Liberty County High School hosted the annual Doc Williams Classic basketball tournament Jan. 17.
The tournament showcased the top ninth grade boys teams in the area and the Panther freshman squad finished 1-2. The Statesboro ninth grade team took the championship.
The Liberty boys had a chance to claim the second place spot, but fell to Camden County, 62-55.
According to ninth-grade coach Ramon Graham, the Liberty boys played Statesboro in the first game and fell 50-38. In game two, the Panther boys rebounded to beat Ware County 62-46. In the final game, they lost to Camden.
Graham said the ninth grade boys are 1-5 overall this season.
“We did not achieve all our goals, but I did see improvement from every player,” Graham said.
The coach said he had a few strong athletes make the junior varsity team this year, and one freshman has earned the right to make a varsity start.
Graham said they prepare the boys for varsity play by stressing “the fundamentals and keeping things simple.”