JACKSONVILLE – The Sand Rock Wildcat boys basketball team continues to make history. After making their first Northeast Regional appearance since 1994, the 2008-09 Wildcats earned a berth in the Class 2A Final Four in Birmingham with a 64-62 victory over Fyffe on Friday.

The dramatic victory came by way of sophomore guard Brannon Burt’s layup at the buzzer in the Class 2A Northeast Regional final. 

The Wildcats (23-9) took on South Regional champion Barbour County (26-5) on Tuesday afternoon at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Complex. The game can be heard on Radio Station Rock 105.9 FM. Against Fyffe, the Wildcats built a 53-42 lead in the fourth quarter with 4:28 left to play, and had to hang on for the win. The Red Devils battled back to tie the game at 62 with 3.1 seconds remaining. Sand Rock called timeout to set up the winning play, in which Burt connected on the game-winning shot as the buzzer sounded.

Senior Justin Mackey earned the Class 2A Northeast Regional Tournament Most Valuable Player award. He scored 26 points in the win over Fyffe. Sophomore Justin Kyser, an all-tournament selection, had 21 points, six rebounds and two steals for the Wildcats. Burt finished the game with seven points.

You can read more about the game, as well as other Northeast Regional

Tournament action from local teams on Page 1B of the Feb. 25 issue of the Cherokee County Herald.