Rashod Bateman (left) and Marquavious Johnson trap a Camden County player in January 2018. Defense has been a major asset for the Blue Devils and a big reason for their region championship last Saturday

TIFTON — Tift County’s defending state Class AAAAAAA champions take the floor Saturday night, part two of an opening round doubleheader in the state basketball tournament in Tifton.

The Blue Devils host Campbell for the first round game. They are joined by the Lady Devils, who tip off against Pebblebrook at 6 p.m.

“They’re a good team,” said Blue Devils head coach Chris Wade about Campbell, who enters as the fourth seed with a record of 18-9. Tift won its sixth consecutive region crowd Friday and extended its state tournament streak to 25 years, the longest active streak for boys teams.

The Lady Devils’ opponent, Pebblebrook, is 16-10, and defeated Campbell 55-51 in a consolation game Saturday. Head coach Julie Conner’s Tift squad is in state for the eighth straight year, but host their first state game since 2016.

Both schools coming in are from Cobb County.

Orme Campbell High School opened in 1952. Popularly known as Campbell-Smyrna for most of its history (avoiding confusion with the other Campbell, the defunct Campbell-Fairburn), CHS absorbed Wills High in 1989.

The Spartans do have some history with Tift. In 1954, the Tifton Blue Devils defeated them in the Class A quarterfinals, en route to a runner-up finish. Since the 1989 merger, Campbell has two quarterfinals appearances and advanced to the semis in 2000. The coach of the 2000 team, James Gwyn, is still at the helm.

Campbell slipped to Region 2’s fourth seed following an 89-65 loss to Westlake in the consolation game. They had beaten Westlake twice during the regular season.

“They were missing two players,” said Wade.

Those out of the lineup were two starters. One of them, Brandon Deravine, averages 12 points per game and is listed at 6’5”.

Deravine should be back in the lineup and if his presence is not big enough in the Campbell lineup, they have three other players who average at least 13 points per game. Against Westlake, Donovan Grant scored 21 points, Kiya Randolph scored 20 and Terrell Burden added 18.

Burden is 5’9” and 150 pounds, with a shooter’s touch. He hits 44 percent of his shots and nearly 40 percent of his three-pointers. Wade compares him to Colquitt County’s point guard.

“He’s a lot like Cam Singletary,” he said.

Wade said the Spartans played an aggressive style.

“They gamble a lot, trap out of the backcourt.”

And like Tift, they have a reputation as being solid from the free throw line.

Fortunately, said Wade, the Devils have been good about keeping their foul numbers down.

With finally everyone in the lineup for more than couple of games at the time, Wade said he has been able to get his rotation set. Substitutions are now down to science. As many as 15 Tift players play significant minutes in each game.

Conner described Pebblebrook as “small, but quick.”

Tift will be the taller team in the matchup, she said, and the Lady Falcons’ size compares favorably to Lowndes.

The Lady Devils have not just the upper hand in size, but also in postseason experience.

Pebblebrook became a senior high school in 1965 (after opening as a junior high in 1963). They first made state in 1989. Since then, they have been six more times and have won four games. The Lady Falcons made it to the second round last year, which was their first appearance in the big dance since 2006.

Conner said the key players are Meliyah White and Milana Holmes. A sophomore, Holmes appears to be the team’s leading scorer. In a win over Newnan to qualify for state, Holmes posted 22 points.

“[Holmes] is their player,” Conner said.

She said Pebblebrook will employ a press defense.

The sides do have an opponent in common: Valdosta. Tift split games with Valdosta, winning a one-point decision on the road. Pebblebrook lost by 10 to Valdosta at a Christmas tournament in Carrollton.

A miracle run through the region tournament got the Lady Devils in their current position. Ranked fourth out of the four teams in the conference, Tift won over Camden County and Colquitt County to make the championship game. Tift had gone 1-5 in the region during the regular season.

Wins for Tift County Saturday would allow them advance to the second round, which will be played either next Wednesday or Thursday. The Blue Devils would stay home, playing ether Woodstock (15-13) or Kennesaw Mountain (18-9). The Lady Devils would be on the road, vying against either Etowah (6-20) or the winners of the last four state championships, McEachern (19-5).