Eli Acker sensed his team needed a spark.
With 5 minutes, 29 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Heritage Academy junior stepped into the second block on the right lane, bent at the waist, and turned to his left. He locked eyes with teammate Moak Griffin and mouthed the words, “Let’s go.”
The spark didn’t come immediately.
Even after Heritage Academy built a 10-point cushion in the third quarter, it had to wait until the fourth quarter before it regained the lead for good. That’s when Acker took center stage and scored six-straight points to help push his team to a 62-52 victory against Canton Academy in a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) Class AAA, District 2 game.
“I thought we needed some momentum,” Acker said. “All in the first half, we were getting all of the 50-50 balls. In the third quarter, we let off of it a little bit and they started out hustling in the third quarter. We definitely needed a spark, something to get us going.”
Acker said he was thinking about going in for a dunk on his first steal, but he said the Canton Academy player came under him, so he had to pull up short and settle for a finger roll that gave the Patriots a 57-52 lead with 2 minutes, 13 seconds to play. Acker had an offensive rebound putback of a miss by Reid Huskison on the previous possession.
Acker nearly had a chance for another attempt at a dunk on the ensuing possession when he cheated into the passing lanes and nearly forced another turnover, but he just missed the ball and had to hustle back on defense.
Acker converted a pass from Jared Long for a layup to make it 59-52 with 1:27 to go. Huskison hit two free throws and Cameron Bell added another to account for the final margin.
Griffin led a balanced attack with 17 points, while Bell had 12. Long (nine points) and Acker (eight) just missed double digits as part of a lineup that went nine deep.
The win moved Heritage Academy to 21-3 prior to its matchup against Briarcrest Christian School (Tenn.) in the 28th-annual Hotbed Classic on Saturday night in New Albany.
Acker said the return to health of several players and the addition of Bell, a transfer from Starkville High School, has forced the Patriots to adjust to new combinations and lineups. He feels the team will hit its stride in February and be fine for the start of tournament play.
“It has been great to have everybody back,” Acker said. “Tonight, we were rotating every four or five minutes to keep fresh legs in the game. It helps us keep a lot of the momentum and keeps us from getting tired.”
Acker said Heritage Academy needed a big win coming off a 44-42 loss to Leake Academy on Tuesday. Whiteside said he didn’t have to break out a fiery speech to motivate his team after the loss in Madden. He said Heritage Academy missed too many layups and free throws and shot a terrible percentage from the field. Whiteside admitted his team wasn’t a ton better at times against Canton Academy, but he said as a whole the team was improved.
The “improved” version of the Patriots features an assemble that Whiteside remains a “work in progress.” The cast features Bell, a 6-foot-7 post player. Heritage Academy also is working Griffin and Steele Altmyer back into the rotation following their recoveries from injuries.
“It’s a lot of fun because we have a lot of guys who can play,” Whiteside said, “but, at the same time, we’re trying to figure out which combinations work best in what situations. It’s hard for them working their way back in, but it also is hard for me getting it right.
“I have told them you have to go compete in practice to get the playing time. We know these guys can play. We also know the other guys can play, so it is just about finding what the best fit is for our team at certain times.”
Heritage Academy beat Leake Academy 56-46 on Jan. 4 in Columbus, Carter Putt had 19 points and Jared Long added 17 for the Patriots, who played without Acker, who was selected to participate in a football combine for some of the nation’s top underclassmen that was held in conjunction with the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
Heritage Academy, the reigning Class AAA State champion, also played without Griffin and Altmyer. With all of his players back, Whiteside said there is plenty of competition in practice, which he feels will be an added bonus looking ahead to the district tournament at Leake Academy, the North State tournament at Heritage Academy, and the Class AAA tournament at Leake Academy.
Griffin, who is coming off a hand injury, said roles haven’t changed very much and that the team still breaks it down by saying “together.” He feels the addition of Bell, a former Amateur Athletic Union teammate, will add another dimension to a team that doesn’t care who scores the points.
Griffin said Heritage Academy had two good days of practice after the loss to Leake Academy. He pointed to last season and how a loss to Starkville Academy in December helped provide motivation for the team on what proved to be a run to a state championship. Griffin hopes the Patriots can follow a similar path this season.
“Coach Whiteside said we weren’t really focused but we weren’t as focused as we want to be,” Griffin said. “(The loss to Leake Academy) shows we can’t just show up and win. We have to work in practice and get better for the games.”
Heritage Academy showcased a wrinkle that might serve it well later in the season. Whiteside’s decision to go to a 1-3-1 with Bell made it tougher for Canton Academy to work over the top of Bell’s length. Passes to the wings also were more difficult as the defensive change appeared to energize the Patriots.
“We haven’t practiced it a lot, but in certain lineups that we have in there that could be a pretty good defense for us because he so long at the top of it,” Whiteside said. “If you have Eli and Jared in there at the same time, it is lot of length.”
In the girls game, Heritage Academy pulled away in the second half for a 51-30 victory against Canton Academy.
Anna Acker had 13 points. Sydney Adair and Gigi Fields had 11 points and Emily Howard had 10.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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