Ferrell scores 27 as Garner downs Jalen Lecque and Christ School

By: Zack Adams

12/28/17

(Photo Courtesy of The John Wall)

Thursday evening, Garner (9-1) did what Garner does this as they downed Christ School (9-6), 92-67 to move to the David West Bracket Championship game where they'll meet Greenfield School. Greenfield School beat Broughton earlier in the afternoon, 59-57. 

Garner was led to victory by five guys scoring in double figures. Seniors Trayvon Ferrell (scored 27) and Demetric Horton (scored 24) shot the ball tremendously well once again. The two combined to shoot 18/31 (58%) from the field and 9/20 (45%) from beyond the arc. When your two best shooters shoot that well, no doubt the blue and yellow will be walking off the floor with a W. Kenyon "K.D." Burt would not be denied in the post. The senior scored 11 points including a corner triple from the 6'6" forward. Point guard Marque Maultsby showed off his speed for the second straight day as he dished out four assists and really put the wings, Ferrell and Horton in good positions to hit their nine threes. Maultsby finished with 13 points. Jaren Ellerbe also added 12 points off the bench. Ellerbe could have had 14 but he lost the handle on, or missed a reverse slam and he would get a mouthful from the fiery Eddie Gray to follow his mishap. Would you try a reverse lay up again after hearing about a missed one from the legendary coach? I don't know about you but I would not so Jaren, if you're reading this, save the reverse dunks for the driveway.

Jalen Lecque was in attack mode once again for the Greenies. The quick junior guard exploded for 26 to lead Christ School. Lecque shot 9/16 from the field and 8/12 from the foul line. Brandon Stone finished with his second straight double-double as he had 16 points and 11 rebounds. A point highlighted in their post game press conference by their coach, Jeff Depalteau, was that they shot 4/17 (23%) from three to Garner's 12/27 (44%). That will not win you many basketball games, especially against the Garner Trojans. Also, the Trojans press really helped them put the game away as the Greenies turned the ball over 21 times as oppose to Garner's nine. 

Christ School will play their third and final Holiday Invitational game tomorrow at 5:15 as they'll meet the tournament host, Broughton. Broughton is now 11-1 and will have the home crowd behind them. Who is taking third place in the David West Bracket? We'll find out tomorrow evening here at Broughton High. 

DAVID WEST BRACKET CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW:

Garner and Greenfield met on Dec. 2 at the Millbrook Showcase where Garner won that meeting 94-76. Garner could not stop one man, and his name is Coby White. White has gone for 46 and 32 in two games here at the Holiday but scored 46 once more back on the second. Trayvon Ferrell exploded in that one as well as the senior dropped 32 in these two teams first meeting. Coby White is just 37 points away from breaking the all time tournament record in points which is held by Garner's Donald Williams from 1990, which is 115. This one is coming up on Saturday night at 7:00 for some hardware in what could be Eddie Gray's final Holiday Invitational game as head coach before he hangs up his vest and retires.

Trinity Christian downs Greene Central behind Gantt's 19

By: Zack Adams

12/28/17

(Photo Courtesy of The John Wall)

Last night against Garner, Trinity Christian forward and Duke commit, Joey Baker took a hard fall early in the first half. Baker would only score 13 a night ago in Trinity Christian's 81-67 loss to Garner in both teams David West Bracket opener. So therefore, Trinity fell to the Consolation bracket where they met Greene Central, who lost 66-60 to Christ School on Wednesday.

The Duke commit finished with 13 today as Trinity Christian (7-4) downed Greene Central, 66-49. Not only did Baker finish with 14, Greg Gantt scored a team high, 19 points and grabbed three rebounds. Also, Gantt got in Greene Central's passing lanes and he caused three steals. Au'duiese Toney also finished in double-figures as he had 15, 10 of those came in the first half. Speaking of scoring, the second quarter was huge for the Crusaders as they outscored the Rams of Greene Central by nine, 18-9, in that quarter. That put Trinity up 31-21 at the half and the Crusaders wouldn't look back as they would also outscore Greene Central in the second half, 35-28 propelling them to victory.

