LAUREL HILL — Twenty years from now when Laurel Hill School boys basketball seniors Tee Calloway, Chris Saylor and Max Smith will share sweet memories of their Senior Night.
Friday’s game against Rocky Bayou Christian School started with a Saylor 3-point basket nine seconds after the opening tip. The game ended with a Smith slam dunk with two seconds left to play.
From start to finish it was a night for the senior trio to remember as Laurel Hill never trailed in the 58-45 win.
Laurel Hill-Rocky Bayou Christain boys basketball photos>>>
All three seniors finished the night in double figures with Saylor leading the way with 18 points. Calloway and Smith each scored 10 points in their regular season home finale.
“It feels good,” Calloway said of the win. “But it’s getting close to the end of the season and I don’t like the feeling of that.”
Saylor’s opening basket was just a sign of things to come and triggered a 10-0 Hobo run to open the game. Bryson Cooper, Smith and Calloway also had scores for Laurel Hill by the time Jonathan Colquitt scored Rocky Bayou’s first basket of the night.
A pair of free throws by Knight center Josh Preston followed the Colquitt basket as Rocky Bayou pulled to within six points of the Hoboes.
But Friday night basketball physics were working for the Hoboes. That’s to say for every Knight action or score there was an equal and opposite Hobo reaction in way of Laurel Hill scores.
At the end of the first quarter the Hoboes had pushed their lead back to 10 points and the closest Rocky Bayou would get to the Hoboes the rest of the game was six points.
Laurel Hill (17-8) led 27-19 at halftime and 41-29 after three.
Saylor’s fifth and final 3-pointer of the game came 20 seconds into the fourth quarter and put the Hoboes up 44-29 for their biggest lead of the game.
“My shot was on tonight and I felt confident and I was letting it fly,” Saylor said. “Coming into this game we took it very serious and we wanted to make a statement.
“This was a good win and I’m looking forward to districts.”
Cooper, a sophomore, scored 10 points for the Hoboes in the fourth quarter and shared scoring honors with Saylor.
“It was amazing to have a bunch of family members come out to support us,” Smith said. “Chris shot the ball well. Tee played his game and we all pitched in to get a big win out there.”
Smith’s game-ending dunk came courtesy of an assist by junior Cam Gordon.
“It was amazing,” Smith said. “I had to get a dunk on my senior night and I didn’t have one until the last seconds of the game.
“I thought he (Gordon) was going to through the ball off the backboard, but I called for it and he gave it to me and I have to thank him for that.”
Casey Ponder led the Knights in scoring with 12 points. Colquitt scored 11 points and Preston 10 points.
Email News Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hobo seniors have their night (PHOTOS, VIDEO)