“We had chances and a big first quarter lead, but we just could not get anything going in the second half,” said Douglas County coach Joby Boydstone. “We were down by two points late but had to start fouling.”
The Tigers took a 23-15 lead after the first quarter but trailed 33-31 at the break. They were down 47-46 after the third quarter.
“They play in a small, old-time gym where the crowd is very close to you,” said Boydstone. “It was like going to Tri-Cities all over again. They were a very physical team and senior heavy.”
The Tigers fought hard despite the atmosphere and their talented opponent and in the fourth quarter they trailed by two late. However, DC was forced to start fouling and Druid Hills pulled away as the clock hit zero.
Despite the loss, Boydstone was very proud of his young squad in the game and this season.
“We started two freshmen, a sophomore, a junior and a senior,” he said. “Take away the one senior and we have a JV aged squad. Most kids their age are sitting a home right now but they were earned a No. 3 seed of a region in the 6A classification and played in the state tournament. The pups battled to the end and I could not be more proud of a group of kids.”
Offensively, Justin Bridges, as he has done all season, had a big night on the floor against Druid Hills, scoring a game high 36 points. He was solid all around with seven buckets, four 3-pointers, and 10-of-14 from the line.
“What has made him more dangerous this year is his ability to shoot the three and also go in, finish and draw contact,” said Boydstone. “He played lights out tonight.”
Douglas County’s lone senior finished with eight points.
“He is 6-foot-3 and every night he is matched up with someone two to four inches taller and 10 to 30 pounds heaver,” said Boydstone. “He never complained and was truly a team player. He just has that type of mind set.”
The DC season has come to an end, but Boydstone remains optimistic about the next few years, repeatedly saying the “future looks bright.”
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