One third of the O’Bannon Greenwaves boys’ basketball team played their final home game on Friday night. Kaylon Swilley, Octavia Wilson, Zion Jessie, Curtis Austin, Javorious Jackson and Kentarious Castion exit the program leaving a legacy that will either have the faithful saying, “what if” or “they put it together just at the right time.”
Head coach Torrione Carter has said throughout the year that the team needed more consistency to become great. At any rate, you’d be hard pressed to find a group of seniors more talented than this group of Greenwaves. They shoot, rebound, defend and play with a sense of toughness that may take them very far in the posts season. “This is one of the most athletically gifted groups that I’ve ever coached,” Carter said. “We can compete at a high level with anybody on any given.”
These seniors will look back on their final season and recall memories of being the first O’Bannon team in a decade to defeat Greenville High. They also scored a tough come-from-behind road victory three weeks ago against a ruckus Ray Brooks team.
“The one thing that I will remember the most about this group is that they were a brotherhood,” Carter said. “They work hard together as a team and support one another for all four quarters on the court.”
Carter said their cohesiveness on the court translates to class and grace off the court. He said, “they carry themselves very well and are great examples to the other students at the school.”
It’s not out of the realm of possibility to see a few of these Greenwaves donning college jerseys next fall continuing their hoop dreams.
“We’re still working trying to get a few of them in position for colleges to take a good look at them,” Carter said. “I know that Octavia (Wilson) is a player that has some interest. He was the first player among this group that I started coaching a few years ago.”
