05 BLOCKED SHOTS AT BRS ON THE RISE
22 UVA’S ANDERSON HITS THE STANDS
scrımmageplay THE CENTRAL VIRGINIA SPORTS AUTHORITY
VOL 5 . ISSUE 11 :: FEBRUARY 20, 2014
Second Season The CHS boys and MHS girls enter the playoffs riding a huge wave of momentum PAGE 7 AND 13
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ABOVE THE RIM Barons’ newest star contests all shots
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MINOR MAZE CHS and its tried and true formula
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DEPTH OF FIELD Monticello girls hoops bolsters its status
22 UVa’S andeRSon HiTS THe STandS
scrımmageplay vol 5 . issue 11 :: February 20, 2014
Second Season VOL 5 . ISSUE 11 :: FEBRUARY, 2014
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05 SHoT BloCkS aT BRS on THe RiSe
The CHS boys and MHS girls enter the playoffs riding a huge wave of momentum page 7 and 13
S TA F F Bart Isley, Creative Director Bob Isley, Infrastructure Director Ryan Yemen, Creative Editor O N T H E COV E R Charlottesville’s Caleb Gage and Monticello’s Kiana Scott
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GAME TIME Monroe boys top Madison
M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T Local sports are the lifeblood of every community in America, and we’re here to reach beyond the basics and give compelling accounts about Central Virginia athletes to our readers.
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OUT ON THE TOWN UVa’s Anderson checks in on the locals
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PREGAME
The Fluffy stuff
Albemarle’s K.K. Barbour shows off her gymnastics skills after the so called “Snochi/Pax” snowstorm on February 12th and 13th. There wasn’t a lot of basketball played that week, but the Patriots’ star got some cardio work in. The following week Barbour and the Patriots got back to work and punched a ticket to the Region 5A playoffs with a dominating win over Halifax in the Conference 16 playoffs. ✖ (Photo by K.K. Barbour)
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Family
Corner PRESENTED BY
ABOVE »Buckingham’s Russ Gowin (right) is a classic example of a well-mannered coach that knows how to motivate his players to rise to the occasion while still being player friendly.
What are you here for? When we think of motivation, we often think of big speeches in the movies. Like Norman Dale in Hoosiers or Herman Boone in Remember the Titans. But while the “freedom” speech in Braveheart is goosebump inducing stuff, the response from the Irish Mercenary Stephen that comes right after William Wallace finishes up that speech is telling about real motivation. “Fine speech. Now what do we do?” When I worked as a camp counselor and volunteered as a middle school football and lacrosse coach, I often struggled with motivating campers or players. I was a pretty energetic coach by nature, but getting a player to do something they weren’t particularly excited about was tough. Getting a player to play “harder” was particularly difficult because it’s such a hard thing to quantify intellectually. You know what it looks like when you see it, but getting a player to transform or play more energized just isn’t an easy task. I tried coaxing first, then moved on to barking. Not really yelling — though maybe some of it sounded like that — but more just
drill sergeant type stuff. It didn’t really work. It’s pretty clear looking back that I spent way too much time either imposing my own values on to my players or talking about my own values and reasons for being there when I should’ve been asking my players a simple question — why are you here? Motivation and drive is almost always going to vary naturally within a group of two or more people. It’s human nature — different things light a different spark in people. Athletes are no exception. People play sports for a lot of different reasons. There are a handful — a small, tiny handful — that legitimately want to be the absolute best at their craft, position, whatever. They’re purely locked in on football, basketball or baseball, whatever sport they’ve decided to focus on. We’re talking about the athletes who want it more than they want to breathe. They seem to intuitively understand it takes hard work and an intense, competitive edge to reach the top. Those kind of athletes don’t show up very
often, and they have natural motivation. If anything, you’re going to have to occasionally get them to just breathe. More often though, players would like to be good, but really just want to contribute to the squad. Or they want to feel like they’re a part of the team. Or they want friends to hang out with. Or they really just want to play in the games. If you know what that motivation is, if you understand why they want to be there, you can use that to actually help them accomplish their goals. Don’t assume an athlete wants to be good for the sake of being good. If they want playing time, walk them through what they need to do. If they really just want to be a part of the team, you’ll know pushing them and riding them about their shooting form probably isn’t going to help them stay motivated. Instead, you can focus on getting them to play harder for their teammates. Knowing what players want will help you hold them accountable too because you can let them know they’re not headed toward reaching their personal goals with certain behaviors. Coaches should ask direct, simple questions about personal motivation, and create an environment where players aren’t telling you what you want to hear out of fear or what you’ll think of them. Give them a space to be honest and forthright with you. Wallace’s response to Stephen is spot on, “Just be yourselves.” ✖ Scrimmage Play and Triple C Camp partner up to cover family issues related to youth and prep sports in our Family Corner.
