JACKSON — Shooters seem to have all the fun.
Whether they are hitting from way downtown — BANG — or making a splash with a nifty tear drop in the lane, offensive players often attract a lot of fanfare for their performances.
But don’t dismiss defensive players. There can be “lock-down” guards, who bottle up an opponent’s best player, or there can be big men, who play the role of “erasers” in the middle.
At 6-foot-9, 205 pounds Jartavius Dobbs fits into the latter category. With long arms and quick jumping ability, the Aberdeen High School junior knows all too well about the exploits of offensive players. After all, he often practices with or against teammates Marcus Carouthers and Queshod Young, two Bulldogs who can make scoring look easy.
On Tuesday night, Dobbs made playing defense look easy and had a critical role in helping Aberdeen outlast Forest 57-48 in the semifinals of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 3A State tournament at Mississippi Coliseum.
Dobbs had only five points, but he had nine rebounds and nine blocked shots. If it was a college game, Dobbs’ blocked shots total likely would have been higher because his coaches would have gone to the video tape to review some of his defensive plays, including what Dobbs said what a deflection on a 3-pointer by Howard Smith in the waning seconds.
True to the nature of any player who takes pride in his defense, Dobbs said after the game he had 15 blocked shots. He also said he had a feeling he would be able to have a big effect on the game.
“Coming into the game, I knew I would be able to get nine blocks or so many rebounds,” Dobbs said. “We just had to go out there and give 110 percent and play hard.
“I told them before the game I was zoned in already and it was going to be a block party. That is a big part of this team. It helps a lot because without those blocks there could have been points on the board and it could have been closer or we could have lost.”
Dobbs had six of his blocks in 14 minutes in the first half. He affected at least three other shots and forced at least one turnover when Letrevius Pinkston penetrated into the lane and traveled after he drove in too far and saw Dobbs in front of him.
Dobbs was so effective because he stayed active in the paint against Forest’s drives and used his reach to get to shots and kept his body away from contact. He played 25 of 32 minutes and finished with one foul.
“They can make shots, but they also like to run this wheel where they come off a screen and try to get easy layups and catch us sleeping on defense,” Dobbs said. “I have a good ability to block shots, so coach just told me to stay active and try to go get them.”
Aberdeen High first-year head coach Jaworski Rankin said Dobbs has improved significantly since the beginning of the season. A strong summer playing with Erise Wilson Jr. and Mississippi Team Elite, an Amateur Athletic Union travel ball team based in Aberdeen, set the stage for Dobbs to have a breakout year. Even though he only attempted two shots against Forest, Dobbs showed a confident shooting stroke by hitting both ends of a one-and-one with 33.5 seconds remaining and the Bulldogs leading by five points.
“I told his mom the first year he is going to play,” Rankin said. “His fundamentals were weak, but he has a great attitude and kept working and kept working. We could see the fruits of his labor tonight. He is doing a great job.”
Carouthers, who scored a game-high 25 points against Forest, said Dobbs has played a key role in pushing Aberdeen into a matchup against two-time reigning Class 3A champion Velma Jackson at 4 p.m. Friday at Mississippi Coliseum.
“He did great,” Carouthers said. “He got some rebounds and got all kind of blocks. Those blocks put us in the game.”
With players like Carouthers, Young, and the blue-collar Trent Davis (12 points, 13 rebounds against Forest) as primary scoring options ahead of Dobbs, Aberdeen doesn’t rely on its center to an offensive force. That’s fine with Dobbs, who said he knows his role and understands he has to be aggressive on the offensive boards and he has to control the defensive backboard if the Bulldogs are going to be successful.
Dobbs saved his best answer for after the game when he said he took more pride in the victory than his nine blocks or the fact he hit the two free throws with the game in the balance. The free throws were key, though, considering Aberdeen was 14 of 25 (56 percent) from the free-throw line.
Dobbs thanked Wilson Jr. for the work he put in with him last summer and his Aberdeen High coaches for helping come a long way in a short time. He hopes to take the final step Friday with another strong defensive effort to help the Bulldogs win a championship.
“I have improved a lot,” Dobbs said. “Last year, I was on the team, but I didn’t play much. I just knew I had to keep my head up. I worked with coach Erise, and I appreciate his support. I got on his AAU team and we played over the summer and I got better. He worked with me individually.
“Coming into this season, I knew I had to step it up because I had a big role and that I would be starting. I stepped it up and played hard this season and look where we are.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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