

We'll take a time out from the arena at Gwinnett Center to make it bears trying to make it to state championships in a row wolfpack with the work cut out.

And we'll be right back.

I wish the fact that sixth period set to get underway here at the Arena Gwinnett Center, as you see the score, the American bears up 39 to 18 over the Atlanta Wolfpack.

And so the final tick down here to make bears, trying to make it two state championships in a row as the Wolfpack quickly gets down the floor here because they've got to work it out for being up by 20, they're unable to play a full defense, I guess, right?

Yeah, that's right.

Red team is up by 20.

They have to drop their defense back in that pick up until you get to the top of the key extended well back and forth over the basket by Raphael Rodriguez and Reece Johnson and they got it to go down on the second one And now Steel, Boris Johnson and Rodriguez is underneath off the glass right there for four quick points by the Wolfpack.

Back open up the final period.

Stranger things have happened.

They've 3922 here, the Wolfpack.

Meanwhile, they can press, although the Bears getting it out of there.

Joshua Wright catches up to it, puts up the shot too strong off the glass and you have that kind of speed coming into your bucket.

It's hard to take anything off the ball.

That's why you saw it come off too hard.

Joshua Wright One of the big reasons that the Macon Bears were able to really extend that lead, the fifth period three and six straight points now for the Atlanta Wolfpack and shows you why they're such a great offensive team.

They can score in bunches.

Johnson, with his second career goal and less than minute 4924.

Tommy Gray on the bench looking at the coach, you may need to put me back in coach Coach Watkins considered a nobody Meredith to inbound for the bears here, take it away Timothy pick is it up to Johnson Scott White go there and brought down by Meredith who just is ahead taken right back by Rodriguez Got this right by four picked up by Wright and jump ball call possession arrow and go back to the Bears and coach Watkins has seen enough of his team struggling to get the ball up the floor and it's going to get Tommy Gray back into lineup.

Lastly, we were talking a lot about the the the types of chairs or the different sports.

And a lot of these guys use the same chairs for soccer for basketball.

But I guess there are some that are sport specific.

Yeah, you can you can definitely get chairs that are specific to the sport that you're playing.

Of course, it's pretty cost prohibitive because this regular old basketball court chairs, you're looking at six, seven, eight grand.

Wow.

So it's it's not cheap.

A lot of these guys are even playing in their everyday chairs, but they're able to pass over to Danielle Duncan too strong.

They're great.

On the foul short we'll have another opportunity added in knocks home right there Tommy Great.

Just four points since the break but he's really been busy distributing the basketball.

Well, there is another way somebody could help out the ASP association somebody means it wants to help out with equipment.

There's a website if you'd like to get involved with these folks, maybe provide some equipment for some of the sports.

I'm sure they'd be glad to talk to you.

Absolutely.

When did the Canada wheels come into to being?

I don't know when they.

To be honest with you, I don't know the answer to that.

But I do know what it does for the chairs, and that is that it makes them much easier to handle.

The turning radius on them becomes small.

It's okay.

Let's let's talk about a little bit about how you can get out of your chair and what's allowed while you're on the court.

yeah.

The there's a special foul and wheelchair ball called a physical advantage foul.

And that is when you're using your legs to gain some sort of a height advantage or whatnot, you have to keep at least one side of your rear end connected to the seat at all times.

All right.

That's about as identically putt as you can do.

Yeah, A lot of the a lot of the athletes you may be surprised when you saw Reece Johnson stand up and get back in his chair.

There is no requirement.

that's a hard one.

There is no requirement that that there are a chair users in their everyday life.

They get in the chairs to play.

But many of these kids do ambulate on.

By the way, that was great play there by Tommy Gray almost.

He was hit from two sides.

I don't know exactly what the car was.

We may get it in a minute, but he he almost threw up and under had the scoop shot from about 18 feet made it and a turnover right there.

It's like those wheels may have been over the line and all that is wheels.

And on the back of the bears in a tough break right there for the Atlanta Wolfpack.

4 minutes left in the ballgame here.

All right.

So such such good court awareness there.

You can see Daniel was open.

He knew where that pass was going and he went over to intercept it and taken right back.

Five Duncan and a foul going to be called right there it looks like on Emmanuel McFarland, a freshman from South Side High School.