Bart Isley,
CRE ATIVE DIRECTOR
www.scrimmageplay.com :: 04
First Quarter Above the rim
BRS newcomer made a name for himself early By Bart Isley
B
Diakite’s length and athletic ability is giving shooters fits. (Bart Isley)
{ GETTING 100 } The Barons big man is doing all the right things statistically in the paint. Per game numbers.
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ND S KREBOU AR A EL DER
5.8 7.3 BLO C KS
FG P ERC ENTAG E
POINTS
13.8
locking a lot of shots is one thing. Blocking a lot of shots, altering many more and staying out of foul trouble? That’s a whole different monster. One that Blue Ridge is happy to have patrolling the paint for the Barons.
Mamadi Diakite’s play this year may not have translated into many wins for Blue Ridge’s boys basketball team after he arrived midseason, but the future certainly looks brighter for the Barons with the affable 6-foot10 sophomore in the fold. “He’s only been here a couple of weeks but he’s really worked hard — that comes naturally to him,” said Blue Ridge coach Bill Ramsey after one of Diakite’s first games, a 10-block effort against Virginia Episcopal in January. “We’re trying to get him to fit into the flow of the offense — now we can spread it out. They’re learning to trust him.” By the end of the year, that trust was clearly there. Diakite, a native of Conakry, the capital of Guinea, joined a Barons squad in the midst of a major transition. After years with a host of big men in the middle molded by Ramsey, Blue Ridge started 2013-2014 with a lot of guards but little in the way of height underneath. That limited what Blue Ridge could do, and as guards like Juan Porta and Affana Offor saw, not having a big man to keep defenses honest led to a ton of contested 3-pointers and a general struggle to create open shots. Things changed when Diakite arrived, forcing Ramsey to change up the small ball game plan that the Barons had gotten used to without Diakite. With the sophomore on the block, Blue Ridge had to adjust and it took the offense a while to come around. The defense, however, was almost immediately transformed. Diakite is averaging an area-wide high of 5.8 blocks per game. That appears to be the highest average by a local
player in the five years Scrimmage Play has been collecting local basketball statistics. But it only tells half the story of Diakite’s impact. He changes or alters what looks like about 20 shots per game, making life tough on the slashing combo guards that are so prevalent in the private school game. On a drive inside they end up with four less than desirable choices — try to draw a foul (Diakite plays with excellent body control and blocks the ball at an extremely high point so this isn’t a high percentage play), kick it back out, pullup or take an awkward, off-balance shot. He also became a team leader right out of the gate and has been a welcome addition on campus according to school administrators. The wild part about the sophomore is that he’s just starting to scratch the surface. Big men under Ramsey usually develop well. Diakite is clearly eager to refine his game as he went from a defensive presence to an all-around force on both sides of the court as he got more comfortable during his 10 games this season. In the Barons final game, a VIC tournament loss to Miller, he finished with 17 points to bolster the Barons’ offense. The last time a player from Guinea became a Baron it worked out pretty well. Malick Kone, who also hails from Conakry, is averaging 14.5 minutes per game for Rutgers in the newly formed American Athletic Conference while also earning Academic All-Big East honors. Diakite could be on track to follow a similar path in St. George. ✖
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College Update
We’ve gone digital
Miller’s Cannon finds role as fan favorite at NC State
But you can have it in print too!
