No one player can claim full responsibility for the surge that put Darlington High’s boys basketball team not only into the winner’s circle for the Region 6A D1 championship Friday but also into the No. 1 seed for the GHSA A-AAA Private state bracket.
County rival Model High School battled Darlington tooth and nail for a full half at the Van Es Arena, and it was the Blue Devils on top by one, 31-30, at the half. Four different host Tigers, however, scored in a 12-0 spurt to begin the second half, and Darlington never looked back winning 65-42.
When the state brackets came out over the weekend, Darlington stood at No. 1 for the Private power rankings. The Tigers will host Aquinas of Augusta in the opening round again at the Van Es Arena Wednesday tipping off at 6:30 p.m.
“Our guys did a good job of keeping their composure,” said Tiger head coach Nathan West. “Model had a really good first half. Woodley made a lot of shots. It’s a good team. A well-coached team. We knew it was going to be a battle. We had to stick to what we practice.
“If we are going to win games, we are going to have to be very unselfish. There’s not one ego in that locker room. Nobody cares who scores. That’s what makes this group pretty special.”
Christian Teasley had the high-point total for Darlington Friday with 18 points. Not far behind was Jordan Wilkerson with 16 points. One other Tiger reached double figures, DJ Hall and his 10 points.
Chadon Woodley of Model led all scorers with 22 points. He and the Blue Devils earned the No. 5 seed in the GHSA Class A Division 1 boys state tournament and are hosting Brantley County from southeast Georgia on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
In the first half, Darlington’s biggest lead was six, that coming in the opening quarter. Model was up by as much as four late in the second quarter.
Half of Hall’s points for Darlington came at the onset, a total helped out by his own steal. He and Wilkerson made 3-pointers in an opening 8-2 run. Then Woodley and Wilkerson exchanged 3 makes, Wilkerson’s coming due to an offensive board.
Darlington was back up by six, 13-7, when Model experienced its own surge of eight in a row. Bryson Denson, the Region 6A D1 Player of the Year, scored 3 at 1:20, and as the Blue Devil press caused a turnover, Woodley put through another 3. Model led for the first time 15-13, but Teasley made sure things were even going into the lane with 30 seconds to go.
The second quarter began with Teasley’s steal on the opening possession. 6-9 freshman Joseph Ogunyemi finished that takeaway off with a slam. Darlington led as much as four in the quarter, 21-17, as Cam Selig’s block led to points for Trey Moore.
The Tigers, though, were not finishing off other chances caused by their defense, and soon Woodley’s baseline teardrop shot tied the game 21-21.
Plays were coming from both sides, Teasley’s put-back and Hall’s double-clutch basket were countered by Bryson Bell’s 3-pointer for the Blue Devils. Model’s Dominic Fraley also blocked a shot, and with Woodley’s 3 Model scored five straight to lead by four, 29-25. The back and forth finish saw Teasley go inside for a Tiger 2, Woodley finish off transition and Selig hit a second-chance 3 ending the half 31-30 in Model’s favor.
The second half’s Tiger outburst was all about transition, the first two baskets coming from Brent Bell and Wilkerson. Teasley scored off his own steal, and Bell finished off an inside feed from Selig. With Bell and Hall causing turnovers, the score went to 42-31 Darlington.
Benson’s penetration gave Model its first points with under two minutes on the quarter clock. Hall delivered a thunderous slam charging up the home crowd, and the third period ended at 47-34.
Teasley added five more quickly in the fourth quarter with Hall making a steal and Selig a block.
“It just gets tougher,” said West about what is facing Darlington in the state tournament. “It’s arguably the toughest, most competitive state playoff format.
“Just keep being who we are. Keep sticking to what we’ve done and what we’ve worked on for so long. Keep playing unselfish and being resilient.”
And as the No. 1 seed, Darlington is assured of playing at home for the first three rounds with the Private semifinals scheduled for the Atkins Arena in Athens the first weekend of March and the championships at the Macon Coliseum.
This article was originally published in the Rome-News Tribune on Feb. 24, 2026.
Photo by Steven Eckhoff
