The last time a Bleckley County Middle School boys basketball team won in the Middle Georgia Middle School Athletic Association basketball tournament was 2009.  That team featured many future stars for the Royals including Rydealous Taylor, Derrick Farrow, and Ken Hughes.

That long losing streak was broken Thursday night in the first round of this year's MGMSAA tournament being played at BCMS.  The seventh-seeded Barons upended third seed Dublin 36-35 on a Shamar Rouse bucket as time expired.

They'll play for a championship game berth against JR Trippe at 7:45 pm.

The season series between Putnam and Bleckley County wrapped up Tuesday night in Cochran.  The Lady Royals led 24-21 at halftime but were outscored 19-4 in the third.  They went on to lose 49-42.  Alexis Ligon had 12.  BCHS went 4 of 13 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.

The Royals trailed by as many as 11 in the second half against Putnam.  Down eight in the fourth, BC tried to rally, getting within two on a Shamar Slappy basket with 15 seconds left.  They were down three with ten seconds left but an offensive foul ended their possession.  BCHS lost 54-50.  Slappy scored 10.  Markell Marshall had 15.  Willie Taylor scored 13.

Region play continues Friday in Roberta versus Crawford County.  Tip time is 7 pm.

The annual Martin Luther King Day parade was held Monday afternoon in downtown Cochran.  Sponsored by the Cochran-Bleckley NAACP, they were amongst many participants which also included local churches and other community organizations from Bleckley and Twiggs counties.  After the parade, a commerative service was held at House of Grace Church.