By Bart Isley Chase Cannon has only scored three points so far in his college career. But the 2012 Miller School graduate clearly knew how to make that basket special. Entering a blowout against Cleveland State early in his 2012-2013 freshman campaign, Cannon hit a 3-pointer. The shot itself shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. He knocked them down at a clip of three 3-pointers per game as part of some fantastic Miller squads during his time with the Mavericks. He held his own alongside Andrew White, Devon Anderson and local sharpshooter Travis Hester while averaging 11.7 points and 4.2 boards as senior. But the setting couldn’t have been much better for his single collegiate 3-pointer. He hit it at N.C. State’s classic venue Reynolds Coliseum with 52 seconds left that Raleigh newspaper the News & Observer aid “raised the noise level at Reynolds to near its old standards.” Cannon even made CBSsports.com during December as part of a Youtube video with the words to Jingle Bells altered to incorporate members and aspects of the Wolfpack basketball program. Along with junior guard Staats
Battle, a walk-on from Raleigh, they’re known collectively as the #BattleCannon on Twitter among N.C. State fans and their entry into the game during a blowout is highly celebrated. A 6-foot-5, 200-pound shooting guard with a solid stroke and good defensive instincts, Cannon could’ve gone to any number of Division III programs and played extensively out of the gate. But the North Carolina native came to N.C. State largely for academic reasons — he is a Bob and Carol Mattocks scholar, a merit-based program at NCSU — and joined the Wolfpack’s basketball program through an open tryout process. Last year, he won the Everett Case Scholar Athlete Award as the Wolfpack’s top student, which also comes as little surprise as he was ranked at the top of his class at Miller during his stint there. His hard work off the court and during practice as a key member of the Wolfpack’s scout team earned him one of the highest honors a walk-on can receive — a scholarship. Cannon became a scholarship ACC basketball player this year during the fall, proving there are many, many paths to the top of the game. ✖
BELOW » Former Miller sharpshooter Chase Cannon, Now at N.C. State, spots up. (North Carolina State University sports information)
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MINOR MAZE STORY BY RYAN YEMEN PHOTOS BY ASHLEY THORNTON & TOM PAJEWSKI
ONLY ONE CONSTANT EXISTS IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA BASKETBALL. EVERY YEAR PERSONNEL CHANGES, AS OLD TALENT GRADUATES AND A NEW CROP OF TALENT LOOKS TO FIND ITS WAY. SCHEMES VARY FROM PROGRAM TO PROGRAM AND OFTEN CHANGE BASED ON RETURNING TALENT, OR AN INFLUX OF YOUTH. HOWEVER AT CHARLOTTESVILLE, THERE IS NO SUCH CHANGE — OR AT LEAST NOT VERY MUCH FROM ONE SEASON TO THE NEXT. THERE IS NEVER A NEED TO SCOUT THE BLACK KNIGHTS IN TOO MUCH DETAIL. EVERYONE FROM THE COACHES TO THE PLAYERS TO FANS, KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A TEAM COACHED BY MITCH MINOR. THERE WILL BE A HEAVY ROTATION OF GUARDS AND THE DEFENSIVE PRESSURE STARTS FROM THE OPENING TIPOFF AND DOESN’T RELENT UNTIL THE GAME IS IN THE BOOKS.
www.scrimmageplay.com :: 08
“I’VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE SO MANY GUARDS THAT FIT THIS STYLE BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO.” — MINOR 09 :: @scrimmageplay
“Everyone knows what we’re going to do and maybe there are years where we have to adjust a bit here and there but I’ve been fortunate to have so many guards that fit this style because this is what we want to do,” Minor said. A former player for Minor in the mid 1980’s, St. Anne’sBelfield coach Brian Kent joked with the CHS coach about what was like to coach against the Black Knights during the meeting between the two during the holidays. It’s been nearly 30 years and even Kent couldn’t help but notice that some things never change. It has a lot to do with why the Black Knights are perennially one of the most difficult teams to beat in the Jefferson District, year in, year out. “Every coach has their own philosophy and mine has always been that you apply pressure on defense, create turnovers and get your offense from that,” Minor said. “I don’t think that’s going to change for me. So everyone is going to know what we’re going to do every year for the most part. We’re going to press you and play man-to-man full court. If you run a zone on us we’re going to push the ball at you so that you don’t have time to set it up. That’s just what we’re going to do.” The bulk of Charlottesville roster returned from last year, a rare rebuilding season under Minor. So the Black Knights were poised to make noise simply because of that familiarity. Then Charlottesville added Leon Straus, a 6-foot-2 talent who transferred from Blue Ridge, arguably the most elite private school basketball program this area has had over the last 20 years. The addition of Straus had an immediate impact for Charlottesville as it had lost its go to scorer in Darius Watson last year. Straus stepped in and found a way to lead the area in scoring at 21.5 points per game through the regular season and took home Jefferson District player of the year honors. “Leon is the most assertive player we have offensively,” Minor said. “He attacks the best of anyone and I think that has a lot to do with him being bigger and stronger. We certainly don’t mind his offensive mindset and that he knows how to shoot the ball from the outside as well. It’s nice to know who our go to guy is. Sometimes teams struggle identifying that player, we haven’t had that with Leon.” Straus flourished in Minor’s system as the up tempo style fit his pure athleticism. His job wasn’t all that different than in years past, but the full court pressure was a new item that particularly enjoyed becoming a part of. “I love putting pressure on people so when he said that he liked to trap and play full court defense, that just fit right into my game,” Straus said. “Then I found that I trust my teammates and that they trust me.” If Straus is the engine that drives Charlottesville, then Jordan Saylor and Caleb Gage are the classic Minor-esque guards that are the spark plugs that make the whole thing possible. At 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-5 respectively, this guard duo plays at a break-neck pace that makes their size irrelevant even when they are matched up with a height disadvantage. When Minor puts together a team it’s the Saylors and Gages of the world that he’s looking for, that he covets as players. Charlottesville’s entire offense is a free flowing deal that is
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Dennis (left) and Girstantas (right) have specified roles from Minor, both offensively and defensively.
