WS Chronicle

The first day of the Lash/Chronicle tournament had a little bit of something for everyone. There were blowouts, tight games and even a couple of unexpected upsets. With the top seeds in both brackets receiving byes, the semifinals next Friday should be very interesting.

Andrews vs. Walkertown was first up in the Chronicle Bracket at Winston-Salem Prep. It was a tight game initially, but the defensive pressure from the Wolfpack and opportunistic scoring in transition turned the tide for Walkertown in the first half.

Walkertown opened the second half on an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 32-16. Andrews attempted to make a couple of runs in the second half to get back in the game, but Walkertown had an answer every time. Walkertown heads into next weekend with a 58-41 victory.

“I don’t think my team brought the energy that I expected from them,” said Andrews head coach Stevie R. Jones.  “Effort is what I work on at this age and we don’t run too many plays, we just try to go out and execute with our skillset, but they didn’t perform tonight.”

This win was even more satisfying for the Wolfpack due to the fact they were defeated by Andrews earlier this season by 20-plus points on their home court. Rodney White, Walkertown head coach, said he was happy to get a win because of all the new players on this year’s squad.

“We have been struggling this year, because a lot of guys moved up from last year’s team, so I am proud of the guys for this win,” said White.  “I told them this wasn’t a David Lash game, this was a revenge game, because they blew us out at home.

“I am excited about being in the Lash and I like our chances,” he continued. “Last year we were a Number One seed, this year we are a five seed, so no pressure on us.”

East Forsyth vs. Carver was second on the slate in the Chronicle Bracket. From the opening tip, the Eagles overwhelmed the Yellowjackets with their full court press. By halftime, the Eagles had built a 41-15 lead. 

The Eagles did not let up in the second half either. They continued to force turnovers with the press and only allowed 11 points in the second half, leading to a 72-26 win.

“Our press this year has been a bit sporadic, so I wanted to run it this game to practice and perfect it for later on this season,” said Rodney Minor, Eagle head coach.  “I thought the guys came out with a lot of intensity and we got out to a quick lead and they never rebounded from that.”

Minor was pleased with his teams focus in the second half as they did not let up. He says his team has lost focus in the past, but this will serve them well moving forward.

Carver coach Breshaun Liles said four of his players were unavailable for the game, so he had to bring up players from his 9th grade team. Liles feels this game was a lesson for both his 9th grade players and the JV players as to what they need to work on going forward.

The third game at Prep between Atkins and Reagan was the most intriguing of the night. It was a hard-fought battle between two evenly-matched teams. It was a back and forth game, with neither team able to gain the advantage early on.

The fourth quarter is where Reagan really flexed their muscle. They hit back-to-back threes that put them up double figures and never looked back. Reagan continued to push the lead and pulled out the 78-61 victory.

“I tried to get the boys to focus in and tried to calm the game down for our guys,” said Chris McCoy, Reagan head coach. 

In the Lash bracket, Reynolds defeated Winston-Salem Prep 71-56. Reynolds’ height proved to be a deciding factor.  Mt. Tabor outlasted Parkland in the second game of the night, winning 62-36.

Next week’s game kick-off is at noon.