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T H E C H R ON I C LE
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Scott Walker of Wiley attempts a free throw during their game against Meadowlark.
Photos by Timothy Ramsey
Surge
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played very well but we also angered the beast,” Beasley said. “I told them we just made them as mad as they can be because they felt like they should be up by 20 points on us. Telling my boys that they were gonna come at us with all they had kept them pumped up and kept them ready for the challenge.” Wiley came out of the locker room and implemented a full court press on defense. The Wolverines began to create turnovers leading to easy break away layups. The lead for the Mustangs was down to two
The Wiley Wolverines huddle together late in the fourth quarter during their game against Meadowlark.
after three quarters. With the final still in jeopardy both teams played with more intensity to start the fourth quarter. The lead changed hands multiple times. Midway through the quarter Caden Jones began to take over. Jones ran off six straight points to give Wiley a 43-35 lead with a little over two minutes remaining in the game. Meadowlark did not give up and attempted to make a come back with just under a minute left in the game. Following an intentional foul called on Wiley the lead was trimmed to four. They then closed the deficit to two. The game was sealed from the free throw line as
Jones was able to knock down clutch shots in the final seconds. Dairl Scott Jr., Wiley head coach, says this was not his team’s best effort but was happy with the win. “This game was alright for us. We didn't play our best ball but we did enough to get a road win,” Scott said. “I told the guys that effort and defense were going to win the game. That's how you get road wins with effort, defense and rebounding.” Scott went on to say that Jones is a great player and one of the best in the county. He says they are lucky to have a player of that caliber on his team. Going forward he thinks his team has to play
harder in order to win. Coach Beasley said he thought his team played hard and fearless. He says many teams would have folded against such larger opponents but his team stepped up to the challenge and almost walked away with a victory. “Our mantra this season is to stay fearless no matter who we play,” Beasley continued. “We aren't the biggest team so that is what we have to do. We competed, we stayed brave and stayed fearless. We looked those boys in the eye and said not today. We just need to pick things up coming out of the half and we will be OK.”
Reynolds’ Micah Gainey, No. 3 in white, glides to the basket for a contested layup against Mt. Tabor.
Sweep
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The Reynolds Demons celebrate after their win against Mt. Tabor, completing the season sweep.
Photo by Timothy Ramsey
Johnson
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sively. He feels as though his strong suit on the court is his ability to drive to the basket with ease. He says he needs to concentrate on hustling every play and not having any defensive lapses. Tobias says he loves playing in the big time moments of the game. For him the bright lights means it’s his time to shine. “Pressure does motivate me more because for some players when they are pressured they don't know what to do,” said Johnson. “For me performing under pressure tells people that you really want it and wont shy away from the moment. I just want to show people that I want that moment when it comes.” Demon head coach Mike McCulloch says Johnson has a good basketball IQ and has great athleticism. He says Johnson is a coachable kid that
works very hard. “He is pretty smart out there and I think he knows how to use his abilities for the best of the team,” said McCulloch. “He always smiles and nods and does what I ask of him during practice. I praise his work ethic in general and he has a bright future ahead of him.” McCulloch says that Johnson has progressed tremendously since the beginning of the season. He says that Johnson has worked hard on his fundamentals and passing ability. “I've coached for 24 years and I've probably had a handful of kids that have played Division I basketball and Tobias has that potential, I really believe that,” McCulloch went on to say. “I say that because he does his work in practice as well as in the classroom.” Johnson's father, Shun Gibbs, says at the age of 11 or 12, he could see the potential in Johnson and is not shocked by his devel-
opment. “When he was smaller, I could see it in him because he would work, his work ethic is unbelievable,” Gibbs said. “I know he is going somewhere and I'm not just talking basketball but in life.” Johnson says he looks up to players like Kevin Durant, Paul George, Lebron James, Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving. He says if he could choose a college it would be the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and study physical therapy. His favorite subject in school is math. Johnson credits his teammates first and foremost for the success he has had on the court. He says they make him a better player. He also wanted to credit the coaching staff for developing his skills along with highlighting the things he needs to work on. He says the goal for the remainder of the season is to win the conference.
to three. Later on in the quarter and with Reynolds still down one, Drashawn Johnson hit a big three that capped off the improbable comeback for the Demons. With one last chance Mt. Tabor was unable to get a shot off as Tobias Johnson tied up the offensive player, giving the Demons possession and essentially sealed the win. “It was fun to win an exciting game against our rival,” McCulloch said. “I told my team since Mt. Tabor won the Lash tour-
nament they must be the best in the city but if we can beat them twice then we can be considered the best in the city.” “I'm very proud of the toughness we showed. It was a physical game and we kept competing. Sweeping Mt. Tabor for the regular season is huge accomplishment for our JV boys group. This win is good momentum for the last two weeks of the season if we stay focused.” Mt. Tabor head coach Willie Harrison thought his team played a little timid throughout the game. He said some of his guys did not play up to their potential and as a result they lost.
“I gotta take my hat off to them [Reynolds]. They played hard throughout and came with a good gameplan,” Harrison said. “We have to play under control when you are under pressure. I don't think we were under control in the final minutes. “I think recently we have been a little over confident. We took everyone for granted because we won the tournament and beat everybody. But Reynolds have guys that you have to guard at every position so you can’t take anything away from them. Going forward we have to go back to the drawing board.”
(Above) From left to right are Shun Gibbs, father; Tobias Johnson; Zhane Epps, cousin; Tiffany Thomas, mother; Nasir Gibbs, brother; Lonnie Graham, greatuncle; and Michael "Pop Bottle" Thomas, uncle.
Photos by Timothy Ramsey
(Left) Tobias Johnson shoots a free throw during the game against Mt. Tabor last week.