Baker showed no sign of injury. Last night, Jeff Capel came and watched the junior on Wednesday and once again this afternoon, Duke coaches sat in attendance to look on the future Blue Devil. What they saw, a very athletic Baker who showed off his ball handling ability as he took on three Ram defenders, including 6'7" forward Imajae Dodd for a nice finish. In the fourth, Baker took one behind his head and threw it down with 6:21 to play in the ballgame. Like Baker, Gantt also had a couple of eye opening dunks of his own that brought the fans to their feet inside the Holliday Gymnasium.

Greene Central just did not come out with the same intensity today against Greene Central like they did a day ago against Christ School. But Imajae Dodd picked up where he left off yesterday (he had 16 then) because today, the junior finished with a Greene Central high, 15 points. Also contributing for Coach Harris' Rams were Donte Johnson and Torrence Clark. Johnson scored 13 while Clark added 12.

In the Rams post game press conference, Harris got emotional as he spoke very highly of his young men and even with the two losses, he has still be very pleased in their efforts over the past two days. Again, this is Greene Central's first Holiday Invitational appearance and they have indeed proved they are more than just "some 2A school out of Snow Hill".

Coach Harris and Greene Central will have one last chance to impress those in "the 919" as they will meet Julian Newman and Downey Christian School on Friday morning at 10:30. That game will be for seventh place in the David West Bracket. Trinity Christian will meet Kinston, who downed Downey Christian School 56-43 Thursday morning, on Friday at 12:00 in the David West Bracket fifth place game.

Dunn and Styles each score 15 in Kinston's come from behind win over Downey Christian

By: Zack Adams

12/28/17

(Photo Courtesy of The John Wall)

Kinston (7-1) started off slow, only scoring 15 points in the first half but the Vikings exploded for 41 second half to down Downey Christian School (7-8), 56-43 Thursday morning. 

Junior Damian Dunn and freshman Donquez Styles both finished with 15 points and also did their work on the glass. Dunn grabbed nine rebounds while Styles added five. The two combined to shoot 11/24 from the field on the game. Both got hot in the third when Styles hit two triples in the eight minute span while Dunn opened the quarter with 12 himself. That is a combined 18 points of the 24 the Vikings scored. 

After fouling out with seven and change to go in the fourth last night against Greenfield School, senior Reginald Clark bounced back in a big way as he finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. Like Dunn, Clark only had two points at the half so the big man exploded for ten in the closing 16 minutes; a chunk of those coming in the fourth quarter. 

"We came out of halftime and brought some different pressure and I thought we were able to create some separation there." is what Kinston coach Perry Tyndall had to say about his Vikings outscoring the Patriots of Downey Christian 24-11 in the third.

As for the Patriots of Downey Christian out of Orlando, they really did get the start they wanted as they were up 22-15 at the break. Well, Kinston outscored the Florida school 41-28 in the second half giving the Vikings the 56-43 victory.

"Shooting 16/62 is kinda ridiculous." said Patriots coach Jamie Newman. For those who want a percentage, that is just 25.8% from the field. 

His son, Julian Newman shot 4/15 (26%) from three; 4/22 (18%) from the field. Newman finished with 14, nine of those coming in the opening half as the Vikings keyed in on "The YouTube Sensation". Theodore Wolfe did lead Downey Christian as he finished with another drouble-double, 15 points and 10 rebounds. For the tournament, Wolfe is averaging 13 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. 

His father did speak highly of his son though. Newman was really driving to the basket early on and that caused Kinston to get in early foul trouble as Clark and Taji Moore both picked up two fouls a piece in the first half. "Once he (Julian) gets it going, it makes it tough because other guys start getting open shots, open looks, gets it to the inside guys or he's passing and dishing. If he does that, it really gets the game open."

Downey Christian will play once again tomorrow morning at 10:30am against the loser of Greene Central and Trinity Christian, which in on-going for seventh place. Kinston will face the winner of that one tomorrow at 12:00.

Coby White drops 46 in Greenfield's 22 point win over Kinston

By: Zack Adams

12/27/17

(Photo Courtesy of The John Wall)

Sorry to break it to everyone before 2017 comes to a close in just four mere days but this is Coby White's world and we are all just living in it. The Greenfield School guard tied Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway's tournament record for the fourth most points scored in a single game that was set all the way back in 1989 tonight when he finished with 46 points in Greenfield's (9-5) 85-63 victory over Kinston (6-1) in this battle between two schools from "The 252" in Raleigh, or "The 919".

