Butler upsets defending champ Pace Academy without its leading scorer. Here's what it means

Gutsy.

That’s, no doubt, what Butler coach Cervantes Boddy is calling it.

His Bulldogs, carrying the No. 2 seed on the road to Atlanta knocked off defending Class AA champion Pace Academy 60-56. It caused Butler's 12-year head coach to wax proud about his team's performance.

"No matter the situation, circumstances, you got to come out and give your best," he said. "That's what they did tonight."

Now here’s the impressive part.

Butler did it without 6-foot-4 senior star Kedar Bodie who is out for the season with a stress fracture in his foot.

"We're not gonna coach any less because we're missing KB," he said. "I'm not going to coach less. We're not gonna scale practice back. Everybody's going to have to step up and do their job. That's the reality of this game."

Bodie injured his foot in the Region 4-AA semifinal game against Glenn Hills. At first, Boddy thought it was just a turned ankle that would heal with rest and ice. But when Bodie couldn't go against Westside in the region tournament championship game, he knew it was something deeper.

"He couldn't plant on it against Westside," Boddy said. "Everytime he tried to plant, he'd turn the ball over. I asked him what was wrong. And then after that game, he went to the doctor and that's when he found out it was a stress fracture."

But fellow senior Kendrell Glanton — a player Boddy had been high on since Butler’s second regular season win against Westside — poured in 25 to help his team to victory. That wasn't a surprise to Boddy because "next man up" has been his mantra all season long.

"It's always going to be a group effort with us," Boddy said. "It's always going to be a collective thing. I wish I could say, 'this one or this one is going to do it.' But it's always someone different. Earlier against Toombs County Elijah (Martinez) stepping up. Tonight it was Kendrell. We know Zy'quan (Grant) is going to be steady at the point like he was tonight. Gemaureon Belton gave a major contribution tonight too. It's going to be a team effort."

And in some ways, Bodie's presence is still being felt, despite his absence on the court.

"KB's a major piece to this team," he said. "We love him. He's our leader. I think at the beginning of the season there was an article written that said, 'as he goes, we go.' Well, now that he can't go, we still have to go. But he's with us. Tonight he was on the bench in his boot clapping and coaching. I've promoted him to assistant coach."

Boddy says he's giving his team until the morning to enjoy the Pace Academy triumph. And then it's on to the Bulldogs' Elite Eight opponent.

As we look to the state tournament's next round, here are three takeaways from Butler's upset win that could have implications for the next couple of weeks.

Related coverage: Matchups to watch: We analyze and predict this weekend's 2nd round state tourney action

Butler in the driver’s seat?

The Bulldogs will await the winner of Saturday’s Heard County-Washington County matchup which will tip off at 4 p.m. The winner of that game will host Butler in the Class AA Elite Eight round. With top-ranked Pace out of the way — and because it was Butler that beat the Knights — the Bulldogs will join Columbia from the other side of the bracket as the new favorites to win a state crown.

That’s because, of the remaining teams aside from Columbia, Butler is the highest ranked and has the most quality wins of any one else remaining in the bracket. However, losing Bodie is a huge hit to this team’s psyche. Not only was he the leading scorer on the team with over 14 points per game, he was an emotional leader and helped Butler maintain that edge that makes it a dangerous ball club to beat, regardless of the opponent’s skill level.

Obviously, Butler showed it can beat the best of the best without Bodie. But it would rather have its star back for sure. But as aforementioned, others will have to step up in his place, just as Glanton did, if Butler is to move on to the Final Four.

All eyes on Westside

All of a sudden, that Westside-Columbia tilt becomes even more massive, especially for those hoping to see an all-Augusta area state championship game in Class AA. Westside didn’t play Columbia in the regular season. Butler did, losing 59-55 to the Eagles on December 4. Westside’s licking its chops, no doubt, thinking that pulling off a win against Columbia could put the Patriots and Bulldogs on a collision course for a fourth meeting of the season, this time for all the marbles.

Westside can match Columbia athletically. The Patriots have pretty decent depth as well and the home court advantage. If Columbia wins Saturday afternoon, then it’s likely Columbia will cruise to a title game with Butler. If Westside wins, Augusta-area basketball fans can start talking more confidently about the statewide bragging rights of having two of its own programs vying for Class AA supremacy.

Can Westside win it all?: Here's why this Augusta-area coach says a state championship for his team is bound to happen

Don’t sleep on WACO

While we’re talking about a potential Butler-Westside state championship match that’s still a bit down the road, don’t overlook the Golden Hawks. WACO has a tough assignment against a good Heard County team, but pass that assignment and it will draw a Butler team it’s already beaten once this season.

WACO edged Butler 53-48 on December 21 during a tournament. The Hawks would no doubt argue that they have just as valid an argument as Columbia and Butler for being considered a state title favorite, and given WACO’s head-to-head triumph over Butler, it would be hard to refute that argument.

However, that was regular season. This is postseason. And as we just saw through Butler’s upset of Pace Academy, anything can happen in high school hoops during this time of year.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: High school basketball: Butler upsets No. 1 Pace Academy. Here's what it means