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Trio of Jackets claim honors on team
By Matt Tasler/sports@trcle.com
Cleburne Times Review - April 6, 2008
The Cleburne Yellow Jackets didn’t quite have the
storybook ending to the boys basketball season they had hoped for, but
their efforts were enough to garner several honors on the OmniAmerican
All-County boys basketball team.
The team, which was selected by the Times-Review sports department based
on all-district selections and coaches nominations, featured three
representatives from Cleburne among the six individual award winners.
Cleburne’s Ethan Anderson was selected as the most valuable
player on the all-county team, with DeSean Thomas earning defensive
player of the year honors.
After finishing second to Crowley in the District 8-4A standings, and
winning the 800th game of his more than 40-year career in a victory at
Stephenville, Jackets head coach Jeff Cody was named the county’s
coach of the year.
“We tell our kids at the start of the season that if the team has
success then individuals receive honors,” Cody said. “That’s the
same for a coach. If your team is successful, the coach is going to get
honors. It’s a team trophy as far as I’m concerned.”
Anderson averaged 15.6 points per game for Cleburne, while also
dishing out 2.3 assists per contest. He also pulled down an average of
8.5 rebounds per game and shot 52 percent from the field.
Anderson also connected on 9-of-25 3-point attempts, shooting 36 percent
from long range. He was solid at the defensive end, as well, blocking 27
shots on the season.
“It’s an honor,” Anderson said. “It feels good. If we wouldn’t
have been good, I wouldn’t have gotten this.”
While Anderson was the go-to player at the offensive end for the
Jackets, Thomas was often tabbed to clamp down on the opponent’s top
scoring threat night in and night out.
It was a challenge Thomas welcomed with open arms.
“I was telling coach that I’ll lock anybody up that he puts me
on,” Thomas said. “All year in practice I tried my hardest and did
my best to guard Ethan and make sure I didn’t guard anyone less than
him. I took pride in knowing that I could guard anyone and play good
defense.”
In addition to his exploits at the defensive end, which included pulling
down 3.3 rebounds per game and finishing with 33 steals on the season,
Thomas was the Jackets’ third-leading scorer with a 7.8 points per
game average.
Nearly one third of Thomas’ field goals came from 3-point range. He
connected on 21-of-63 3-pointers on the season and had 73 field goals
overall.
Though he played a role in the offense, Thomas took pride in shutting
down the opposition.
“It’s not a personal thing, it’s just helping your team out,”
Thomas said. “If they score on you, you’ve got to wipe that off and
come at him again. I always want to make him play harder than he wants
to. If you can do that, you can stop anyone.”
Like any coach who receives an individual honor, Cody credited the
efforts of his players for the success Cleburne had this season.
With a playoff appearance under his belt, Cody said the players were
deserving of recognition by the district’s coaches.
Three of the area’s Class 2A schools nabbed the other superlative
awards, as Grandview’s Reid Golson shared the offensive player of the
year award with Keene’s Brandon Lewis and Godley’s Riley Good
selected as the all-county newcomer of the year.
Golson averaged 18 points per game in head coach Todd Jarrell’s
up-tempo offense. He also averaged six rebounds, three steals and 2.5
assists per outing for the Zebras.
“The fast pace helped me a lot,” Golson said. “Coach didn’t care
how much I shot, or what kind of shots I took. That helped me be
confident in what I could do.
“It came natural, because I like running,” he added. “It’s real
exciting because you get to run. It’s fun to do.”
Grandview reached the area round of the playoffs by defeating Dallas
Life Oak Cliff 63-35 in the first round, before bowing out to Peaster
48-41.
Golson said with several players returning to the fold next season, the
Zebras are expecting to reach the postseason again next year.
“The past few years we haven’t made the playoffs, so it was good to
finally make it,” Golson said. “Winning a playoff game was great.
We’re looking forward to next year, winning a few more.”
Keene also qualified for the postseason, but the Chargers were ousted in
the first round after a 59-49 loss to Dallas Faith.
Lewis averaged 17.1 points per game, while also averaging 9.4 assists
and 2.1 steals.
Like Golson, Lewis said he benefitted from playing in head coach Jason
Hill’s fast-paced offensive sets, rather than walking the ball down
the court and working out of a halfcourt offense.
“That’s the way I grew up playing in Keene,” Lewis said. “Fast
tempo, going up and down the court, running and gunning. That’s how we
always played. I think that really helped me.”
Good said playing alongside fellow all-county selections Rowdy Allen and
Dylan Benge allowed him the freedom to find his spots on the court and
make plays.
Good averaged 12.5 points per game, which was second among the Wildcats.
He also distributed the ball effectively, dishing out 3.5 assists per
contest and averaged two steals per contest on the defensive end.
Godley defeated Nocona 70-62 in a bidistrict playoff game before falling
to District 11-2A champion Itasca 67-66 in the area round.
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