North Carolina found themselves a treasure in this floppy haired guard. Coby White has now scored 46 points in his two games in Raleigh this season. The other 46 point night for the senior came back on December 2nd at the Millbrook Showcase in Greenfield School's 94-76 defeat to Preps Now #4 Garner. These 46 against the #9 team in those same rankings, the Kinston Vikings. White came into this game averaging 30.8 per game and this 46 point performance just raises the question, just how dangerous is Greenfield School in this year's David West Bracket? 

"I don't know. I want to win. I'm going to do what I can to when a game." is what White stated when he was asked about scoring 46 points in two games this year in Raleigh which spells bad news for some Wolfpack fans if the future of UNC basketball is scoring buckets right in your backyard.

We'll find out if Broughton can somehow contain the UNC commit tomorrow at 1:45. Broughton held Julian Newman to 12 points in the Capitals 71-51 win over Downey Christian School (FL) in the tournament opener. Newman came in averaging 33.1 a game so the Broughton defense will be key, especially with a lot of purple that should be in the Holliday Gymnasium tomorrow afternoon because after all, they are hosting the event. 

Greenfield's "second option" is not too shabby either. The Georgia Southern commit, Elijah McCadden had a near triple-double tonight as he finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Coach Salter spoke on McCadden's performance by calling the senior "one of the most versatile guards in the country." and also that "Georgia Southern got themselves a steal." as both an athlete and a pure basketball player.

Kinston on the other hand, simply came out flat. Greenfield opened the game on a 12-5 run that was caused by the Knights full court press. A Viking timeout was forced to be called to "stop the bleeding" after Bryson Baker stole the inbounds pass and finished it for a lay-in. Kinston did get a big game from 6'4" junior Damian Dunn. Dunn finished with 22, 11 in each half on 7/11 shooting from the field and 7/9 from the foul line. Reginald Clark fouled out for the Vikings with 7:07 to play in the fourth when he received both a personal foul and technical foul (Coby White also received a technical at the same time). Clark finished with 10 points and five rebounds.

After tonight's 5:15 start, Kinston will wake up and play once again early in the morning against Julian Newman and Downey Christian School (FL) in the day two opener at 10:30. Like stated earlier, Greenfield School will meet Broughton in one of two David West Bracket semifinals tomorrow afternoon at 1:45.

Lecque and Stone combine for 35 in Christ School's nail biting victory over Greene Central

By: Zack Adams

12/27/17

(Photo Courtesy of the John Wall Holiday Invitational)

Back and forth this one went. The second game of the 2017 John Wall Holiday Invitational was between 2008 Holiday Invitational winner, Christ School and Holiday Invitational newcomer, Greene Central. This one included nine lead changes and at one point in the first half, Christ School were up 13 points. This was a very fast paced game which really caught the attention of the fans inside the Holliday Gymnasium between two teams not many people knew until this afternoon.

Christ School (9-5) made sure you would not forget the Greenies as they stormed back in the second half to retake the lead and the victory over Greene Central (7-3), 66-60.

N.C. State head coach Kevin Keatts was in attendance to watch one guy in particular on the floor Wednesday afternoon and that was Christ School guard Jalen Lecque. Lecque is a 6'4" athletic combo guard who showed all of his ability on the hardwood and more today to open his Invitational. Lecque, or "Baby Westbrook", scored a game high 19 points to lead the Greenies. Lecque also grabbed eight rebounds on the afternoon and finished 71% from the foul line (5/7). Lecque can also fly like isn't Raleigh-Durham International Airport just 10-15 minutes down the road? Lecque had three big time dunks today, including a poster on the next possession after he got dunked on. Definitely a player to watch out for over the next three days as Lecque and the Greenies will plan twice in that span.

Lecque is not the only division-one "talent" on Christ School's team. Junior forward Brandon Stone also put on a show in his Holiday opener as he finished with a double-double; 16 points and 10 rebounds. Stone has not committed anywhere yet but he does hold offers from Pittsburgh, South Carolina, and Kansas State to name a few.

