CJ Wallace: Sophomore hits 1,000

From left, Jakob Watkins, David Childress and Carlos “CJ” Wallace at Thursday's C1D1 Tournament semifinal. Wallace hit, then surpassed his 1,000th high school basketball career point.

Photo by Steve Hankins

CLARKTON – When we take a look at outstanding high school basketball players whose careers sometimes culminate with 1,000 points, generally we consider seniors exiting their programs on high notes.

Delta C-7 (Deering) Charger Carlos “CJ” Wallace eclipsed 1,000 at Thursday's C1D1 Tournament at Clarkton.

And Wallace, 17, is a sophomore.

Although Wallace was a scoring threat since before he entered high school, Thursday's 1,000th point nearly escaped him.

Until the Chargers' semifinal contest against top-seeded Cooter was halted long enough for the public announcement.

“Ladies and gentlemen: The Chargers' Carlos Wallace just hit 1,000” points.

“I was just in the game, in the moment,” Wallace said. “I didn't even know how many points I had.

“I was surprised,” he continued. “I ain't even gonna cap.”

And although the Chargers gave up the C1D1 semifinal round to Cooter 78-64, Wallace said he understood why.

“We ran a 33 and 3 offense tonight,” Wallace said. “It didn't really work for us. They were doing a really good job on defense and I couldn't get open, really.”

Despite that, Wallace enjoyed an unusually successful performance on the court and said he'd continue practicing this summer to be prepared to compete in his successive years.

“Coach Mathis definitely is the best coach I've played under because he worked with me on my left-hand skills,” Wallace said. “He helped me with a lot of stuff that improved my game and made me a better player.

“I just love playing basketball with my friends,” Wallace observed. “It's my passion.”