Walnut Grove Boys Basketball Makes State Playoffs

On Tuesday, February 17th, 2026, the Walnut Grove Warrior Boys Basketball team punched their ticket to the state playoffs with an upset win against the Cedar Shoals Jaguars. 
by Drew Caraway and Ty Cameron

The Cedar Shoals Jaguars hosted the Walnut Grove Warriors for the first round of their region tournament game. The Warriors entered the game on an 11-game losing streak against formidable opponents while the Jaguars entered 7-3 in their last ten games. The Jaguars entered the game 17-8 and the Warriors entered as the underdog, sitting at 4-20, and the winner of the two would go to the GHSA State Playoffs (all stats from MaxPreps). 
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After the game went into overtime, the Warriors prevailed, 63-57. The Warriors got revenge from the two regular season matchups, where they were defeated both times. However, the Warriors stepped up when it mattered most. 

Isaiah Davis, a senior, said, “It feels pretty good [to make state] considering that [the season] didn’t really go well, but we fought through and worked as a team, and now we’re here.”
Isaiah went on to say that his favorite thing about playing at Walnut Grove was “just playing as a team.” However, this is not the end of his basketball career. He wants to play basketball in college, and his potential destination is the Georgia Gwinnett College Grizzlies, located northeast of Atlanta, Georgia. 

Isaiah’s favorite moment from this past season was when Will Tyre hit a buzzer beater to get the team its third win of the season against the Oconee County Warriors on December 3rd, 2025. 

On a high note, #4 Zy Burce (pictured) was honored as a first team all-region selection before the game on Wednesday (from Sandy's Spiel). The 6'3” Forward is a member of the Warrior’s STACKED 2027 class, including his brother, Ty Burce, Will Tyre, Billy Hendrix, Dylan Hutchins, Jordan McCollum, and Corley Atkinson. The Warriors will look to return next season with tons of firepower. 

Although the team fell to the Ware County Gators on Wednesday, February 25th, the Viridian News is still incredibly proud of the Warriors. Tune in on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026 to hear the Call of the Warriors as your Warriors face off against the Social Circle Redskins!

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