Carver expects to make strong run in Western Piedmont race
Photo by Craig T. Greenlee
Jonyvi Fogle (10) has continued to develop as a floor leader and scorer for the Yellow Jackets.
BY CRAIG T. GREENLEE
FOR THE CHRONICLE
Up to this point, the season has produced mixed results for Carver’s JV basketball team.
The Class 2-A Yellow Jackets suffered a surprise 69-63 loss to Atkins (Class 1-A), but bounced back to pull off a 57-56 upset win over Glenn, which competes in Class 4-A.
Heading into January, the Yellow Jackets (4-4) have high expectations to contend for the top spot in the Western Piedmont 2-A Conference. Carver opens league play next week with games against Surry Central and North Surry.
Entering the conference part of the schedule, one of the major concerns for coach Roderick Fluellen is how well his team defends the perimeter.
“In the Western Piedmont, the quality of 3-point shooting is better than what we usually face in non-conference games,” he said. “So, we’ll have to pay special attention to closing out on shooters and making sure we get rebounds.
“It’s important that we tighten things up in that area. If not, it will lead to opponents getting a lot of second and third-chance scoring opportunities.”
While Carver has shown positive signs of growth since the season began, Fluellen realizes his team is far from being a finished product. The players are still in the process of fully understanding what their respective roles are. But the one aspect of the game that excites Fluellen the most is the Yellow Jackets’ collective willingness to share the basketball.
“That’s been a big area of improvement,” he said. “They’re learning and coming to understand that when they make the extra pass, it leads to better shots for their teammates.”
Carver has a productive backcourt that has shown glimpses of better things to come, so putting points on the board shouldn’t be an issue.
Jonyvi Fogle and Taiwan Walker are interchangeable at the guard positions. Both are gifted passers who can create offense on their own when needed. Milan Ruffin, an all-purpose forward who has played well at both ends, has also stepped up as a prime contributor.
“So much of how well we play as a team depends on our guards,” said Fluellen. “That’s especially true for Jonyvi. As he continues to improve at the point guard position, our team will continue to grow and play to its full potential.”
Defensively, there are no secrets about the game plan. At times, Carver will play zone. But the staple for this group is matching up and playing man-to-man.
De’Angelo McMillian, a high-energy forward, excels as a help defender and he’s equally effective in applying pressure when he’s positioned as the middle defender in the Yellow Jackets 3-2 zone. On the boards, Phillip Legette provides intensity and much-needed toughness in the paint.
