The next chapter of Midtown basketball looks promising with the Howard Middle School trio looking to carry on a winning culture into their high school careers.
Howard Middle School co-captains Sawyer Finley, Zachariah Foreman and KJ Terrell led the team to back-to-back Atlanta Public School championships. To win the championship the Rams beat King Middle School 47-42 on Feb. 2. Head Coach Freeman Jones said none of it would have been possible without his three leaders.
“There’s three players on the team that were vital to the championship team this year,” Jones said. “Those players are Sawyer, Zee [Zachariah] and KJ. Those three were vital for the championship team last year, also.”
Jones said what set this trio apart was their ability to do things most middle schoolers could not. Foreman led the team in scoring averaging 18.1 points per game, and Finley was right behind him averaging 15.0 points per game. Together, they combined for 464 points in just 14 games.
“I believe Zee was the best point guard in APS, period,” Jones said. “Also, I believe Sawyer was the best small forward. Zee and KJ can play multiple positions, which allowed me to have different lineups and put them in different situations so they can perform at their best. My goal was to develop them as much as possible, and them being able to play multiple positions allowed me to do that.”
Foreman said his versatility on the court is something he plans to carry with him into his high school career at Midtown.
“I think I could definitely play multiple positions at Midtown because that’ll help me be a more versatile player, being able to play point guard, shooting guard and small forward,” Foreman said. “That will just help me be on the floor more and help impact games.”
Beyond their individual talents, Jones said each player brought a crucial role and mentality that made them nearly impossible to gameplan against. Finley averaged 9.6 rebounds per game to lead the team, while also adding 2.8 steals per game. Terrell was right there with him, averaging 6.9 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game, making two of them a nightmare for opposing offenses.
“They were the three captains, and they set the tone,” Jones said. “KJ was aggressive, Sawyer was the tone setter and Zee was the finisher. KJ would check the other teams’ players, and he wanted to; he killed the other team’s chemistry. Then, Sawyer gets all the rebounds and hits his threes. Additionally, Zee is simply a clutch player — he will score when you need him to or really just make a play whether it’s offense or defense. I think with those three kids’ mentalities and will to win, that’s what led us to another championship.”
Finley said he is confident that his mentality that found success at Howard will carry over to his time at Midtown.
“I think I will be able to keep the same leadership, just as long as I’m not nervous of the older guys and just play how I know I can play,” Finley said.
Jones said his evaluation of all three players goes beyond what they showed this season. After watching them develop, he believes they are ready to compete at a level most incoming freshmen are not.
“They can give you a good 15-20 minutes a game at the varsity level,” Jones said. “Their 10th, 11th and 12th grade seasons, they will be key contributors on a great team.”
While Foreman and Finley have their eyes set firmly on Midtown basketball, Terrell’s future may take a different path. Jones said Terrell is a multi-sport athlete whose football abilities may ultimately define where he plays.
“KJ is a varsity level football player at the wide receiver position and that’s where he’s going to play in high school,” Jones said.
With their championship experience, elite individual stats and unmatched work ethic, they look to make a difference at Midtown starting with their freshmen seasons. Foreman said his goals for his Midtown career are as ambitious as everything he has accomplished so far.
“I wanna win at least one state championship, win regionals all four years and score a thousand points for Midtown,” Foreman said.
What makes Jones so confident in that projection isn’t just their talent on the court — it’s what they do when no one is watching.
“What people don’t understand is what those kids do when you don’t see them,” Jones said. “It’s the work ethic they put in. I think this type of work ethic is going to take them a long way through high school. They are the types of players where if I don’t kick them out of the gym, they would be there all night long. Their desire to be perfect and to be great will take them a long way. Not just in basketball but in everything they do”
