Windsor Forest was looking to make history in Augusta, Georgia on Saturday night March 6, 2021. The Knight's made their third trip to the Georgia High School State Association semifinals in program history. Making it to the semifinals the last 2 out of 3 years. Windsor Forest had to hit the road and travel to the number one seed from GHSA Class 3A region 4, Cross Creek High School. It was a game of runs.
Windsor Forest begins with the ball in the first quarter, and the battle was on. Both teams exchanged early leads throughout. The Knights jumped out to an 11 - 5 lead, but Cross Creek would come back and tie it at 17. The Knights would outscore the Razorbacks 5 - 4 to end the first quarter and lead by one, 22 - 21. The game would end by this margin also, one point.
In the second quarter, Windsor took the lead 32 - 23, and in the last 2 seconds of the quarter Cross Creek would score 7 points. The Razorbacks Joshua Dorsey would be fouled on a layup as time expires as everyone thought to end the half. A Winsdor player was called for a technical after Dorsey scored. The referees, before the technical shot, put two seconds back on the clock. Dorsey went to the foul line and missed. The next Cross Creek player, Cory Trotter, converted both technical foul shots. Razorbacks up by ten, 46 - 36, and got the ball back with two seconds. Richard Visitacion gets the ball on the inbound pass on the wing and lets it go from NBA three point range, and the Cross Creek would go into the locker room at halftime 49 - 36. The Razorbacks went on a 26-4 to end the half, but the Knights would fight back.
Windsor Forest cuts the lead at the end of third to 11, 66 - 55, and then the fun begins in the fourth quarter. The Knights cut the lead to 3, 66 - 63, and the fans knew now they got a ballgame with 5:58 to go in the game. The Razorbacks then do their own thing. Cross Creek tries to knock the Knights off their horse, builds another 10 point lead on a 9-2 run, and leads 75 - 65 with 4:01 left.
Windsor Forest doesn't quit. Like was stated earlier, it was a game of runs. The Knights storm back and go on an 11- 0 run in three minutes 40 seconds to take the lead. Windsor Forest Ray Williams scores the first four points, D'ante Bass chips in a free throw, and Abssi Scott finishes it off with the final six points. The fans knew sitting in or standing in their seats with 21 seconds to go that this game would have a crazy end.
With four seconds to go under Cross Creeks basket and up by one, the Knights lost the ball out of bounds. The ball is thrown in by Cross Creeks Richard Visitacionto, and it seemed like a five-second call was going to happen, but he found Antoine Lorick, who then found Corey Trotter on the backside of the Knight's defense for the basket down low with 2.1 seconds left. Time out, Knights.
Windsor Forest's Head Coach Aaron Clark draws up an excellent play, and it almost works. The Knight's Mike Cabellero takes the ball out on the Cross Creeks baseline and throws a beautiful pass, like Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski, to D'ante Bass, who catches it over half court with Razorback defenders behind him and races down the sideline and looks like a shoo-in winning layup. A Cross Creek player trailed him and came from behind and knocks the ball out of his hand or as the Knights fans thought that Bass was fouled as it looks on social media replays, but the referees make a no-call, run off the court, and the Knights dream of making it to the GHSA State Boy's Championship AAA game ends. Cross Creek out jousts the Knights 77 - 76 to earn the trip to the GHSA Class 3 A championship game.
CROSS CREEK 77, WINDSOR FOREST 76
WF - 22 -14 -19-21-76
CC - 21 -28 -17 -11-77
Photo Credit - Dwashan the Photograher @sxds_action
