Panthers Fall Short In State Championship Game

By Wright Hogsed

For the first time since 1971, the Union County Panthers’ basketball team played in a state championship game, and the result was very similar. This past Thursday, 26-5, Union County played against a good 20-8 Butler Bulldogs team in the GHSA AA state championship game. The game was held in the historic Macon Coliseum, the same place that the last Union County team that had a place in the state championship game played in 1971. Panther fans were ecstatic to root for their team, as tons of them traveled from Blairsville to be in attendance.

As Panther fans backed their team through noise and applause, the team hoped to provide the school’s first-ever State Championship for the fans. This would prove a very hard feat, as Butler had other plans in mind as they jumped out on the Panthers early in the game. The Bulldogs led by as much as 12 in the first half, but Union never gave up despite a horrific display from the three-point line in the first half, going 1-12. The Panthers never let the lead get larger than the 12 points the rest of the game as they cut it at the half to nine points.

In the second half, the Panthers would have an awakening from their offense led by Senior Guards #2 Houston Henry and #34 Hayden Hughes. Hughes hit three treys in a row to help cut the lead to four in the first minutes of the fourth quarter. Hughes’s huge treys were followed by another huge three-pointer from Henry as the Panthers cut the lead to one point with seven minutes remaining in the game. Union’s big comeback would end up not being enough as Butler hit what felt like every hard shot the Panthers forced them to shoot the rest of the game. Union would never be able to take the lead and would fall to the Bulldogs 57-49.

Even though the Panthers could not finish the job, the 2024-2025 Union County Panthers Basketball team’s journey will not soon be forgotten in Union County. This Panther team accomplished things that had not been done since the early 70s and brought a new mentality and energy to a Union County Basketball program that had not been seen in a very long time.

Undoubtedly, this team’s success can be largely attributed to the Panthers’ four seniors, #2 Houston Henry, #11 Maddox Young, #23 Kaden Combs, and #34 Hayden Hughes. They finish their high school careers with a record of 78-37, and their only sub .500 season coming their first year. They have increasingly had a better record every year they have played for the Panthers, going from 12-14 their freshman season to 26-6 this year. This group will be remembered as one of the best groups to have played at Union County. Henry and Hughes will be remembered as two of the best players to play for the Panthers as they both hold records for the Panthers and reached 1000 points their senior year. Combs, Hughes, and Young have all been multi-sport athletes at Union County, with Combs and Young playing Basketball and Football and Hughes playing Basketball and Baseball. Combs led the Panthers in interceptions, tackles, and sacks while playing both sides of the football his senior year, as well as being a crucial part of the basketball team’s large run. Young led the Panthers football team in all-purpose yards (receiving and rushing) while being one of the best scorers and facilitators for the basketball team this year. Undoubtedly, this group of seniors will be missed in years to come, and they will be just as successful after high school as they were in high school.

As for next season, as the situation stands now, the Panthers will have to rely on their only returning starter in Junior Center #12 Vince Marevka and a few other familiar faces that started games this year in Junior SG #5 Holden Payne and Sophomore Guard #1 Ethan Hogsed. The Panthers will need other players to step up and fill the holes left by the graduating seniors. Some faces the Panthers will look at to hopefully step up and fill these holes will be Sophomore Forward #14 Hayden Price, Sophomore SF/SG #10 Ryland Chambers, Sophomore Forward #21 Jacob Rodriguez, and Freshman Guard #13 Jackson Nichols.