at its best out of transition. All teams claim that their offense starts with defense, but in the Black Knights’ case, it’s actually the case. This team is at its best, it’s most dangerous when it’s improvising rather than running its sets. So what Minor looks for more than anything is an athlete that can create turnovers. Saylor and Gage do just that and on a regular basis. “I think you can find out pretty early on whether someone is going to be the right kind of defender,” Minor said. “We can see it in the way they move their feet. I like aggressive guards but ones that know how to play under control. I look for a guard that knows how to keep someone in front of them. If you can do that, with the type of pressure we put on them, it makes a huge difference. It makes it so hard for teams to take the ball where they want to. That’s the whole reason for putting pressure on the ball, to not let a team go where they want. I’m looking for a guard who wants to make that difficult.” Playing defense is almost impossible nowadays as officiating gets tighter and tighter each season. To apply as much pressure as Charlottesville does means learning to adapting to the tone of a game, from one to the next. “You can usually figure it out pretty quick,” Gage said. “By the time you pick up your second foul you know how the game is going to be called.” Offensively, Gage brings an acrobatic routine to the paint that you wouldn’t expect. He doesn’t shy away from contact and has a way of getting around the taller forwards underneath, avoiding blocks by using reverses and working around defenders instead of going
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straight over them. Saylor on the other hand, is both the distributor and Minor’s voice. While he’ll launch the occasional 3-pointer, he mostly focuses on finding the open man and making sure his teammates are aware of their responsibilities. “I’m supposed to facilitate what goes on on the court so it’s also my job to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Saylor said. “Playing point, you do a lot of thinking on the fly. It’s a split second thing, it’s there or it’s not. It’s something that becomes automatic to where you’re not even thinking. It just happens, that’s the play.” With those two paired with Straus, the Black Knights had a strong core to work with, but it wasn’t until the other role players around them started to find their game that Charlottesville took off. The Black Knights dropped two of their three holiday tournament games, falling to STAB and then to Albemarle. They didn’t lose another game in the regular season. It had a lot to do with players like Kendal Dennis. Dennis is the post presence for Charlottesville defensively and while the Black Knights lean on him for their rebounding efforts, his job in the press is to play centerfield. When Dennis anticipates properly and provides a safety valve, the rest of Charlottesville’s guards become their most effective. “He’s done such a great job lately for us and come into his own,” Minor said. “I think that’s made a big difference for us, having (Dennis) playing so well on defense.” Dennis is at the front of a long line of role players. When the Black Knights need to beef up and play against a larger roster, All-JD
