Dr.

Ralph Swearngin.

GHSA Basketball Championships presented by our friends at Breda Pest Management and it is time to go above the rim.

Nelly and Goldie to let you know what's going on with the Slam Dunk contest.

We have a returning entrance to our final three from left to right.

As you are looking at them, it is Cordell Simmons out of Lakeview, Fort Oglethorpe.

It is our returning participant, Oluremi Guerrero, out of Druid Hills, and Colton Taylor from Fannin County.

So it is Warriors.

Let's see if they come out and play.

Yay!

It is the Druid Hills Red Devils and it is the rebels of Fannin County.

Goldie, what are you looking for?

What are you thinking about with this one?

Everyone wants to be creative with their dunks and you've got to make that first dunk count.

Yeah, the repeat dunk kind of takes away the excitement and the energy.

So you have to come out with a little bit more bounce, a little bit of pizazz.

Let's get some some nice energy here with some something creative this afternoon.

And we'll see how creative they can get.

Colton.

Colton has already palmed the basketball.

So we know we know what Colton can do.

Once again Fannin is in the dress whites with the cursive Fannin.

Colton Taylor wearing his 23 a la Remy Guerrero wearing the 21 for Druid Hills.

Cordell Simmons the number two for LFO.

We have six judges, one score, and round one as we go over the rules of engagement here.

Round one is just the dunking.

Yes.

And you see our Stan Autry that's attached.

Doc Allen's in there.

There's Stan, there's Kyle.

Sandy who forgot to bring me a bow tie this week.

And Kelsey's a part of it.

Kyle Savage.

And you've also got Brayden pest management represented in this.

And so those six we have seven here.

So I'm trying to figure out who's going to be rounding up.

Oh, there you go.

There's Karo.

She's she's ready to go.

Yeah.

She she is.

She is all serious.

So it's it's it's Karo, it's Breda.

Kyle.

Sandy.

Doc Allen.

And our own Stan Autry as a part of the crew.

And so Colton Taylor see now if you drew number one, would you want to go first or would you want to wait to see what the numbers.

Are going last?

I'm going last because if everyone misses their dunks, I don't have to overdo it.

And, you know, just kind of cruise into the second round.

So round one once again sets up your dunk.

You got 30s on the clock.

So plenty of time to think.

And so you saw what Colton Taylor wanted to do.

Wanted to go with the big bounce and come from the underside of the board like that.

Not bad.

Not bad.

And so he's got so he's getting eights.

Kelsey gave him an eight.

So you've got looks like eights across the board.

Knock out the nine and the seven.

So you're looking at what you see.

Now if it was me you take out the high and the low and you end up with 39 by five.

But we'll see with.

46 a 46 for Colton Taylor in round number one.

So Colton Taylor gets a 46.

So it is a it is cumulative math 46 I think out of a scale of 50.

And so now Ola.

Remi Guerrero from Druid Hills, he's going from behind the judge's duck your heads double clutch.

And he.

Kind of.

Guided it in there.

It wasn't really.

A. Flush.

Great.

Not bad because he did it on the first try.

And so let's see if Guerrero can hang on to it as it goes through.

Okay, so they're going for the first try.

30s.

And so it's eights across the board.

So let's see, eights across the board.

And so eight by seven is 56.

So Guerrero gets a 56.

Since all seven judges gave him eight.

So now Lakeview, Fort Oglethorpe, Cordell Simmons having me do math on a Saturday afternoon like this off the back board.

I think that's your marker.

Okay, I. Think that's your marker.

He came out here, set the tone.

He's going to do it one more time.

Oh, he tried to do the windmill, but I think the first one setting the tone was pretty solid.

10 seconds he's going to sit so 27.

From Cael.

Come on.

Cael oh., Sandy.

Oh, dude.

No way.

Sandy.

71.

So.

71 there he is.

There's your seven right there.

I think it was.

61 because if it was so I gave him a.

71.

You had nine.

You had six nines.

Okay.

So they give him a 71.

But either way it was still the first one from Cordell Simmons.

He had the highest number.

Yeah.

And he got it on.

The first try.

Yeah.

So when you get anything on the first try with some type of oomph to it, you know you get a few more points.

Okay, so Cordell Simmons.

