Panthers Finish Season with 12-3 Record
Submitted by Madison Academy

Madison Academy Panthers ended their 2012-2013 basketball season with a 12-3 record.
The Panthers were 10-1 against middle school teams with the one loss on the road – a
buzzer beater three pointer in overtime.

“This was one of the best teams I’ve ever coached,” Coach T.J. Green said. “They
worked hard and produced great results.”

The Panthers defeated Aucilla 35-26 back in November, but their January 11 contest
would be much closer. The Warriors jumped out to a big lead in the first half, leading the Panthers 19-9 at the break. The Panthers came out roaring in the second half. Down two points late in the second half, the Panthers scored a basket to send the game into overtime. In the overtime period, the Warriors again grabbed the early lead.

The Panthers found themselves down three points with 14 seconds left. John Flournoy received the inbound pass and dribbled down court. While at the top of the key, Stephen Miller provided a pick for John who dribbled free and found his twin brother, Jim, on the wing with eight seconds left. With a defender in his face, Jim launched a three pointer, hitting nothing but the bottom of the net to tie the score at 34-34. With six seconds left, Gatlin Nennstiel took the inbound pass, dribbled down between the half court line and the top of the key and scored a three pointer at the buzzer, giving the Warriors the hard fought 37-34 victory.

The Panthers were led in scoring against Aucilla by Jim Flournoy with 11 points. John Flournoy, Stephen Miller, and Bailey Browning each added six points, while Michael Goley chipped in with five points. Aucilla was led in scoring by Nennstiel with 18 points and Timothy Finlayson with 11 points. Coach Green said he was proud of his team in how they fought back in the second half after being down by 10 points and sending the game into overtime.

“It’s a great testament to our kids’ character in how they never give up,” Coach Green said. “They kept battling, no matter the circumstances.”

On January 15, the Panthers hit the road again, travelling to Steinhatchee for another battle on the hardwood. The Panthers jumped out to a huge lead in the first half, up 21- 9 at the half-time break. The Panthers continued their good play in the second half, finishing off the Stingrays 43-21. The Panthers were led in scoring by Stephen Miller with 11 points, while Jim Flournoy and Michael Goley each added nine points. John Flournoy and Bailey Browning added six points each, while Ross Bass netted two points.

On January 17, the Panthers faced Providence Christian at the NFCC gym. Providence
Christian’s basketball roster included high school seniors, juniors, sophomores and
freshmen. Both teams struggled to score in the first half with the half-time score at 12-8, with Providence Christian leading. Coach Green’s half-time speech inspired the Panthers, who outscored Providence Christian 22-12 in the second half. The Panthers efforts produced a victory and a final score of 30-24.

The Panthers were led in scoring against Providence Christian by Jim Flournoy with 12 points, while John Flournoy and Stephen Miller both added 10 points. Michael Goley added eight points for the Panthers. Coach Green said he was extremely pleased with the

outcome of this game, especially since his middle school players were basically matched
up against a high school team.

On January 22, the Panthers were at home again, facing off against Community Christian
from Tallahassee. The Panthers jumped on Community Christian right out of the gate.
Utilizing a suffocating defense, the Panthers took the half-time lead, 19-6. The Panthers
didn’t let up in the second half, outscoring Community Christian 18-12. When the final
buzzer sounded, the Panthers earned another hard fought victory, 37-18.

The Panthers were led in scoring against Community Christian by John Flournoy with
13 points, while Michael Goley added 10 points. Jim Flournoy chipped in seven points,
Stephen Miller had four points, Jacob Hanners had two points, and Michael Downing had
one point.

On January 24, the Panthers hit the road again for their final game of the season. The
schedule had the Panthers travelling to Valdosta to face Highland Christian. Both teams
had a hard time scoring in the first half. The Panthers took a lead into half-time, 16-10.
As they had done all year, the Panthers came out roaring in the second half, outscoring
Highland Christian 26-12. The Panthers ended their season with a victory over Highland
Christian with a score of 42-22. Once again, the Panthers were led in scoring by Jim
Flournoy with 19 points. Stephen Miller had 10 points, John Flournoy added five points,
Michael Goley had four points, Ross Bass had two points, Jacob Hanners and Bailey
Browning both added one point.

“The team never backed down from an opponent this season,” Coach Green said. “They
never quit, and they all had outstanding attitudes throughout the year. Madison Academy
can be proud of all of the young men on this team.”