Over the last 20 plus years as a basketball coach, Goshen head coach Johnny Mitchell has seen quite a few games like the one he witnessed Friday night. Mitchell’s Eagles fell to top-seeded Elba 62-42 in the first round of the area tournament in Elba.

Goshen hung with the taller, faster Tigers for the first quarter, but couldn’t get the ball to drop in the last three quarters en route to the blowout loss.

“We played them tough in the first,” said Mitchell. “We had a bad scoring drought in the second, and they were able to get on a run and get out front. We did not have a good shooting night anywhere, from the floor, at the line and they didn’t give us many looks at the three.”

Goshen was able to hang around with the Tigers for the majority of the game but never challenged in the second half. The undersized Eagles had a tough night dealing with Elba’s low-post player, Cobe Goosby.

Goosby was able to use his size to out muscle Goshen’s post players for 24 points.

“He is a great ball player,” said Mitchell. “He is agile for a big man, and will make you pay if you don’t play defense the right way.”

Deangelo Orum led the way for the Eagles offense with 20 points, and sophomore guard Quay Simmons added 10 more.

The loss ends the season for Goshen, but Mitchell feels the best is yet to come for the team and school.

“We lose two great character guys off this team in Rashad Rodgers and Carlton Bean,” said Mitchell. “They are great leaders and good role models for everyone in our area. We have really wanted that to be the direction of not just basketball, but all our sports programs, to have good athletes that are event better people.”

With the loss of Rodgers and Bean, Mitchell and staff will turn to Orum, Simmons and Denzil Green to lead their hot shooting attack.

“We feel that Quay and Chub (Orum) have the potential to be really special before they are done here,” said Mitchell. “Denzil has come a long way with his offense and rebounding, and we also have the entire bench coming back. Before you can build the house, you have to lay the foundation. I believe we did that this season, and we will be ready to go in the fall.”