Class 4A Boys final: Isaiah Gladney’s buzzer-beater lifts Jackson past Plainview

The Jackson Aggies didn’t come into the season talking about winning back-to-back Class 4A basketball championships.

But that’s what they left Legacy Arena talking about Friday night.

Isaiah Gladney’s short jumper capped a frantic final 12 seconds and gave the Aggies a dramatic 44-42 win over Plainview in the Class 4A title game.

“You always have to prepare and be ready,” Gladney said. “It was a tough moment.”

Jackson (23-4) led by as many as 15 in the first half before settling for a 26-13 lead at the break. Plainview (30-7) outscored the Aggies 18-4 to start the third quarter and led 31-30 on Owen Hope’s 3-pointer with 2:48 left. Jackson closed the period with a Roderick Hamilton 3-pointer and Joseph Taylor’s free throw for a 34-31 advantage.

They didn’t trail again.

“We went into the lockerroom at half, and I looked at the stat sheet,” Plainview coach Cade Willingham said. “We had to win the glass, and we were down 15 rebounds. It was the difference in the game. But I told the guys to get aggressive, to get a box out and keep chipping away and we would win this thing. We had our chance. Give them credit. When we took the lead, what did they do? They do what good teams do. They went down and scored.”

Jackson scored six straight points to open the fourth and led 40-31 on Keeyun Chapman’s layup with 6:49 left. Back came Plainview again. The Bears reeled off nine straight points, tying the game at 40-40 on a pair of Hope free throws with 2:07 left. That set up a wild finish.

A Chapman dunk gave the Aggies the lead. Sawyer Wilborn’s layup tied it again at 42-42. The two teams traded turnovers in the final minute without getting a shot off. Jackson almost turned it over a second time after a long inbounds pass went out of bounds, but officials called Hope for a foul against Taylor with 12 seconds left.

“We knew we had fouls to give, so we were going to go for the steal,” Willingham said of his defensive plan in the final minute. “We had a chance going down toward our baseline. Owen got his hands on it … but it didn’t go our way.”

Taylor was double teamed in the backcourt on the ensuing inbounds pass, forcing him to pass to Dysen Adams, who brought the ball upcourt with time winding down. He lobbed a pass to Gladney, who banked in a shot seconds before the final horn sounded.

“With the 3-point shot, you are never out of it,” Jackson coach Anthony Hayes said. “We knew they would make some 3s. We just kept saying next possession even when they went up. That’s who we are. In that last possession, Isaiah Gladney made a shot that I think Jackson will remember forever.”

Star of the game: Taylor was the MVP. He finished with 13 points, 4 assists and 3 steals. But it was Gladney’s shot that saved overtime for the Aggies and cemented another Blue Map.

Stat sheet: Jackson – Chapman finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. Hamilton had 9 points on three 3-pointers. Gladney finished with 8. Plainview – Wilborn led the way with 21 points. Hope followed with 8 points and 7 rebounds.

By the numbers: Jackson was 18-of-38 from the field, 3-of-13 from 3-point range and 5-of-8 from the foul line. The Aggies outrebounded the Bears 25-17, leading to a 28-21 advantage in points in the paint and a 7-0 advantage in second-chance points. Plainview rebounded from a poor offensive first half and finished 15-of-35 from the field, 5-of-14 from 3 and 7-of-8 from the foul line.

Did you know? In addition to winning the last two Class 4A boys basketball titles, Jackson is also the reigning 4A football champ.

“Our guys were resilient all year,” Hayes said. “We didn’t come in saying back-to-back this season. We just wanted to focus on finding our identity and getting better as the year went on. Resilient, coachable, winners. That’s what these guys are. If you are not keeping up with Jackson athletics, you may want to start.”

They said it:

“This is a blessing for us. We kind of flew under the radar all year. We started playing good basketball down the stretch and, what do you know, we find ourselves on this podium again.” – Hayes.

“It’s special. My parents are very proud of me. My momma hugged me after the game and tears just poured down her face. She said she’s proud of me.” – Taylor.

“It was a hard-fought game. Jackson has got a great team. They are a bunch of winners. That’s who they are. They have several guys who play football, and they were the 4A champs. Now, they are the repeat 4A basketball champs. That’s who they are. They did a great job and executed well.” – Willingham.

“I told these guys that win or lose we were going to give God the glory. The song ‘Praise’ says praise Him in the valley, praise Him on the mountain. I just want to thank Him for letting us play this game together. I want Him to have the glory even in defeat.” – Willingham.