“IF YOU DON’T DO YOUR JOB YOU’RE GOING TO GET SUBBED OUT AND QUICK.” — DENNIS defensive tackle Troy Hughes comes in off the bench. “There’s really not much to it,” Hughes said. “Coach comes up to me and says that we need rebounds, tells me to make sure I box out my man and play defense.” When Minor needs an offensive spark from outside or someone to give Saylor or Gage a breather, he turns to Mica Girstantas. “When he comes to me I think he’s looking for a spark,” Girastantas said. “Backing up Caleb and Jordan, I really feel like they’re two of the best guards in the area and so it’s tough because they get the tough assignments. You have to go in there and be ready to battle, get every loose ball and then find my spots. I was kind of a designated shooter last year and this year I think I’ve been able to do a lot more than that.” While Straus might be the most versatile player this team has, Isaiah Green is able to provide a lot of similar qualities as he can
run with the guards but has the size and strength to play forward. In the end, all right pieces were there for CHS, it was just a matter of putting them together. “When you have a team like this you just hope for the team to have chemistry,” Minor said. “We have got a lot of guys that are capable of doing a lot of different things for us.” And that makes playing time the perfect motivating factor. There is arguably no greater way to push a team to bigger and better things than finding healthy competition within the team and its something that Minor’s players learn quickly. “Listen, if you don’t do your job, you’re going to get subbed out and quick,” Dennis said. “Everyone has their role. They know what it is and that’s just how we play.” Charlottesville hit it’s stride in the second half of the regular season and now enters the post season looking to get through to the Region 4A North tournament and make its first state appearance since the 2010-2011 season. As a team that hasn’t lost in more than a month and half, the focus remains simple. This team never really worries about who it faces or what kind of scheme that team runs. Black Knights basketball is what it is because it remains true to it’s identity. So until there season ends, this team will only worry about thing. “It’s like coach always says, ‘Just make sure you’re better in practice today than you were the day before,’” Saylor said. If they do that, this season will be longer than anyone anticipated out of the gate. ✖ www.scrimmageplay.com :: 12
DD EE P TT HH O FF FF II EE LL DD
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S TO RY B Y RYA N Y E M E N | P H OTO S BY A S H L E Y T H O R N TO N
T T
HEIR PRODUCTION OVERSHADOWS EVERYTHING, AND HAS FOR GOING ON THREE YEARS NOW. MOLLY SHEPHARD AND MEGHAN COMER ARE, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR AND NEXT, THE ENGINE THAT DRIVES THE MONTICELLO GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM. THE BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK JEFFERSON DISTRICT CHAMPIONS ARE STUCK IN THE BEST KIND OF STATUS QUO ANY COACH
COULD ASK FOR WHERE IT’S TWO MOST CELEBRATED ATHLETES HAVE STARTED EVERY GAME FOR THE MUSTANGS SINCE THEY DEBUTED AS FRESHMEN BACK IN THE 2011-2012 SEASON. AS SUCH, THE REAL COACHING, THE TRUE GAMESMANSHIP TAKING PLACE AT MONTICELLO ISN’T WITH ITS TWO STAR PLAYERS BUT RATHER THE WAY COACH JOSH MCELHENEY IS USING THE REST OF HIS ROSTER TO HELP COMPLIMENT AND IN A LOT OF WAYS, MULTIPLY SHEPHARD AND COMER’S EFFORTS. IN KIANA SCOTT, CIERRA HALL, REAGAN ROBERTS AND LYRA PAYNE, THE MUSTANGS HAVE A SEEMINGLY PERFECT GROUP OF ROLE PLAYERS THAT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. WHILE SCOTT AND HALL HELP MAKE COMER’S LIFE EASIER, ROBERTS AND PAYNE DO THE SAME FOR SHEPHARD. AND WHILE THERE MAY ONLY BE ONE BALL TO SPREAD AROUND, THE THIS TEAM’S UNSELFISH NATURE HAS ALLOWED ALL OF THESE PLAYERS TO OFFER INCREDIBLE DEPTH BOTH OFFENSIVELY AND DEFENSIVELY TO AN ALREADY GIFTED PROGRAM.
