DeKalb’s Najee Smothers (11) and KJ McMurray (14) look on after McMurray’s shot against West Georgia earlier this season.
The DeKalb County Silver Streaks advanced to the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs (AAASP) wheelchair basketball state finals with a 28-18 victory over the Clayton Eagles at Druid Hills Middle School last Friday.
The Silver Streaks (5-2) travel to Macon on Saturday to face the Houston County Sharks in the championship game set for a 3:00 pm tip-off in the Macon Coliseum.
Najee Smothers led the way for the Silver Streaks with 21 points. Cameron Smothers scored 4 and KJ McMurray added 2.
DeKalb opened the season with a sweep of the West Georgia Wolverines by scores of 31-14 and 28-14 to get off to a 2-0 start. The Silver Streaks followed up with wins of 28-22 and 29-18 over Clayton to move to 4-0.
Missing a key player in Smothers, the Silver Streaks dropped their final two regular season games to the Sharks by scores of 28-2 and 15-3. KJ McMurray scored two in the first and Cameron Smothers scored three in the second game.
The last time DeKalb won the basketball title was 1997 with the team then known as the Red Hot Rollers.
Silver Streaks and the West Georgia Wolverines hand out together following a game earlier this season.
Najee Smothers was a member of the 2015 Silver Streaks Junior Varsity state championship squad.
The team members include Najee Smothers (Grayson High), Cameron Smothers (Grayson High), KJ McMurray (Stone Mountain Middle), Justice Smith (Academy for the Blind), Joe Patterson (Laurel Ridge Elementary), William Jones (Druid Hills Middle), Cleveland Elder (Druid Hills Middle), Josiah Jones (Cedar Grove Middle), Jamel Boston (Cedar Grove Middle) and Noah Yonis (Druid Hills Middle).
The team is coached by Delton Schoates (Idlewood Elementary) and Everette Schoates (Coralwood Elementary). Area Coordinator is Lisa Patterson (Druid Hills Middle).