ELLENWOOD, Ga. — In a game that felt more like a heavyweight fight than a basketball matchup, the Frederick Douglass High School Astros stunned the Cedar Grove High School Saints on Saturday night in the Sweet 16 of the GHSA Class 3A Boys Basketball State Tournament.
Facing a 10-point halftime deficit — and a season-long losing streak against Cedar Grove that included a region championship defeat — Douglass entered the second half with its season hanging in the balance. What followed was a relentless comeback defined by toughness, timely shot-making, and defensive grit.
Cedar Grove struck first after the break. Former Douglass player and current three-star UCLA commit Javonte Floyd powered through contact for an and-one finish, while four-star University of Tennessee commit Emmanuel “Manny” Green ignited momentum with a breakaway dunk early in the third quarter.
But Douglass refused to fold.
Behind aggressive drives to the basket, drawn fouls, and disciplined defensive possessions, the Astros clawed back to tie the game at 43–43. Junior guards Malachi Edgell and Promise Palmer, along with senior Cameron Niles, fueled the surge with high-energy play on both ends of the floor.
The back-and-forth battle intensified late in the third quarter. After Cedar Grove erased a slim Douglass lead, Edgell delivered a defining moment — drilling a contested pull-up three at the buzzer over junior guard Jai’Marion Mathis to swing momentum decisively in the Astros’ favor.
The fourth quarter unfolded like a prize fight. Senior wing Charles Amica knocked down a key three-pointer for Douglass, but Cedar Grove answered immediately when Mathis buried a deep corner three as the shot clock expired.
With under three minutes remaining, Edgell and Palmer combined for two crucial baskets that shifted momentum back to the Astros. The Saints made one final push behind a clutch steal and layup from senior forward Dontavious Stringfield and a late three-pointer from Green, but Douglass held firm. Clutch free-throw shooting in the closing moments sealed the victory in what many will consider one of the most significant upsets in recent GHSA tournament history.
Edgell delivered a true breakout performance, finishing with 27 points, nine rebounds, and two steals. The uncommitted 6-foot-6 junior showcased his versatility by impacting the game across multiple positions on both sides of the floor.
Assistant head coach DeMarcus Cunningham described Edgell as “a super competitive guy who’s willing to take over completely if he has to.” Edgell echoed that mindset, emphasizing his ability to adapt and make an impact in any system through energy and effort. Teammate Promise “Babyboy” Palmer noted that Edgell maintains that same intensity from practice through pregame warmups.
Palmer also delivered a strong performance, scoring 11 points while providing relentless defensive pressure. Despite being undersized for a point guard, he embraces the challenge.
“It makes me play harder and smarter,” Palmer said. “That’s something I take pride in.”
The result carried additional meaning for Douglass. The victory not only marked the program’s first win over Cedar Grove, but it also ended the high school career of former teammate Floyd. Palmer noted that the Saints believed they were the better team, adding that the Astros wanted to prove they could win. Edgell echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that the matchup tested the group’s character as much as its basketball ability.
With the statement win, Douglass now turns its attention to the Elite Eight, where the Astros will host the Dougherty High School Trojans on Wednesday — another familiar opponent that has posed challenges in past meetings. This time, however, Douglass carries both momentum and home-court advantage into the showdown.
