Jacksonville, AL – Jacksonville’s Broom puts up MVP performance after pregame show of respect from White Plains’ Randall, and Golden Eagles roll to Area 10 title
By Joe Medley
Pregame introductions are ceremonial and routine … until they’re not. As Jacksonville’s John Broom stuck out his hand before Saturday’s Class 4A, Area 10 final, White Plains coach Chris Randall stopped the South Alabama signee. Randall spoke from the heart, patted Broom on the chest and sent him on his way back to Jacksonville’s bench. Not that Broom needed an opposing coach’s show of respect to mount a 25-point, most-valuable-player performance in Jacksonville’s 69-48 victory. As John Broom performances go, well, it’s hard for John Broom to top John Broom. And no, the affable senior who helped Jacksonville win its first state championship in boys’ basketball a year ago and hopes to leave with two doesn’t often get such love from an opposing coach. “That was the first time,” Broom said. “I was like, ‘Wow.’”
So, what was said? “He basically just stopped me and said it was a pleasure for him, coaching against me, and I’m a great player,” Broom said. “He’s a really great coach. It was an honor for him to say that.” Broom did his level best not to let Randall down Saturday, hitting nine of 13 shots and fetching nine rebounds and four steals as Jacksonville stayed on schedule. The victory means the Golden Eagles will play host to their subregional game against Handley on Tuesday at 6 p.m. White Plains will play at Anniston same day and time.
Broom is about to play his last game in Van Deerman Gymnasium on Tuesday. If Jacksonville wins, he’ll go just up the road and play the Northeast Regional in Pete Mathews Coliseum. The time for acknowledgements is now, and Randall is known to be rather thoughtful. Thoughts that inspire such moments from him often transcend basketball. “I told John it’s been fun watching him play and grow up,” the veteran White Plains coach said. “I just wished him the best at South Alabama and told him I’ll be keeping up with him. “He’s one of the best players to come through this county in a long time, and watching his progression, I love the game. John Broom, his momma raised him right, and he’s a class act. He’s a credit to his last name and school.”
As for what transpired after above-and-beyond pleasantries, Broom looked the part. He and twins Cam and Caden Johnson have made dunks normal at Jacksonville for three years, and he dunked at the end of the break in the second half Saturday. He hit two of his signature golden arches from behind the 3-point line, complete with his textbook left-handed release and next-level backspin. “Everybody knows what John is capable of, and he’s playing at a really high level,” Jacksonville coach Tres Buzan said. “Some of the other guys, too. I think our first five are all playing rally well.” Caden Johnson wasn’t far behind Broom with 23 points. Senior center Ethan Duke grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. “Ethan Duke had a tremendous game for us,” Buzan said. “He wasn’t all-area tonight, but he might’ve had one of the most important games.”
3-point goals: White Plains 7 (Bussey 4, Ray 2, Almon), Jacksonville 5 (Broom 2, Barksdale 2, Caden Johnson 1). Total fouls: White Plains 16, Jacksonville 8. Fouled out: Wheeler. Technical fouls: none.