Six.

So Colton Taylor with the 46, he's going to ask for human accompaniment which is always dangerous.

Very dangerous.

Very dangerous.

What are we doing?

Lift up.

Get out of the way.

Oh, okay.

So that was this.

Yeah.

This is this could be.

You've got to time this out.

The runner.

Your assist man.

He's really got to figure this one out for you.

Too much on it.

Too much on it.

Too high.

And I don't know.

You're going to have to put something on the board here.

If you're Colton Taylor you got to work quick.

Just bounce it.

Oh.

And so.

That was a. Three attempts at it.

And you got the you got the slam in before the buzzer without the human without the human assistance.

You can't reward just a scheme.

48 you know, it's just like you want to drink whole milk, but you get skim milk.

Yeah.

It's just not the same.

It's just not the same.

So 48 for Colton Taylor here in round number two.

I guess it was for Hawks.

And so Ola Remi Guerrero's 56 means he is second and he is not with human accompaniment.

Long runway.

Look out.

Okay, okay.

Okay, so do you give added emphasis for hanging on to.

So he gives that a nine for Guerrero.

Sandy.

Not even close.

Not even close.

So I give that an.

840 5-15 is 60.

I give that an eight.

No no actually I give that a seven because it's a double clutch.

It wasn't nothing special about that.

Okay.

So clutch.

So 60 for Guerrero in round number two with the second dunk.

And so what can Cordell Simmons do in round number two.

30s on the clock.

Simplify it.

You want to go to the third round.

Looks like oh okay.

Up high.

Meet it.

Flush it.

I'm giving that a no nine.

Okay.

I'm giving that a nine.

And he's going after it again to see if he can improve.

And.

Oh.

Oh, he almost brought it from below the knee.

I would have actually wasn't a bad try because he's already accomplished his dunk nines.

So they agree with you and your peer pressure.

You're staring daggers into the back of Kyle Sandy.

And so he gives a nine.

So 9-7 63.

He didn't rank my daughter high enough.

So no he did a great job.

He didn't rank her high.

He did a great job.

C all right.

So right now Colton Taylor's at 40:08.

Remy Guerrero's at a 60 in round number two.

Cordell Simmons is at a 63.

And so that should mean that Guerrero and Simmons.

Simmons.

And second place.

It's going to be Simmons and Remy Guerrero in the final two in the dunk off.

1116 now.

And we got two.

So it's one basically what 130 4-1 16 Guerrero oh he almost rimmed out.

Close.

He was close.

Great effort great effort.

Guerrero with the second highest score.

He's got 20s to figure it out.

Clanked it.

You got to do something in 10 seconds here.

You got one more run and they're going to give it to him.

I'm fairly certain they're not just.

Going to simplify it.

Simplify it, simplify it.

Rimmed out on the third attempt.

So unless Cordell Simmons sevens across the board.

So you get a Cael, you get a seven for the attempt, but you get a seven for a pretty nice dunk.

Okay, so basically what they're saying, you and I could go ahead and get a seven.

Okay, so 49 on the board for Guerrero.

And here comes Cordell Simmons.

Oh, the trust, the trust in that gentleman's eyes.

Oh, oh, I'm, you know, I look at Cordell's imagination.

I appreciate the imagination.

Okay.

So that's an easy one.

So it's on the board, checking to make sure that everything's fine with the rim.

Second attempt.

Oh.

He's right there.

But he got one to go.

He's just going to put one on the board here.

Okay.

Okay.

So the reverse flush.

That cannot be a seven.

Okay.

You can't reward a seven for someone who doesn't.

Make it one.

But then a seven for someone who does make it.

Now that doesn't add up.

So Cordell, if my math is right, to 58.

So Cordell Simmons because of his imagination went 58.

And so it looks like that our winner is Cordell Simmons off of the one dunk.

And so Simmons and Guerrero.

So Cordell Simmons is the winner of the slam dunk contest.

And you're scratching your head.

I am scratching whatever I have left on my head.

That's my line partner.

So the winner's Cordell Simmons from LFO.

And on the other side of the break, we will talk to Cordell about his work in the air and find out what it was like to be in this competition.

Colton Taylor from Fannin County.

