Life Christian Academy Article

The Life Christian boys basketball team celebrates after beating Trinity, 81-72, on Friday night in the National Association of Christian Athletics state titlegame at Turner Gym in Albany. The Warriors, who are in their fourth season of existence, will now head to nationals in Tennessee. (Shelby Turner/Special to The Herald)



ALBANY — Keith Graves wasn’t expecting it.

#And that’s just how his kids wanted it.

#Graves, the Albany native and Life Christian Academy alum, led the Warriors’ basketball team to the National Association of Christian Athletics state title Friday night with an 81-72 victory against Trinity.

#The win comes in Graves’ first year as head coach — and then he was rewarded (or punished, however you look at it) by being doused with ice cold water on the hardwood floor of Turner Gym.

#“Man ...” Graves began, “they were jumping everywhere celebrating, then all the sudden they came out of nowhere and got me. I’m still in those clothes. I need to change.”

#But it gets better.

#“After it was all over and everyone left, the water was still sitting there on the floor,” Graves said, before adding with a laugh: “So I’m like, ‘Guess I got to be the one to clean this up, too.’ ”

#Now that’s dedication, and Graves doesn’t mind a bit.

#The former Middle Georgia Tech star guard took over a program that had won just four games a year earlier and lifted it to new heights. Life Christian not only won the state title in just the program’s fourth year of existence, but it went from 4-17 a year ago to 21-4 this year.

#“We feel proud,” the coach said. “Everyone does. Now we got nationals.”

#That next step comes in March when the Warriors head to Dayton, Tenn., to represent the state of Georgia in the NACA nationals.

#Darien Holmes led Life on Friday with 26 points, Tray Buchannan added 23 and Dontravious Sims chipped in 16 points and also had seven steals. Trinity’s William Payton led all scorers with 39.