This Columbus school broke a 66-year basketball title drought. Twice in one weekend

Mark Rice
·4 min read

UPDATE — The Pacelli boys and girls basketball teams won state championships Saturday night. The girls won 47-38, then the boys won 44-31. Here’s our original story with updates.

Until this weekend, Pacelli High School never had won a state basketball championship in its 66-year history.

Saturday, the Vikings changed all that, winning two championships in one day in their hometown.

The Vikings played games in the Georgia Independent Athletic Association Class AAAA finals at Columbus State University.

The Pacelli girls (22-4) beat George Walton Academy (21-4), which was followed by the Pacelli boys (23-6) beating Loganville Christian Academy (21-7).

In the semifinals Thursday at Georgia College & State University, the Pacelli girls beat First Presbyterian Day 55-48, and the Pacelli boys beat Cristo Rey 79-52.

The Pacelli girls finished with a 17-game winning streak, and the boys won 12 straight.

Pacelli boys basketball

Cherishing the progress of the Pacelli boys and girls basketball programs as they prepare to converge in one gym on a special night, Pacelli athletics director and head boys basketball coach Corry Black put the marvelous moment in perspective.

“It’s unbelievable — unbelievable,” Black told the Ledger-Enquirer. “All glory to God and all the hard work from the players and staff and all the resources the school and administration have given us to be able to get here. I’m fired up. … Columbus State is a great venue, and it’s a great opportunity to showcase our school and our programs on a big stage.”

Black and his players also are fired up for the chance to complete some unfinished business.

Last season, the Vikings lost by one point to Stratford Academy in the state championship game at Mercer University in Macon, where Stratford is located. Now, the they not only have hometown advantage but also confidence that they’ve improved enough to win the title.

The mantra last season was to be 1% better each day. This season, Black upped the ante and urged the team to be 2% better each day.

“With those 5 a.m. practices, we leveled up,” he said.

Both the boys and girls basketball teams at St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School in Columbus, Georgia will play for state championships Saturday night at Columbus State University.
Both the boys and girls basketball teams at St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School in Columbus, Georgia will play for state championships Saturday night at Columbus State University.

So, despite losing three seniors from last season’s team, the Vikings are back in the championship game and primed to take the final step in front of their hometown fans.

“This is what we’ve all worked for, so we’re just happy we made it here, and we’re ready to win it all,” senior forward Azarel Juste told the Ledger-Enquirer. “We’re going to have the whole city behind us, but we’re also going to have some haters, so we’re just going to play our game to come out with the win.”

That means crisp ball movement, smart shots, aggressive defense and causing turnovers.

“It’s just flying around with a lot of energy,” Juste said.

The leading scorers are sophomore guard Jayddence Ford (19 points per game) and senior guard TJ Smith (15 ppg). Sophomore wing Matthew Melvin has made “huge shots,” Black said, while Juste provides toughness and leadership, and junior guard Jalien Bush is a stalwart defender.

“This team, we know how to share the ball,” Juste said. “… Everybody loves and cares about each other. We all have the same goal in mind, and we all want to win it for each other.”

Thinking about what he will be feeling Saturday as he enters the CSU Lumpkin Center, Juste said, “It’ll be great for us, great for Pacelli, great for the community. We’ll be part of history if the girls and the boys win.”

Pacelli girls basketball

This year’s Pacelli girls basketball team already has made history by becoming the program’s first to reach a state championship game. In fact, Thursday was the program’s first state semifinal in 20 years.

Last season’s team lost to FPD in a state quarterfinal, so beating FPD in the semis Thursday was extra sweet for the Vikings.

“The difference is we’re a better team than we were last year, and they lost a few key players from last year,” head coach Bryant Thomas told the Ledger-Enquirer. “The game came down to decision-making and free throws, and we did our part to come out on top.”

Only four players returned from last season’s team, but one of the ways Pacelli improved was adding Northside transfer McKayla Hosley, who leads the Vikings in scoring (15 ppg) and rebounding (9 rpg).

“I’m just really happy to find a place I can call a second home, and I’m just glad that we are making history, … and we could be winning a ring,” Hosley told the Ledger-Enquirer.

Pacelli girls basketball players pose for a photo at Georgia College & State University, where they beat First Presbyterian Day 55-48 in the GIAA Class AAAA state semifinals Feb. 29, 2024.
Pacelli girls basketball players pose for a photo at Georgia College & State University, where they beat First Presbyterian Day 55-48 in the GIAA Class AAAA state semifinals Feb. 29, 2024.

Eighth-grade point guard Grace Smith (10 ppg) and junior forward Tamiyah Ransom (7 ppg and 7 rpg) are major contributors as well.

“We’ve all practiced hard and played hard,” Hosley said.

The key to winning the championship game, Bryant said, will be “valuing the basketball, focusing on each possession, rebounding and limiting transition points. … We’re a defense-driven team that has a passion for the game. We just get after it.”

Hosley expects a large and enthusiastic crowd to boost the Vikings.

“It’s going to be loud,” she said. “… I probably will be nervous when I first start warming up. But after I get my jitters out and calm down, I’ll be fine. We just need to focus on the goal and play as a team.”