www.scrimmageplay.com :: 14
------On a team of underclassmen, seniors Cierra Hall (above) and Lyra Payne (below) help to offer Monticello perspective in addition to the jobs they hold on the court
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Coming into the year, the only real question mark surrounding Monticello was around Scott. After 4-year starting point guard Bridget Holleran graduated following the Mustangs’ final four state playoff run, McElheney had to find a successor. He didn’t have to look far. “Kiana, she gets the ball up the court pretty quick and gives us tempo,” McElheney said. “She had a pretty good teacher last year in Bridget and she took that opportunity to learn. She worked all summer long for this spot and has been great.” Scott’s speed defensively and comfort bringing the ball up court showed in spots during her freshman season, making her a natural fit for Holleran’s job this year. With Comer taking over more of a point-forward role this year, Scott’s transition to a starting role was more fluid — or at the very least, less daunting. “Since we returned all five starters the year before I think everyone was wondering what the change in chemistry was going to be like,” Hall said. “It’s been a change and I think one that’s made us better. Kiana’s been such a great addition.” It did not take long for the sophomore to find her way as she dropped in 10 points in the Mustangs first December game against Heritage. Since then she’s found a way to average 7.4 points a game and done so by attacking the basket. With Comer and Hall already well established as the perimeter, Scott’s willingness to drive inside gives Monticello the kind of fearless guard necessary to take advantage of all the playmakers this team has. When defenses key in on the perimeter shooting, Scott can look inside to create looks for Shephard and Roberts. It works the same the other way around and if teams get too creative or don’t show the Mustangs’ newest starter enough respect, the lane is all hers for the taking and she’s shown a consistent ability to finish at the basket. “Working with these teammates has been just phenomenal,” Scott said. “The chemistry is there and it’s there both on and off the court. I always know where they are whether its on the court or in the hallways, on the bus. The leadership that we have is amazing and so that’s made me want to push that much more.” Her passing has improved greatly as the season’s progressed as well, she had just five games where she committed more turnovers than assists and went into the postseason averaging a healthy 3.6 helpers per contest. Her 2.3 steals per game have been welcome in kick starting the Mustangs transition game and her 4.3 rebounds per game a true bonus to a team that is already loaded with players that can clean up on the glass. “Right now I’ve been looking at it like that’s my ball, our ball.” Scott said. “It’s mine to pick up, bring it down the court, to pass it around, to shoot it. Nobody (opposition wise) is allowed to take it. It’s our ball.” While the biggest shakeup this year for the Mustangs was in the backcourt, Reagan Roberts’ presence in the post has altered
Congratulations, VIC Champions! Blue Ridge School seniors Torian Pegram, left, and Nate Johnson won 1st place in the Viriginia Independent Schools Conference Wrestling Championship last weekend in their weigth divisions. This weekend they made it to the finals in the State Championship.
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-------the dynamics of this team as well. She picked up lots of experience last season, but this year she’s emerged as bonafide center, something that’s not easy to find in the high school girls game. That’s allowed Shephard to drift out a little bit into more of a high post role. Roberts’ rebounding and passing with Shephard underneath the basket was a back breaker for many opponents this year. “We had to find a way to get our two bigs on the court at the same time and that’s not easy because they kind of occupy the same space,” McElheney said. “They’ve both worked really hard to move around and it’s become such a good combination. You can’t focus on one or the other because they know how to find eachother.” No team after the holiday break was able to stop both Shephard and Roberts from owning the paint. “By playing with Molly over the summer I feel like I’ve learned her thought process,” Roberts said. “So I’ve been getting more assists. I know where she’s going to be and I trust her. It’s nice to have that connection.” The added presence down low is a welcome one for this year’s Jefferson District player of the year. “It’s definitely a change from the last couple of years,” Shephard said. “I’ve always been the bigger post so now I’m moving around a bit more and getting different responsibilities. Having Reagan down low is great because it’s new and given us something fresh,
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something different.” Roberts knew coming into the season that her role would be larger than last year and has truly embraced it. While her height makes her a natural fit, it takes a certain attitude to establish a career almost exclusively underneath the basket and Roberts certainly seems comfortable. “I’m just really trying to work on position, make sure that I have myself where I need to be,” Roberts said. “I knew this year was going to be my best chance to get in a make a difference. Coming in I thought finding the right chemistry was actually going to be a lot harder than it has been.” When both players are on the floor, Monticello has a pair of double-double threats. When one of them is in foul trouble, it’s not nearly the issue it was say two years ago. Roberts ability and willingness to kick out to open shooters is just the icing on the cake as her line of 8.9 points and eight rebounds per game already make her extremely valuable. “You know I think the thing about this team right now is that we’ve got so many different players that can score,” Roberts said. “That’s made us a team that’s just really hard to stop because anyone on this team can come out and do it. We all have the ability.” So while Scott’s allowed Comer to become a point-forward and Roberts has allowed Shephard to become more of roaming power
-------““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ ““ “We’ve kept the energy up on this team in the games and in practice because we’re so close.” — Hall
