Our boys' basketball team got off to a quick start Wednesday in Macon, but a good Darlington second quarter and an HIES final shot that wouldn't go down saw HI fall 53-50 to the Tigers in the Class AA-Private state finals.
 
Coach Mario Mays' squad finished the year at 26-4, as region champs, and have been in the final game the last three seasons, winning it all last year.
 
Jordan Mays scored five early points on a field goal and a three-pointer as HI jumped out to a 12-6 lead after the first quarter. But Darlington outscored HI 19-11 in the second stanza, largely behind some great three point shooting after getting off to a 0-for-7 start from field goal range to open the game. 
 
Mays' bunch kept it to within four in the third period, with Jaden McCullough, Devin Hutcherson, Kai Worthy, and King Araujo all contributing greatly on the offensive side, while Worthy was a shot blocking force inside and on the boards. 
 
The final period saw the Bears trail by as much as five only to cut it to one, though a three point attempt at the buzzer wouldn't go down as the Tigers held on for the win. 
 
Hutcherson was the leading scorer on the night; Worthy the top rebounder. Mays, Araujo, and McCullough added balance to the Bear attack. Looking at the senior picture, this year's group will leave as the most successful tandem in school history, with a state title, two runner-up finishes, and a deep playoff run in all four seasons.