Ponce Pounces — Seahawks snag district title, but fall short of regional title

They gave it all they had, but it wasn’t enough.

Before a jammed packed house, the South Walton Seahawk girls basketball team lost 56-42 to the Ponce de Leon Pirates in the Region 2-1A finals Saturday night in Ponce de Leon.

“We came out a little over anxious, a little tight,” said South Walton Coach Kevin Craig. “And we got in a hole early and were just trying to dig our way out all night.”

The Pirates put up six points before South Walton got a shot to fall. JoJo Calrson, Kaitlyn Carroll and Jazz Flock each scored for the Pirates, then South Walton’s Casey Perot made a shot from the paint.

Ponce de Leon’s Carroll turned in a three-point play and South Walton’s Alex McManus hit two from the free-throw line. The Pirates came back with three more baskets to go up 15-4. South Walton’s MacKenzie Perot worked her way inside for two points.

With just over a minute to go in the first quarter, lightning flashed outside and the lights went out just as a Lady Pirate fired off a shot. Seconds later when they came back on the referees called it a jump ball and the Pirates got the ball back and scored one last time for a 17-6 lead at the buzzer.

Early in the second quarter, it turned into a 3-point shooting match. In the matter of a minute and a half, four 3-pointers were made. Mackenzie Watson hit the first for the Seahakws, then the Pirates’ Carlson tossed in one. South Walton’s Allysa Bump and Morgan Kennedy hit back-to-back 3s then Katie Trejo was fouled and managed to make both shots to close it down to a five-point game.

But that didn’t last as the Pirates came roaring back with nine consecutive points. The Seahawks made a couple of free throws to end the half at 31-19.

In the third quarter, the Pirates pulled away by as many as 18 points on shots from DeWan Bass and Ashley Harper. In the last minute, South Walton’s Eve Heffron hit a free throw and a bucket and Bump nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 42-30 game.

In the fourth quarter, Ponce de Leon scored first on a couple of free throws by Harper, then the Seahawks went on a seven-point run to close it down to a seven-point game with 4:20 left on the clock. Tayler Menard made a couple of free throws and then forced her way inside for a basket. Casey Perot put one on the glass for two points. Seconds later, Perot was fouled and hit the first of two tries.

With the crowd roaring, Ponce de Leon drove the ball inside for a couple of baskets, while the Seahawks missed. In the last couple of minutes, South Walton was forced to foul sending the Pirates to the line six times.

“We just couldn’t knock down that big shot in the end,” Craig said.

“But I’ve got no complaints. The kids played hard … they laid it all on the line.

“We lost to a better team,” Craig said. “They played their hearts out. They gave a great effort … and they didn’t quit.”

The Seahawks finished the season as District 4-1A champs and a 21-9 record.

“I hope the underclassmen learn from this,” Craig said, noting he is only losing three seniors, Alex McManus, Mackenzie Watson and Allysa Bump.

“If they get this far again next year, it will be at home,” he said.

In Saturday’s game at Ponce de Leon, Harper led the Pirates with 13 points and Carroll hit for 12.

Tops for the Seahawks was Menard with eight points. Bump and Kennedy each scored six.