It's great to see the rebels represented and also the Red Devils from Druid Hills and older Remy Guerrero.

Oh, the trust that Cordell, the trust that was in that last dunk from Cordell Simmons.

The creativity was there.

And it's it's hard at times in the dunk contest, you know, in a very big arena 9,000 seat arena.

If this was in the high school, I think you'd get more of a lift, a lift off because the energy is there.

It's just such a big place.

It's hard to really get that lift.

But the creativity was there and I thought it was a, a solid contest.

I thought it was a solid contest.

And Shawn Golden would have had 59, 61, 40 across the board.

So Cordell, yes, you would have Golden you know that Cordell Simmons from LFO is the winner of the Slam dunk contest over Ola Remy Guerrero from Druid Hills and Colton Taylor, Fannin County.

When we come back, I'm going to run to the other side of the floor and we're going to catch up with Cordell Simmons, flush him out at 70:06.

We'll come back on the great GPB in a sick Remy Guerrero.

Goodness gracious sir.

Welcome into the GPB Sports Studios.

It's time for countdown to tip off while John runs to get Cordell Simmons.

We are going to take you through some talent on the court that have been outstanding all year long.

We've seen what's been going on this week at championships, but what about all season long?

We have our GPB sports All-State team that we vote on each week, and here are the boys.

Here's a look at your GPB all stars on the boys side of the ball in 2026.

Pops Dunson from Alexander.

He's heading to Colorado State.

Manny Green from Cedar Grove heading to Tennessee.

Jarvis Hayes Jr., one of the five juniors on the list from Woodward Academy along with teammate Bentley Lewis.

At six foot 10 " tall, Chase Lumpkin from McEachern also has a year to go.

Asa Montgomery from Hillgrove the same up Mcclure Road.

Harris Reynolds from St.

Pius.

He's heading to Clemson.

Kevin Savage of the junior class at Wheeler.

He's got a year to go.

Jalen Winfield from Tri-Cities.

He's heading to the flats.

AJ Williams the only sophomore on the list from Eagles Landing Christian.

He's got two years to go and the player of the year.

Colben Landrew from Wheeler.

He's heading to stores.

That is the GPB All stars on the boys side in 2026.

And another congratulations to our GPB player of the year.

That's Wheeler forward Colben Landrew.

He's committed to UConn and will suit up for the Huskies next year.

He helped the Wildcats earn a state title last season and could do it again tonight at 730.

You're not going to want to miss that.

It's Wheeler versus Pebblebrook right here at GPB at 7:30.

Okay.

If you're just now joining us, we wrapped up the Slam Dunk contest a few minutes ago.

John Nelson is standing by and Macon Coliseum with the winner.

Hey, John.

It is time to catch up with Cordell Simmons, the winner of the Slam Dunk competition.

And he is palming a basketball that is not the size that he was dunking with earlier.

I've got to ask and I've got to ask about the final dunk that that you had out there.

Who was the very trusting soul that you had that was not with his back to you?

Who was that individual that was trusting that you were going to scale that person and dunk that basketball?

That was.

My dad.

Okay, so then, so has your dad always been this trusting of your hops?

I mean, does he like to I mean, is he gonna does he like, has there been times where he looked at you when you started out and then it's like, okay, I'm going to turn my back and I trust you.

What was it like?

All right.

So when you were when you were you know, when you were developing your, your repartee, when you were developing everything in the dossier for you when it comes to dunking, how much time do you guys have a hoop that you guys you know, have close to the house?

No, not really, but I practice at my school.

Okay.

Lakeview, Fort Oglethorpe, I practiced there.

I get a lot of dunks in with my friends.

Kenyatta, Zion, get dunks in with all them.

They helped me get better.

And I want to thank them, too, because they.

Without them, I wouldn't.

Be there, no doubt.

I mean, Battlefield Parkway, you take that left, you go to LFO and that's where you are on top of the hill.

You know when you dunked it for the first time, you're sitting there going, okay, now I can add some imagination to it.

What was going through your mind about, okay, what can I succeed in?

You know, what the dunks in your brain, what dunks were you looking to do when it comes to just in general, when you're out there for LFO?

Is there is there one dunk or a series of dunks that you sit there and go, yeah, these are my favorite dunks to do.