Greene Central showed that they were more than just some small, 2A school out of Snow Hill, NC. Very quick and fun to watch are Coach Harris' Rams. Two names that stood out for the "home men" today were DonQuez Davis and Imajae Dodd. Davis, a senior, is a walking bucket. 13 of his 15 points came in the first half and he propelled Greene Central to battle back in the ballgame following a 18-12 first quarter deficit. Multiple drives to the hoop with floater or lay-up finishes were the name of Davis' game today. Also, Davis stepped back behind the three point line and hit three long balls on the day. As for the junior Dodd, he impressed a lot of people today. Imajae Dodd led the Rams in scoring with 16 points and two of those points were a dunk on, yes on Jalen Lecque. Dodd was making some posters in the 919 today. Dodd also pinned a Christ School shot to the backboard early in the third quarter which really caught a lot of eyes. Raheem Edwards added nine points for the Rams. Edwards had six quick points on drives to the bucket and even with Davis and Dodd on the floor, was definitely the bright spot for the 2A power in the opening quarter.

Jalen Lecque hit two free throws with 10 seconds to play which ultimately sealed any chance that Greene Central had to come back in the game to make the final score 66-60 in the Greenies favor.

Next, Christ School will go head-to-head with Preps Now #4 Garner on Thursday night at 7:00 in one of two David West Bracket semifinals while Greene Central will meet Trinity Christian in the "losers half" of the bracket. That one is set to tip off at high noon, or 12:00 Thursday at Broughton. Trinity Christian fell to Garner 81-67 Wednesday night.

Finch's 26 points leads Broughton past Julian Newman and Downey Christian

By: Zack Adams

12/27/17

(Photo Courtesy of The John Wall)

The "Julian Newman Show" stormed into Raleigh as his Downey Christian School Patriots (FL) met the tournament host, Brougton to kick off the 2017 John Wall Holiday Invitational.

This opener was more than any of us in attendance could have asked for. From the ooooo's and ahhhh's, to the chants, to the shooting, to the dunks; just everything about this year's Holiday opener was fantastic. Broughton (11-0) downed Newman and Downey Christian School (7-7), 71-51 to open day one.

Broughton senior combo guard Jalen Finch had himself a day. Finch finished with 26 to lead all scorers. He finished 3/4 from three and 5/6 from the foul line. To complement Finch's big day, Tyler Palmer finished with 10 for the Capitals, eight of those coming in the first half.

It definitely was not the opening of The John Wall that Julian Newman or any of his teammates expected. The team from Orlando suffered a 20 point defeat in their tournament opener. Newman also did not have his best of performances. The now six year varsity basketball player finished with 12 points for the Patriots. He shot 1/6 from three but 7/8 from the foul line. Leading Downey Christian though was senior Nick Santos. Santos finished with 14 as he knocked down three triples. Coach Newman did have a big day on the glass from Theodore Wolfe. Wolfe scored 11 points while grabbing 11 of the team's 25 rebounds.

Broughton guard DJ Thomas had himself a solid game finishing with seven points, four boards, and four dimes but he was the guy tasked with handling "The YouTube Sensation" Julian Newman for most of the contest. Thomas shared that duty with guard Darian Williams, who came off the bench and played 14 minutes of great defense on the flashy Newman. Both got into Newman's head as the sophomore was held to only five points in the first 16 minutes of play. The defensive duo did not give up any points to Newman in the second half as all of his seven second half points came from the foul line. Newman coming into this game was averaging 33.1 points per game. Thomas and Williams only allowing him to score 12 is a huge performance on defense from two of Jeff Ferrell's Caps. Now the only question is can Broughton carry this defense over into what could be a David West Bracket Championship run for the host team.

Great crowd atmosphere to open up the tournament. "Overrated" chants, near cross overs, and big time three pointers are what highlighted the Capitals 20 point victory over Downey Christian. The gym was packed for this one as well, which is very rare for a 1:45 game here at the Holiday.

Downey Christian will return to the court tomorrow morning at 10:30 against the loser of Greenfield School and Kinston while Broughton will take the winner of "The 252" battle Thursday at 1:45.

7 Things: The 2017 John Wall Holiday Invitational

By: Zack Adams

12/27/17

(Photo Courtesy of @JohnWallHoliday on Twitter)

North Carolina's biggest high school basketball holiday tournament is on the horizon as the 2017 John Wall Holiday Invitational is set to tip off next Wednesday, December 27th at Broughton High School in Raleigh and is set to run through Saturday, December 30th. This year's tournament has much anticipation with some of the nation's top teams and players coming to the "Hoop State" for this four day event so without further ado, lets get to previewing this year's Holiday Invitational with seven things to look out for.

