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  • ANOTHER WINNING RUN: The JMA Trojan C-Team basketball team finished 9-3 on the season and avenged an earlier loss to rival Trinity. The Trojans are composed of Ben Bracewell, Jon Qualls, Tommy Pittman, Joseph Young, Brandon Panfil, Chad Charping, Charlie Staton, Trent Theil, Hunter Henry, Trevor Evans, Colby McCommon, Zach Meeks, Cam O’Neal and Jonathan Young. The coaches were Don Marchman and Ryan McCoy. Caleb Poole served as the team manager. David Brent Martin

    JMA Middle School soars once again

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January 27, 2010

JMA Middle School soars once again

David Brent Martin

Over the past eight seasons the JMA Middle School basketball team has played a consistent, winning brand of basketball, and that trend continued in 2009 as the team finished 9-3 on the season under head coach Don Marchman.

Marchman, fresh off of receiving his trophy for winning the U-R Pigskin Picks, was quite thrilled to talk about his young team Tuesday afternoon as the varsity and JV squads hustled up and down the court under the direction of first-year head coach Thomas Craig.

Marchman also outlined the components that made up the 2009-10 JMA Middle School (C-Team) basketball squad and was impressed at how the team progressed.

“We have sixth, seventh and eighth graders, but mostly eighth graders. We have a group of outstanding young players,” said Marchman. “We tried to bring them along in a progression and constantly rebuild, because we are constantly rebuilding so quickly with them. They have a great, great team attitude and just worked really hard for me.”

Since his return to basketball coaching, Marchman has reeled off eight seasons of success with the C-Team, but this year’s team stood out compared to the earlier teams.

“From the beginning to the end I’ve had eight teams in my eight years, and this team improved the most from start to finish than any other team I’ve had,” he said. “We let just one game get away from us against Trinity. We had a lead in that game and just let it get away. Other than that we’ve played as well as we could have played — but we did end up beating Trinity here later on.”

The humble coach continued to be all smiles as he talked about a few of his players that made a serious impact on the team this season.

“I’m real proud of the kids and we had a couple of outstanding individuals that have been with me in the past. Brandon Panfil was kind of our leader and kept things together for us. He was our point guard and was most effective on defense. He was like a little pestering gnat — you couldn’t get rid of him,” said Marchman with a chuckle.

Another player that Marchman kept raving about was young Trent Thiel, who overcame a bit of adversity to become the C-Team’s overall leading scorer this season.

“Trent Thiel did an outstanding job for us, and there’s a story behind him — a story about never giving up. We have tryouts every season, and Trent had gone out the year before and had a horrible tryout — he was real tense and nervous. But he came back this year and really impressed us in tryouts. He had his mind made up and was determined. Trent is a good leaper and a really athletic kid, and we knew he was a good athlete. And we were just so proud of the way he delivered for us.”

Thiel ended the year with 90 points scored.

During Marchman’s run, the C-Team has gone 62-22, which is a pretty incredible mark considering JMA’s level of competition in GISA, with some schools having three times the enrollment.

“We are so proud of our program and the kids really work hard. Even if the kids make the team they have to go through tryouts again the next season,” said Marchman. “It builds up their mental toughness. So many kids have contributed to this program.”

Marchman also stated during the interview that he is stepping away from a sport that he has presided over for 35 years.

“I’ve been coaching track since 1974 and I found it was time to retire from it,” said Marchman. “I just decided it was time to hang it up.”

So, who is the Trojan’s new track and field coach going to be this season? None other than JMA and UGA football great J.T. Wall.

Congratulations to the JMA Middle School for another outstanding season — and may the boys and girls varsity teams go all the way this year!

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