Eighth-grader Niaira Jones scored 28 points as the Charles Henderson Trojans defeated Brewbaker Technical 52-38 to win the Class 5A South Region Championship on Wednesday

After getting knocked out by Rams a year ago, the Trojans were happy to return the favor.

“I feel like we are going to Disney World right now,” said Trojans head coach Dyneshia Jones. “It is sweet revenge right now. It feels really good to win right now.”

The championship sends the Trojans to the Final Four in Birmingham, where they will play for a state championship.

The eighth-grader Jones stole the show in the first half, scoring 24 of her 28 points. “That is my high for a game,” Jones said. “I just felt it. They kept looking for me so I could shoot.”

The Trojans took an 11-0 lead after the tip and never looked back.

“It was all about heart,” Coach Jones said. “We wanted it really bad we came out and got the lead and we never looked back from that.”

Even though the Trojans wanted to win as a team they really wanted to send captain and only senior India Blakely to Birmingham one more time. “We had to win,” Blakely said. “If we didn’t get them, I would have been heartbroken. I told them losing was not an option today.”

Coming out in the second half the Trojans tried to milk the clock and that allowed the Rams to get back into the game, closing within eight points of the Trojans.

“It was all part of the plan as far as holding the ball and looking for the easy layup,” Coach Jones said. “Instead we had too many turnovers. They went down there and scored, but we were able to keep our composure.”

A key for the Trojans heading into the contest was to stop Bianca Jackson, a playmaker who put up 24 points against the Trojans.

“With her scoring 24 points I still feel like we stopped her,” Coach Jones said. “She is just a great player. She was probably shooing 85 percent tonight.”

The Trojans were able to turn on the jets once again in the fourth quarter and ran away with the 14-point spread to punch their ticket to Birmingham.

“It feels great,” Coach Jones said. “That is our goal to get there. Four of the greatest teams are going to be playing in Birmingham for five days. Our goal right now is to be the greatest team.”

The Trojans will play in the Class 5A Final Four on March 2 against Wenonah at 3 p.m. at the BJCC Arena in Birmingham.