Nationally ranked IMG Academy looks to make noise in Raleigh
Coming fresh off of a 74-71 victory over USA Today "Super 25" #7 Huntington Prep at the Chick-fil-a Classic (Columbia, SC), #8 IMG Academy looks to bring some of that momentum into the "Hoop State". Not only did IMG Academy beat Huntingtion Prep, but they also downed #4 Findlay Prep 86-73 by outscoring the Pilots 54-37 in the second half. All of IMG Academy's starters finished in double-figures, led by 19 points from Silvio de Sousa. The Ascenders are loaded with talent. Even with the loss of now Duke point guard Trevon Duval, IMG Acedemy still consists of some of the nation's best talent. That talent is led by combo guard Anfernee Simons who currently holds offers from SEC powers, Tennessee and Florida along with the ACC's Florida State. Simons finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in his last outing against Tilton on Dec. 20. In Raleigh's case, NC State has gained ground in the possible recruitment of Simons so fans of the red and white from State should definitely "pack" Broughton's Holliday Gymnasium to watch this high flying guard in action. But Simons is not all that IMG Academy has on its roster. Forwards Silvio de Sousa (Kansas), as previously mentioned, and Darius Days (LSU) lead Sean McAloon's front court. Both big men finished with double-doubles against Huntington Prep on Dec. 21. The Ascenders do have one Holiday Invitational "vet" on their roster. Guard Josh Green played in the Holiday a season ago for Hillcrest Prep (AZ), in which they captured the TJ Warren bracket Championship in a 78-60 win over Tampa Catholic. Green announced on September 1st that he would be transferring from Hillcrest Prep and attending IMG Academy. The sophomore guard averaged 20 points per contest a season ago at Hillcrest Prep and is another huge addition for IMG Academy and another stud to look out for next week in Raleigh.

Can the 252 make some noise in the 919?
Three "Hoop State" teams will not be coming out of the 919 but instead, the 252. In years past, now top young NBA talent like Brandon Ingram (Duke/Lakers) and Dennis Smith Jr. (NC State/Mavericks) came out of the said area code. Now, Kinston, Greenfield School, and Greene Central have some more top talent. For Kinston, 6'4" junior guard Damien Dunn looks to lead Kinston to Holiday Invitational success, this being the Vikings first birth since the Brandon Ingram era. Dunn will be backed by his back court mate Isaac Parson and forward Reginald Clark. Greenfield School is led by UNC commit, Coby White (below). But the "number two" for the Knights is high flyer Elijah McCadden. McCadden is a very athletic forward who is not afraid to take an alley or two from White and put you on a poster. Greene Central may be coming in at 7-2 but both of those losses are to top 10 teams in the Triangle in South Central and previously mentioned Kinston. 5'11" guard DonQuez Davis led Greene Central in scoring in their 67-43 loss to Kinston with 16 points, the only Ram to reach double figures. With three very talented teams traveling from the 252 to the 919 this week, I would watch for all three of these teams because all are capable of stringing together wins and taking home some hardware Saturday night.

Who are some players to watch for?
Julian Newman - "The YouTube Sensation" Julian Newman will step on the floor at this year's Holiday and the fans in attendance for Downey Christian School's (FL) three games will be in for a treat. The 5'7" guard has unlimited range and insane handles. Newman has been playing high school varsity basketball since he was in the fifth grade (2012-13 school year). This year, Newman is averaging 33.1 points per game for Downey Christian, who come into the Holiday at 7-6. Newman currently has no division-one offers but this tournament will be a great chance for him to get some big time "eyes" on him with some of the nation's top basketball universities in Broughton's neighborhood with UNC-CH and Duke, along with NC State. Newman and Downey Christian School open their John Wall Holiday Invitational in the event's opener against the host, Broughton on Wednesday at 1:45.

Jalen Lecque - So you guys know of Oklahoma City Thunder point guard and 2016-17 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook, right? Well if so, Jalen Lecque will be a treat. The flashy guard has been dubbed "Baby Westbrook" and his game earns him every right to call himself that. Lecque had himself a triple double against Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (GA) in Christ School's last game on Dec. 12. The Greenies won that game 68-47 behind Lecque's 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Lecque is a junior and only holds one offer and that is from Jim Boeheim's Syracuse Orange. This, like Newman, is a great chance for the 6'4" combo guard to show his stuff to local coaches in the "Hoop State" against some top tier talent. Christ School opens their Holiday play on Wednesday Dec. 27 against Greene Central at 3:30.