forward, the two wild cards on any given night for McElheney this season are his seniors. Cierra Hall and Lyra Payne are two of the most vocal players for the Mustangs, both on the court and from the bench. Hall’s outside shooting and play defensively at guard is hard for teams to account for. Hall puts together arguably the most balanced line any coach could hope for from a role player at 6.8 points, 2.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game, all without much of the gameplan being designed around her. When Payne comes off the bench to sub in for Shephard or Roberts, she brings a jolt of energy, especially on the defensive end. Her efforts can often get left off the stat sheets but her 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals each game do not, especially with the minutes she
plays. Also helping out is senior Leah Coleman who comes in to give Hall and Scott valuable rest. But maybe more important than anything, these seniors bring a little bit of perspective and urgency to a team that is dominated by underclassmen. “I think we’ve kept the energy up on this team in the games and in practice because we are so close as a team,” Hall said. “And you know sometimes like any team we’re going to have our moments where we fight a bit but what’s good is that we’ve found a way to get energy out of that this year. You can make those things into positives.” Now engulfed in the Conference 29 tournament, the Mustangs’ seniors take the court knowing it could well be there last high school game. It’s not lost on them. “When you play a sport or so long and you realize that it’s coming to an end, you know you have to give it your all whenever you get the chance,” Payne said. “We don’t really have a choice when it comes to that.” The previous two seasons the Mustangs were thought of as young and developing. They’ve finally hit that point as a program where they’ve matured and time is off the essence. Scott and Roberts have given this team the depth it needs to make a run for a state title. Now it’s just a matter of bringing all this depth into focus and getting the job done. ✖ www.scrimmageplay.com :: 18
Game Time William Monroe 61, Madison County 55 By Bart Isley
Monroe’s Austin Batten finished with 18 points in a win over rival Madison County. (John Berry)
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Down big out of the gate Thursday night against archrival Madison on the road, William Monroe’s boys basketball team needed some kind of spark after an early timeout. “Our freshman Anthony Terry kept us in the game, he came out (of the timeout) really hot for us and that was a big boost for us,” said Monroe coach Mike Maynard. With the Dragons down by eight, Terry got going and helped Monroe steady the ship en route to a 61-55 victory over Madison County. Terry hit a pair of late first quarter 3-pointers as part of a 10-point first half and gave Monroe just enough offense while senior Austin Batten tried to get going. Batten carried the load after halftime with a trio of 3-pointers that ignited an 18-point performance by the guard. Monroe maintained a five-point advantage most of the second half against Madison, but struggled to put the young Mountaineers away and never found that decisive run to put the game completely out of reach. “It’s a hard part of coaching to make sure you’ve got these 15 through 18 year olds ready to play and I guess I didn’t do a good job because we were down 11-2 after about three minutes,” Maynard said. “I just wasn’t really happy with the effort especially early. You can’t come into the gym of your biggest rival and not give better effort.” The game turned into a foul shooting contest late for Monroe and the Dragons were largely up to the task, hitting 12 of 20 in the
fourth quarter. Monroe forward Jeff Early was particularly strong at the line with a 10 for 13 night from the charity stripe. He finished with 16 points. It was one of the more complete efforts from a young Madison squad that has little experience on the floor beyond senior forward Matt Temple. The Mountaineers took it to the Dragons early with a balanced attack and freshman Isiah Smith running the point. But beyond Temple’s game-high 24 points, the Mountaineers couldn’t find a consistent scorer as seven different players registered four or five points a piece. Since the injury to star senior guard Bobby Ford, the Mountaineers have skewed even younger than they were to start the season and they’ve struggled to get on track. “That’s something that we haven’t really put together all year since Bobby’s been hurt,” said Madison coach Ben Breeden. “We’ve been in games for two quarters, three quarters and then one quarter we fall apart. That was big that we battled for four quarters.” In a situation worked out ahead of time between Breeden and Maynard, Ford scored the first basket of the game on his senior night on an uncontested lay-up. He suffered a season ending knee injury earlier this year and the set-up was a chance for the senior to get in the scorebook on senior night and his last game in a Mountaineers uniform at home. “Maynard had already agreed to it and we really appreciate that,” Breeden said. ✖
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Western Albemarle senior Will Mason made his name in local basketball circles as a defensive stopper the last couple of years for the Warriors. This season he’s hauling in more than seven boards per game while blocking nearly two shots per contest, taking care of the little things for the Jefferson District’s second place team. Mason also takes care of the little things in the classroom, where he’s carrying a 4.4 weighted GPA and looking toward admission at either UVa or William and Mary as he awaits response on his applications. Mason is potentially interested in international business as a course of study, and he’s got some of the requisite language skills already -- after spending a couple of years in the Netherlands during middle school, he can speak Dutch. Mason is in Western’s leadership program, the National Honor Society and the microfinance club that focuses on giving low interest loans to people in developing countries. Mason has learned well already -- taking care of the little things can lead to big things on and off the court.
