PHOTO: The 2017 Plainview Bears Basketball Team. (Contributed Photo)

By Staff Reports

MONTGOMERY, Ala.  – Plainview High School boys’ basketball coach Robi Coker is a big proponent of the 3-point shot. And for good reason.
The Bears finished 31-5 last season reaching the Class 3A state finals by taking a state-record 972 3-point shots. Plainview fell to Midfield 60-46 in the championship game at the BJCC but not before closing the season with 314 made three’s on the year.

The unbeaten Bears (9-0) have been on an even faster pace this season making 25-of-54 shots behind the 3-point arc in a recent 119-55 win over North Sand Mountain. Coker’s Bears set an AHSAA single-game record for treys made, attempted and for the number of players contributing. The sharp-shooting display thrust Plainview into the AHSAA’s first Basketball Spotlight of the season.

Several records fell in that game including most 3-point shots attempted (54) and most 3-point shots made (25) by one team and most 3-point goals (33) made by both teams. North Sand Mountain was 8-of-31 as both teams combined to make 33-of-85 treys attempted.

Ten different players for Coker’s Bears sank at least one 3-pointer with Koby Tinker nailing 7,Caden Millican 4, Haden White 3, Cade Willingham 3, Jeffery Armstrong 2, Clay Cooper 2,Sebastian Long, Dane Haymon, Levi Lusk and Bailey Dukes with 1 each.  The Bison had six players sink at least one 3-point goal with Hunter Vest and Dylan Gentry making 2 each,Russell Marr, Jayden Culpepper, Benjamin Beasley and Kristian Walsh, 1 apiece for a total of 16 players contributing to yet another state record. Hayden and Cleveland high schools held the record with 11 players sinking treys in last season’s 101-74 win by the Wildcats last season.

Plainview picked up four big wins over the last seven days beating 3A arch-rival Sylvania (95-49), three-time defending 1A state champion Sacred Heart (100-90), Class 5A Talladega (89-77) and Class 6A Oxford (70-66). The Bears averaged 88.5 points in the four wins.