We’re headed in the right direction. We’re going to go back to work, get stronger, we’re going to get better. We’ll be back.”

Cascade coach Chris Lawson

WHITES CREEK — An early deficit to the Pearl Cohn Firebirds in the Region 4-AA semifinals ultimately proved Cascade’s undoing in a season-ending 72-59 loss on Tuesday night.
During the first quarter, it became clear Pearl Cohn’s plan was to attack the boards and limit second-chance opportunities for Cascade.
“We didn’t get many second chance looks. That wasn’t because they didn’t fundamentally block out, they were just that much more athletic. They pursued the ball really well. We struggled with that,” Champion coach Chris Lawson said.
Doyel Cockrill also became a huge thorn in the Champs’ side as the game progressed.
In the first quarter, Pearl Cohn relied on a balanced attack that saw five different Firebirds score.
After Jackson Davis hit a basket with 3:18 left in the first to cut the lead to three points, senior Justis Carter picked up his second foul about 30 seconds later, forcing Lawson to the bench.
Even into the second quarter, Pearl Cohn continued to exert its will on the offensive side of the court and essentially keep Cascade off the glass.
By halftime, the Firebirds built a 33-23 lead.
While it was a balanced offensive effort in the first half, Doyel Cockrill began penetrating the lane and fighting his way to the free throw line.
“Doyel Cockrill had 26 and shot the ball well. He just made it tough for us. We just didn’t have an answer for Cockrill,” Lawson said.
Cockrill led all scorers with 26 points and made the most of his trips to the free throw line.
He cashed in on 9-of-13 attempts at the charity stripe.
Pearl Cohn mostly maintained the 10-point lead into the fourth quarter, but Cascade was able to cut the Firebird lead to single digits on two different occasions when Jayden Gulick connected on key 3-pointers.
Jackson Davis also was able to get loose and of his team-high 20 points, he scored 12 in the fourth quarter.
But Cascade just couldn’t get the needed stops and translate them into points on the board.
“We got behind too much early and just couldn’t dig out. We felt like if we could have gotten some stops early and gotten some shots to go down, it might have been a little different story. That’s why you play the game. That’s the way it goes,” Lawson said.
Lucas Clanton also went for 17 in the game, but was held scoreless from the perimeter, while Carter finished his career with the Champions with 13 points.
While the road for Cascade ended in the Region 4-AA semifinals, it’s no question the program is trending in the right direction.
In two years with Lawson at the helm, Cascade has made a trip to the state sectional and has claimed two regular season district titles and a district tournament championship.
Cascade loses just one senior this season, but the one couldn’t be more valuable to the program’s recent success.
“We’re only graduating the one, Justis Carter, and that’s a big one, but we have everybody else back. They all will have experience now getting to this point. A lot of them got experience last year in that sub-state run,” Lawson said.
With the bulk of the roster returning next season, it’s a short break before its back to work with the goal of taking the next step and pushing to the state tournament.
“We’re headed in the right direction. We’re going to go back to work, get stronger, we’re going to get better. We’ll be back,” Lawson said.
Cascade closes the season with a 23-8 overall record.

Pearl Cohn 18 15 14 25 — 72
Cascade 10 13 12 24 — 59

Pearl Cohn: Doyel Cockrill 26, Rong Groves 14, JoVan Lynn 9, Keith Roland 6, Mekki Wallace 6, Rennie Griffin 6, O’Marion Walker 5.
Cascade: Jackson Davis 20, Lucas Clanton 17, Justis Carter 13, Jayden Gulick 6, Zach Crosslin 3.
3-Point goals: Cascade (4): Gulick, Davis; Pearl Cohn (3): Lynn, Groves, Cockrill.
Halftime score: Pearl Cohn 33, Cascade 23.