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Overtime
Out on the town UVa’s Anderson hits the high school hoops circuit
I
t’s easy as a college student, at many schools, to stay inside the comfort of the campus bubble. Many students can spend four years at a school and learn little to nothing about the area that surrounds it. When you’re a Division I athlete that insulation happens even more easily as your free time is quite limited. To get outside the bubble, you’ve got to make an effort. University of Virginia basketball’s Justin Anderson did just that this winter. Anderson is arguably the most popular player on the Cavaliers’ squad despite the fact that he comes off the bench as part of UVa’s deep rotation. The super athletic, 6-foot-6 shooting guard is an electric defender and shot blocker. He also made several stops at local high school games this season, declaring his intentions a couple of times on Twitter to some solid fanfare. Anderson, who is from Fredericksburg but played his high school ball at Montrose Christian in Washington, D.C., is just doing what he’s always done. “That’s actually how my dad introduced me to the game was going to watch different teams,” Anderson said. “It’s a good getaway for me. Having local Maryland guys come (to my games) made my night, I just played that much harder.” The Central Virginia basketball community has made a major impression on Anderson. Sure, he plays in front of more than 10,000 on most nights at John Paul Jones arena, but that doesn’t mean the charm and excitement of the area’s high school gyms was lost on Anderson. “I’ve been very impressed,” Anderson said. “Coming from a private school where we had a gym called the crackerbox because it was so small. It’s pretty sweet how rowdy the (crowds are). We played against T.C. Williams and they were rowdy, but most games I didn’t get to experience that.” While the crowds are a little different than his days at Montrose, there is something nostalgic about Anderson’s trips into Charlottesville to watch games. “I really miss the battles,” Anderson said. “Just the type of play is different. Here in college it’s a lot more structured, there there’s much more freedom. (Getting a win) was a good feeling -- I wouldn’t trade it for college basketball -- but it’s a great thing to be a part of the next day (on campus).” Anderson has made an effort to engage with the Charlottesville basketball community in other ways too, working with the Virginia Basketball Academy and the Virginia Basketball Developmental League. Community involvement is clearly something he has a passion for. “I think that’s what my calling card is -- engaging with the youth,” Anderson said. “So that we give them the chance to get that much better in sports or academics or whatever they want. That’s one of my strengths. This summer I worked at ACAC at Adventure Central. We were just around kids all day. It shows you how fortunate you are and really humbles you.” Getting outside the UVa bubble through the VBDL, ACAC and catching games has helped
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“I think it’s good to expand out and experience new things.” enrich Anderson’s time in Charlottesville. It has let the community see that there’s more to Anderson than meets the eye and It’s helped make him a part of the fabric of the Charlottesville community. “I would’ve never found out there’s so much more to Charlottesville, so much more to the people here, so much more of everything,” Anderson said. “I think it’s good to expand out and experience new things. There’s so much more to see out there.” That’s a good thought for any college student or future collegian. Whether it’s catching a game or volunteering your time, find a way to engage with the community. Bursting that bubble can make things that much more exciting. ✖
Bart Isley,
CRE ATIVE DIRECTOR
back talk »
How does UVa help or give back to local athletics? Contact Bart at: ryan@scrimmageplay.com
Success stories begin here.
Success Story: Corwin Cutler When Corwin Cutler entered his senior season at Ocean Lakes High, hopes were high for the 6-foot-4 quarterback. After his first game in the playoffs though, Cutler endured a season ending knee injury. He made the decision to bolster his own cause by enrolling at Fork Union to play for John Shuman’s celebrated Post Graduate team. With offers from Connecticut, East Carolina and Marshal and interest from Notre Dame and Wisconsin among others, Cutler turned his rehab season at Fork Union into a chance to prepare for his time at the University of Virginia. That’s where Cutler committed during high school and he’ll join a crop of fellow 757 natives in the latest recruiting class for Cavaliers head coach Mike London.
Before he went down to injury, Cutler threw for over 2,232 yards and 32 touchdowns. At Fork Union he further polished his skills but more importantly, got himself prepared for the rigors of attending college as an athlete. At FUMA, Cutler focused on his academics to make sure he was ready to hit the ground running in the classroom as well as on the football field. Now he heads to Charlottesville as a contender to take over under center. Fork Union has a way of molding student athletes and UVa is no stranger to that process. Cutler might not have traveled far from Virginia Beach to FUMA to Charlottesville, but the little things he’s done along the way in that journey will help him make the most of his amazing abilities.
Fork Union Military Academy is the leading Christian military boarding school for boys in grades 6 - 12 and PG. www.forkunion.com — 1-800-GO-2-FUMA