The Crossroads Chronicle recognizes Swainsboro senior guard Tyler Kelly as the Athlete of the Week for this edition. Kelly has a had a sensational senior season, leading the No. 2 ranked Swainsboro Tigers to a 16-1 record and scoring 24 points in the region championship game.
Kelly has come on strong of late, averaging 16 points in his past six games at a time when Swainsboro needed someone in the backcourt to step into a scoring role to help with a dominant front court. Kelly has been a proficient shooter from 3-point range this season, which really opens up the court and provides space to burn teams for collapsing inside on Fred and Cedric Seabrough. Of late, Kelly has also found his comfort with getting into the lane for easy 10’ to 12’ jump shots and giving the offense just what it needs in the state playoffs.
Kelly was dominant in the third quarter this past week against Laney with the Tigers down by 8 points. He scored 12 points in the period to turn an 8-point deficit into a 6-point lead to help Swainsboro right the ship and win an overtime thriller, sending the Tigers into the Elite 8.