WS Chronicle

BY CRAIG T. GREENLEE

FOR THE CHRONICLE

Tip-off for the Lash-Chronicle JV Tournament is only eight days away. Every year, local teams come together to do battle for the championship trophy and there’s plenty of incentive to win it all. What it all comes down to is securing bragging rights for the season.

That’s why the hype that surrounds this event is legitimate.

In recent years, Winston-Salem Prep has owned the Lash-Chronicle, winning three of the last four. This time around, though, there could be a changing of the guard. There are no returnees for the Phoenix JV, which means that coach Bill Tibbs is starting over from ground zero for the first time during his five years at Prep.

Looking at the local schools in this year’s 14-team field – Mount Tabor, East Forsyth and West Forsyth are the likely picks to replace Prep as tourney champions. Parkland, Reynolds and Glenn are possible dark horse candidates.

Tibbs, whose team lost by double digits to West Forsyth last week, isn’t ready to concede anything. He acknowledged that even though his team is young and still finding its way, Prep shouldn’t be viewed as a non-factor.

Prior to the Lash-Chronicle, which begins on Dec. 12, Prep will play road games against Mount Tabor, West Forsyth and George Washington (Danville, Va.). Those three games, Tibbs explained, will allow him to make a more thorough assessment about his team’s strengths and weaknesses.

“I believe we can have a good showing and surprise some people (at the Lash-Chronicle),” he said. “Nobody expects us to do well because everybody on our team is brand new. They’re still getting adjusted to the Prep style of play and I have to figure out what adjustments that need to be made to maximize the talent we have.

“I’ll be doing a lot more teaching this time. But that’s a good thing because teaching is what I love.”

Prep typically goes eight to ten deep in its player rotation. That’s likely to change this season, which means that the Phoenix won’t have the depth it usually has. Tyren Hairston, Jalen Crawley and Zachary Austin are the designated focal points.

“Those three will play heavy minutes,” Tibbs said. “In the three games we play before the tournament, I’ll get a much better idea of what playing style works best for this group. We may have to slow the tempo and run more set plays.”

Hairston, a 6-foot-2 swing player, is Prep’s prime offensive threat. In the season opener against the Titans, Hairston scored 22 points, but had to leave the game midway through the fourth quarter because of leg cramps. The severity of those cramps prevented his return to the game.

“We were right there in that game until Tyren cramped up and couldn’t come back,” said Tibbs. “But we have some good athletes, so we’ll be OK.”