Pretty good contact there, I think starting to get a little more physical here late in the game as teams pick up the pace.

Yeah, that's pretty typical to all of these non-contact sports like basketball.

Well, actually, from about the fall of the middle of the second quarter, this has been about an even game.

The rest of the way.

It's been a 14 or 15 point game.

So Atlanta wolfpack, unfortunately, again, I think the jitters got to them early with their young the youngsters they have on their team and the inexperience and that's really been the difference in the ballgame.

Yeah, definitely.

Well, coming up in a little bit later on here, it's 11 a.m.. Calhoun County taking on Terrell County in the class AA Girls championship game, followed by the class AA Boys and all the way through as you see the boys game there Southwest Atlanta Christian take it on Randolph Clay about 1245 Dade County and Wesleyan.

They had a girls game there.

And of course, following that is the boys contest between East Hall and Greenville at 445 and of course, triple right on through into the triple AA boys game.

So a full, full weekend championship weekend rolling on here on GPB.

So after the time out the Macon Bears get up 4126 strong make it two state championships in a row.

They got over that hurdle as we mentioned last year in the Clayton Eagles and this year trying to avenge an earlier season loss to the Atlanta Wolfpack.

Again, Atlanta won handily during the season, but Tony Grant was absent for the Bears and he's been the difference maker here today.

But Daniel Duncan is also she's in double figures.

That's the third make it bear in double figures today.

I'm just amazed by the way these kids use the backboard.

It's kind of a lost art in high school and college basketball these days.

You don't see kids using the backboard and I don't think near as much as they should.

But these kids sure know what they're doing out there.

They got the angles and they have the touch off the glass.

It's amazing how much more difficult it is to shoot from a seated position and then a seat that moves.

It's a little tricky, right?

They use the backboard to help slow down the momentum of the ball.

Absolutely.

Tommy Gray, 15 points today and 27 rebounds for the senior.

What a way to go out.

Yeah, we don't have assists, unfortunately, but I can guarantee you he's got another double figure in assists.

He's got a triple double work in the back leaves.

Johnson also having a good game for the Atlanta Wolfpack with 14 points dishes to Rafael Rodriguez and he knocks on the shot so he's at 12 points.

And Rafael, a slow first half, again, we talk about jitters may have gotten to the guys a little bit, but he is really poured it on here was ten in the second half.

That was a real nice example of a skill that's unique to wheelchair ball.

It's called a bounce step.

The bounce stop, you would say, in order to slow himself down so that the shot had can be made a little softer.

He'll bounce the ball higher than normal so that he can take his two hands, reach down, grab his hand room, stop his chair, still catch the ball and make the shot.

It's it's not an easy thing to teach and it's even more difficult to execute.

He did a real nice job with that, where you got to feel good for the Wolfpack, coming back and making a heck of a ballgame out of this.

For the last four quarters, as I said, they were down 14, 12, 14 points by the beginning of the second quarter and have played virtually even since then.

So I know even though it's probably going to be a disappointment for them, they've got to feel good about the way they've played basically for three and a half, four quarters of this ballgame.

Absolutely.

And they'll all be back next year.

That's the key right there, a program that'll be around a while.

Meanwhile, the Macon Bears, they've got a lot of younger players coming back as well.

Of course, they will lose the the seniors in Tommy Gray and Daniel Duncan.

But you've got Joshua Wright, who's just a junior who will more than likely be called upon to be the as the leader, of course, being the lone senior next year.

So I know Coach Watkins is certainly looking forward to it, promoting a Josh rolling into that spot and Antonio Jackson coming up from the fifth grade, many years ahead of him.

So look for some things out of him in the future.

And speaking of Jackson is in the lineup for the American Bears in the fifth grader from Rosa Taylor Elementary School.

And how can you imagine being in the fifth grade and going out, competing against high school seniors?

DAY man, it's got to be intimidating, but they ought to get to their mixes it up with him.

And he goes back on the other.

In brief, Johnson has been all over the floor here today, rolling around so much, the number came off the chair.

I mean, that's how active he's been here with Danielle Duncan.

Back on the other end, there's you see the left side once again there.

We encourage everyone to log on to WW w dot a.k.a scored the official website of the American Association of Adaptive Sports Programs.