My favorite dunk right now, it would be under both, but I didn't get the chance to do it.

But under both in games I go for more like a dunk.

It'd just be a hard slam.

Something like.

That.

So when you when you're looking at this kind of a competition, how did you how did you qualify for the competition?

What did they tell you?

It's like, hey, is there a slam dunk competition?

And then how did how did you get involved in that thing?

Basically, I just got notified that there was a slam dunk competition.

I wanted to compete in it.

So did you send in videos or how'd that work?

I sent in a 32nd clip of me.

Duncan.

They might still have it.

I don't know if they do, but I sent them a 32nd clip of me dunking and it went to a vote and I made the top three, came here and I performed.

So then I'm guessing that the your fellow student body at that LFL the fellow warriors were the ones that were helping vote in this thing.

Yes, sir.

The confidence I like this and the confidence I still I still have to go back to the confidence in your dad who turned.

He literally turns his face away from you so you can dunk over the top of him.

Yeah.

Have you ever hurt your dad when you're trying to do that dunk?

Nah.

Would he admit it if he did?

If you clanged into him?

Yeah.

Okay.

All right.

So what year are you?

Cordell 2026.

Okay.

So what is what are the next steps for you?

I plan on going to a prep school.

I want to go to.

There we go.

I want to probably go to I forgot what the score is called, but it's a prep school.

Get another year to train, develop my skills.

Okay, so what else do you think you need to, what else do you think you need to work on so you can be ready when you're going through the prep school and heading to the next level?

Really just getting into my shot.

That's really it.

Okay, so how was the season for you with LFO this year?

Okay.

It was.

Hard is all right.

And, and that's why I wanted to ask about what you were thinking of, what you need to work on to get ready for the next level and all those kinds of things.

Getting ready for prep.

Who, when, when you try to come up with ideas for dunks, what NBA players, what college players do you kind of look at and sit there and go, yeah, I think I could pull that off.

Colben.

Carr.

Anthony Edwards okay, names like that.

Okay.

So then using this without leaving your chair.

So when it comes to say Tomahawk or anything like that, how do you which ones are your favorite ones that they do that you can do without leaving your chair?

Can you, can you like visualize with that using that basketball?

Is it like the, is it like the Tomahawk slam jam where you're coming over the shoulder and you just smash it through?

Is it, you know, up and under, you loop it to yourself, those kinds of things.

Like a LeBron.

Oh, see, there you go.

Bring it from way back.

Yeah.

All the way back.

There you go.

So so you're rocking the cradle basically and bringing it forward.

See I knew rocking the cradle that's from all of my time looking.

See now here's what you do.

Here's your homework assignment.

Go find the 1976 ABA Slam Dunk competition.

Dr.

J. Darnell Hillman, George Gervin.

It is the old school of old school when it comes to this kind of stuff.

It's great lessons.

And it was literally the first dunk that was ever done from the free-throw line.

Everybody's talking about Jordan.

Prefers to do it.

1976 doctor J and Darnell Hillman from the free-throw line back in back in 1976.

I don't believe it.

You gotta show me.

I will tell you.

See?

Okay, so that's a challenge.

All right.

Fine.

When when when this segment is done, we will go on the YouTubes and I will show you the 1976 ABA slam Dunk competition from McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado with the Denver Nuggets as the hosts.

He said he was the first to do it before Jordan.

Yes, doctor J and Darnell Hillman from the free-throw line.

We go see.

And so I will prove to.

I will prove to you that that was the distance that happened back in 19 before this Jordan guy that you keep talking about.

Do you have posters on the wall of folks like Anthony Edwards, John Moran, do you have those posters on the wall?

I have a lot of college posters on my wall.

Okay, so who's in the college posters?

North Georgia, young Harris, stuff like that.

Okay.

Just a lot of schools.

What does hoops mean to everybody there at LFO up there at Battlefield Parkway?

What is what is sports mean and athletics mean to everybody up there to on Battlefield Parkway?

It's a big part of everybody's life.

I feel.

I feel like everybody that's activated in sports, they want to go forward and they want to succeed, especially at LFO.

See, that's how things are at LFO.

You know what?

