HARD WORK PAYS OFF FOR MAVS’ SENIOR HAMILTON

Dillon Hamilton won the admiration of his teammates long before he connected for one of the biggest three-point plays of the season in last week’s win over Central. Or, the key three-point effort he had in the team’s gritty 56-48 win over Northside last Friday. Look up grinder — today’s go-to terminology — and you might find a picture of Dillon Hamilton. The Mavericks’ senior post isn’t the most fluid player in a league of stars. But he isn’t going to get cheated, either. “Dillon started out in the 10th grade with a bunch of friends with him,” Southside coach Charlie Cooper said. “Some of those guys decided to go play other sports and do other things, and that’s hard for a guy that’s been playing with the same kids for a long time. Dillon, he’s stuck it out. He’s hung in there and worked.” “I was constantly at AAU tournaments and getting in front of scouts and playing higher competition,” Hamilton said. “Really, just working every day.” Hamilton and the Mavericks face Bentonville West today at 8:30 p.m. in the first round of the 7A state tournament at North Little Rock High School. It’s been a long road back to post-season for the Mavericks, who last won a playoff game in 2012 — the last time they were in the tournament. The 6-foot-3 Hamilton’s road hasn’t been any less bumpy. “I don’t really have any words, I’m just so proud of what we’ve done,” Hamilton said. “I’m proud of the player that I’ve become, and I’m very grateful for everything so far.” “He worked hard in the off-season and got stronger,” Southside assistant coach Pedro Sadler said. “Sometimes, seniors just step up when it’s there time, and he’s stepped up.” Other teammates have taken notice, too. “He’s getting in the gym, he’s made improvements on his shot, and gotten stronger in the paint,” teammate Taye Gatewood said. “He’s become a good rebounder.” “He’s catching the ball when we pass it to him, and he used to have trouble with that, but he’s really gotten that down,” senior Ike Moore said. “The way he boxes out, that’s perfect. With our size, that’s about all we can do.” Hamilton played on the same AAU team with Moore and Mavericks’ teammate Ollis Brewer. Then when school resumed, Hamilton got busy. “He was one of those guys that came in as a sophomore and you project as a junior (starter),” Sadler said. “He probably didn’t play as much as he needed to. But this year, he comes in, doesn’t say a lot, just does his job. “Plus, he always has to guard a guy that’s three or four inches taller, and he competes his butt off.” “I’m used to it, it’s nothing new,” Hamilton said of the size differential among league centers. “I just play hard.” Along with Moore’s outside scoring, Gatewood’s slashing, and Brewer’s consistent tempo, Hamilton’s excelled at reading the guards. “He gives that real positive dump-off guy, when our guards penetrate,” Cooper said. “He’s going to have his hands ready; he’s got a quick shot. “He’s worked really hard for everything he has going for him.” The body of work means a trip to the state tournament. Like Hamilton, the Mavericks picked themselves up off the deck and refused to go quietly, winning seven of their final 11 games to earn a No. 5 seed in the 7A-Central. “We just kept working and we believed in ourselves,” Hamilton said. “When you work hard, good things happen.” “We build that chemistry during practice and it carries over to the game,” Gatewood said. “It starts in practice.”

HARD WORK PAYS OFF FOR MAVS’ SENIOR HAMILTON

KEVIN TAYLOR

Times Record | 2/28/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Brian D. Sanderford