A lot of information on there about about history about the way everything is set up.

As we mentioned the first interscholastic governing body for students with physical or visual impairments and a lot of hard work has gone into it and certainly glad to make it a part of championship weekend right here on Georgia TV.

Yeah, there was you know, there was a time when getting a program like this up and going was was really almost an unreasonable thing to expect a school district to provide.

But now with with ESP as an organization, we provide that infrastructure, we provide all the training and whatever kinds of supports that the teams may need in order to get it up and running.

And it's it's it is a reasonable accommodation at this point when when there was a time when it when it simply was not.

LESLIE Guys have been kind of setting the model for what may happen in the United States with what you're doing with here and also your relationship with the Georgia High School Association.

Have there been any other states to follow suit since you guys have formed your relationship?

There is not anyone that has set up the group.

The dual governance that we have with GHC, as far as I know, there's no other state in the U.S. that's doing that.

Now.

There are some there are at least I know Illinois has some sort of a relationship going between, some adaptive sports and their state high school association, but not at the level that we've got here in Georgia.

Well, Tommy Ralph Swearingen excuse me, a very forward looking gentleman and saw a need there and saw an opportunity and certainly did the great thing and formed the relationship.

And it's certainly been working out this Emerson's Yeah, Ralph has been wonderful.

He's been very supportive of getting everybody off the sidelines and into the game.

And that's that's our that's our mission.

We every kid who has an interest in being active and playing organized sports to have that opportunity in the state of Georgia.

We're winding down to the last few seconds here in the second wheelchair Championship Game 2005 version, and Connie Gray, a senior, one of the better players we've seen in the two years that we've been telecast in the games, being on the line.

And Gray with just a phenomenal afternoon here today with 32 seconds left in, regulation with 15 points today, a guy who plays football wrestles those wheelchair sports and yet maintains and is going to college on academic scholarship makes great use of his spare time whenever has any callers on his scholarship.

This is an athletic scholarship.

I believe in Danielle, though I'm also a senior for the Macon Bears.

Her scholarship is academic, posted a shot right there on the other end.

Reece Johnson with 16 here today.

He has had a big game and it's stayed right around.

As you mentioned, her 14, 15 points all afternoon as the final seconds tick off the clock here.

The Atlanta Wolfpack going to drop just their first game of the season handed to him by the Macon Bears.

Who are your defending state champions?

44 to 30.

The final score there.

And the celebration is on for the Bears.

Well, smiles all the way around for the Bears and the Atlanta Wolfpack.

They know they came back and made a great show.

And even though they went down to a very, very veteran, good team in the Atlanta and the Macon Bears.

Leslie, we've certainly enjoyed having you with us for this game again.

Last year you came on, educated us, you did more of it this year and did a great job.

And we certainly appreciate you stopping by.

And of course, Coach Likens and really just an overall team effort there.

And to tell you what you got to like, what you see a lot of fans in the stands, a lot of signs out that this year and really just a great atmosphere and we really appreciate the opportunity to be here to showcase these these talents that these young athletes have and just really appreciate being able to be here, as you see.

Tommy, Great right there.

Let's go ahead, throw it down.

Court side with Gerald Oliveira standing by with a winning coach.

Thanks a lot, Dave.

Tremendous win, Coach.

Talk about this and how it feels to win the championship.

It feels great to be back this year.

Repeating as champion, I sit at home with the kid, the return assignment and what they want to do for this game is obvious.

They start to kind of execute it to perfection.

When you came out, you got off to a fast start, but then the other team made a run.

How'd you hold them down and continue on to play so well?

I tell them they've got to pick up the defense again and stop giving up easy baskets.

Congratulations, Coach.

Back over to you, Dave, I.

Thanks, Gerald.

Coming up next, it's the Class A girls championship game.

Calhoun County taking on Terrell County straight up at 11 a.m. this morning right here on Gp-b for our entire TV crew for Herb White, Leslie Swope.

And I'm Dave Gardner saying song, everybody.

It's been fun.

Today's broadcast the American Association of Adept at Sports Programs 2005 Georgia wheelchair basketball championship has been made possible sloppy and sad attorneys at Law desk medical supply and by plumbers and pipefitters.

Local 72 as.