I'm going to send it back to Atlanta because we have homework that we have to look at.

Hannah, I'm going to send it back to you because we have we have some learning to do.

Jon Gordon go on.

These devices.

You're talking about.

And this is why we're calling it we're going to school.

We're going to dunk school.

We're going to find out about Darnell Hillman.

I'm gonna I'm, I'm going to I'm going to let everybody know about Darnell Hillman and Dr.

J. I'm going to expand horizons.

We're going back in time to come forward in time.

When it comes to the dunk.

I'm sending it to you 68 girls coming up around the corner.

Really looking forward to it.

And like I said I'm going to go on the YouTubes.

We're going to look up 19-76 in the ABA.

Back to you.

So I let him go.

Just let him go.

Oh congratulations.

Know we're.

Going to learn.

Oh man.

It is day number four.

Championship day number four.

And we want to know.

We want to show you what's happened earlier today and what's coming up on our GPB championship scoreboard.

John's got me all giggling here.

He is just the best interview ever.

This morning at 11:00 A.M., it was the AA girls matchup between Hardaway and Murray County and the Indians avenged last year's loss to the Hawks, winning their first championship since 1965.

The final in that was 51-48 Then at 1:00 it was the AA boys turret Morgan County B Butler 53-52 If you did not watch that, go back and watch that game.

That was a nail biting win in overtime.

Then we had the adaptive wheelchair game at 3:00 where Houston County beat West Georgia 44-9 to win their 13th state title and ninth game this season.

That's 13 wins out of the last 14 title games.

Then we had our slam dunk contest, and we will talk about what's to come in just a bit.

But I hear John Nelson has another special guest.

And John, who are you torturing this time?

I am not torturing coach Dyer from Norcross under any circumstance.

Good to see he's laughing already.

Oh, man.

Good to see you, my friend.

You too.

Good to see you again.

What's what's it been like here this weekend?

To see what's going on.

Oh, it's a blast.

Love it.

Love all that you guys do.

And I'm so proud of our school and our community.

So, you know what's with with Norcross and everything?

You know, obviously with all of the stuff going on.

I mean, it is a it is a mad rush to see what's going on with Norcross and everything there.

It's been great to see the expansion, the the you know, the scoreboard, the matrix board and all these kinds of things.

It really is.

What's it been like to see everything grow there at Norcross to where it is right now?

Yeah.

So North Paulding is growing like crazy.

It's we've been there 15 years, and it's just been such a blessing to see it just take off on all ends, from athletically to academically.

It's the best community in the state.

Yeah, yeah.

And so, I mean, you know, when you're looking at everything there at North Paulding, it's a growing community, growing county, all these kinds of things.

When you first walked in the door at North Paulding and you got to see where it is to where it is now, what was your first thought in your head at North Paulding?

Oh man.

I just remember saying, we're going to do this.

We're going to make this 15 years ago.

I said, we're going to make the best community in the state.

Nothing that I did but my little girl, my wife, the little girl's playing today.

22 sophomore my son's a baller at North Paulding.

We're just it's community.

It's family.

And that's that's what we hang our hats on.

So what has the week been like getting ready for this game and seeing all the support that's come down?

Yeah, I think for me it's been really unique because I'm preparing for it from an athletic director standpoint, trying to celebrate our kids, but also from a parent standpoint.

And a dad.

Where are you going to be seated?

Where are you going to be in the concourse, kind of burying your head or what?

Yes, sir.

Usually when she plays, I sit by myself.

I have a great administrative staff.

And then, you know, of course, do my duties and.

They they text you out in the concourse.

Okay.

She's doing really well.

You stay right there.

Don't move.

Yes, sir.

Yeah.

Wear the same shirt.

Yes.

Yes, sir.

Absolutely true.

I know about rituals.

They're not superstitions.

They're rituals.

That's the early story from North Paulding, as they're getting ready here to see what's going on against Grayson.

Let's send it back to Midtown and Hanna.

Yes they are.

Thanks for the preview.

Jon.

North Paulding.

Up next against Grayson.

It's the girls six.

A battle coming up right after this.

That's it for countdown to tip off.

Follow us on social media at GPB sports so you don't miss a thing.

We will see you for that.

Six A battle right after this on GPB.

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