WS Chronicle

The final day of the 2018 Lash/Chronicle JV basketball tournament brought some highs and lows for teams. When the dust settled, West Forsyth triumphed over Mt. Tabor in the Lash Bracket championship game and East Forsyth edged out Forbush in the championship in the Chronicle Bracket.

There was a total of five games played on Saturday afternoon. The consolation game in The Chronicle Bracket between Atkins and Carver was first on the schedule. This game was a tale of two halves. 

Carver had a slim 22-20 lead at the half. Atkins then went to a full court press early in the second half, which seemed to get the Yellowjackets out of rhythm. Atkins turned the tide in the third quarter, turning a deficit into a 15-point lead heading into the fourth. The lead continued to balloon in the fourth and Atkins walked away with a 62-37 win.

“It was a very good win, especially against a conference team,” said Camel head coach Desmon Baldwin. “We started a little slow, but it was good we could work together by sharing the ball, playing defense and boxing out.

“This was a good steppingstone for us moving forward and a good win against a team we will see two more times this season,” he said.

The third-place game in The Chronicle Bracket involving Reagan and Walkertown was a slugfest. This was a game of runs in the first half, with neither team able to seize control.

Reagan took control after halftime, by hitting clutch shots and playing solid defense. Reagan ended their Lash tournament with a 63-51 victory.

“This was a tough game coming in, because we did not know what to expect from Walkertown,” said Chris McCoy, Reagan head coach. “When the game tipped off, they brought a lot of heart, competition and aggression and I don’t think our guys were ready for it.

“The second half, they showed a lot more fight and that is what won it for us,” he continued. “This should give us a lot of confidence, especially when our team gets back together. We have some things we can work on and it opens our eyes to who can and cannot play under pressure.”

The championship game of The Chronicle Bracket was next. That game matched East Forsyth against Forbush. Both teams were similar in their style of play and this arguably may have been the best game of the tournament.

The Eagles looked to be in control of the game from the onset. With both teams using a full court press, the pace of the game was very fast, leading to turnovers and easy buckets. East held a slim 28-21 lead at the half, led by Will Rhodes and Dasan Hairston.

Forbush would not go away, however.  Even after trailing by nine heading into the fourth quarter, the Falcons closed the gap in the final minutes. In the final seconds, Forbush hit a game-tying 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. The Eagles held off the Falcons, winning 74-69 in overtime.

“It feels good, it was hard and we fought for it, but I feel really good right now,” said Eagle head coach Rodney Minor. “I knew Forbush was a good fundamentally-sound basketball team and was not going to do anything to beat themselves, so we had to force the tempo and make them a little uncomfortable.

“I told my guys to stick with it and ultimately we got the win. I love this group of guys because they work hard and are very coachable. Being champions is a great momentum booster, but I told my guys to just stay humble, continue to work hard and good things will happen for us in the future.”

The games to conclude the Lash Bracket followed the championship game. Reynolds and Glenn faced off to determine the third-place finisher. Both squads were coming off tough losses in the previous round.

The Bobcats were the sharper team from the tip, opening a 10-point lead early in the second quarter, with clutch shooting from Yorel Harris and others. Reynolds stormed back, behind the efforts of Nasir Gibbs and Jamari Slade hitting big shots in the clutch. 

The Demons held a slim 48-46 lead heading into the fourth. The Bobcats showed their fortitude by going on a late run to win 62-55.

“We made this game a lot harder than it had to be by missing layups and lack of focus, but I think we picked it up in the end,” said Richard Daniels Jr., Bobcat head coach. “I think we had a big head coming into the tournament because we were undefeated coming in. I told the guys that there would be a team that wouldn’t be scared of us and eventually we would have to play, so I’m glad we ran into it to give a chance to work on some things.”

The last game of the night was to settle who would be champions of the Lash Bracket. Mt. Tabor was looking for their second Lash/Chronicle title in the last three years against West Forsyth.

The Spartans had full control of the game in the first quarter, with the stellar play of Jashaun Torrence and Daniel Fulp. The Titans answered with a run of their own led by tournament MVP Jake Hill, along with Coby Warren. Mt. Tabor only led by 2 points heading into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter was the most interesting. Both teams made a run that seemed to put the other squad away. With less than two minutes left, the Titans led by 2 points. Mt. Tabor had their opportunities, but the Titans held them off in the end to win 56-51, winning the Lash Bracket championship.

“It is an amazing feeling to be honest and I am happy for these kids,” said Charles Thomas, Titan head coach. “They bought into everything that I have told them and they would run into a wall for me, so I couldn’t be happier.

“This is a great confidence booster for this team, this program and the people of Lewisville. This was a great win and we are ready to go.”

The All-Tournament teams were as follows: Daniel Fulp (Mt. Tabor), Jashaun Torrence (Mt. Tabor), Nasir Gibbs (Reynolds), Will Rhodes (East Forsyth) and Casey Graham (Forbush).  The tournament MVP was Jake Hill. 

Thomas, Titan head coach, says Hill does a lot for the West Forsyth team. “I love that kid and he does everything I tell him to do and he is willing to do it and that’s why our team is where we are,” he said about Hill.