Vernon Carey Jr. - This 6'10" junior center is all as advertised. If you missed the explosive big man at last year's event, you are blessed with three more chances to see him "go" again this year. Carey Jr. plays for University School (FL) and when they hit the floor Thursday against Panther Creek, all eyes will be on the ESPN 60 #2 overall player. In University School's final game in the Holiday a year ago, Carey scored 32 points including a game winning layup and time expired in a 71-69 overtime win over Cary. Last week, University School took part in the City of Palms Tournament which included Carey taking some ankles against Mater Dei and the Sharks taking home a championship with a 77-72 victory over Memphis East. Carey finished with 20 points in that one. Look for dunks, ankle breakers, and all-out athleticism from Carey Jr over the next four days because this kid is going to be something special. Another note, the junior is supposed to visit both Duke and North Carolina while in the "Hoop State" so possible Roy Williams and/or Mike Krzyzewski sightings at Broughton? Who knows? But what I do know is that University School opens their Holiday on Wednesday, Dec. 28 against Justin McKoy and Panther Creek at 6:50 in TJ Warren Bracket play, as stated prior.

Joey Baker - Any Duke fans out there? Well if so, Joey Baker is a guy you will want to catch this week at Broughton. Baker is a 6'7" junior small forward that plays for Trinity Christian (Fayetteville). Baker committed to Duke this past September and will be another great athletic addition for Coach K and his Blue Devils. Baker averaged 17.2 points per contest as a sophomore and now in his junior campaign is averaging a team high, 18.7 points per outing. RDU is up the road where the planes takeoff, you know? Well Joey Baker will be taking off in the Holliday Gymnasium this week so run down the runway, or highway and come watch Trinity Christian battle Garner Wednesday at 7:00.

The duo of Jarren McAllister and Jayden Gardner - Heritage HC Tilden Brill has a two "blessings" on his team that not a lot of Triangle coaches are granted with. Two division-one athletes on the same team, on the same floor, at the same time. Jarren McAllister (Virginia Tech) and Jayden Gardner (East Carolina) are looking to repeat on last year's Holiday performance where the duo led Heritage to the David West Bracket championship as they defeated Garner 68-62 last December. Gardner is coming into the Holiday averaging a double-double at 27.6 points and 14.3 rebounds per contest. In Heritage's last game against Garner (91-79 loss), Gardner had 30 points and 12 boards in the defeat. McAllister is coming in scoring 17.8 per game. Last week against Garner, the future Hokie dropped 21 points. Can these two lead this younger Huskies team to a repeat? It is going to be tough though, as Heritage opens with Kyree Walker (Arizona State) and Hillcrest Prep (AZ), who won the TJ Warren Bracket a season ago so a rematch of last year's Holiday champions on Dec. 28 in the nightcap at 8:30.

The future of the Tar Heels on display?
Two big names Roy Williams and North Carolina have had their eyes on for awhile will be on display this week at Broughton. Coby White (Greenfield School), who is already committed to UNC is averaging 30.8 points per game this year for his Knights. White erupted earlier this month in the Millbrook Showcase for 46 points and 12 boards against Holiday foe, Garner in what was a 94-76 defeat. Coby White isn't a "flashy" guard. He comes to play each and every night and plain and simply is out there to get buckets in which he does. The other possible Tar Heel of the future is Jairus Hamilton. Hamilton plays for Cannon School who recently took down nationally ranked, Greensboro Day in a nail biter, 60-57. Hamilton dropped 21 for the Cougars in that one. Though his possibility of going to Carolina has went down with UNC getting Nassir Little, who plays the same position for next year's recruiting class. Hamilton has a high possibility of now attending Big 10 school, Maryland. UNC is still a possibility and maybe Coach Roy or Hubert Davis (both spotted in the Gym last year) can make a pitch to the 6'8" forward. Just a note, Qon Murphy can also score the basketball for Cannon so look out for him as well as he could be getting "looks" from high major schools.

Can anyone stop Garner?
Besides the defending 4A State runner-ups and currently unbeaten Leesville Road, no team has been able to stop Coach Eddie Gray and his senior led Garner squad. Well, 9-0 Leesville Road is not in this tournament. The Trojans are outscoring opponents 611-486 this season and are holding opponents to 58.7 points per game this season. Not only is Eddie Gray a heck of a basketball coach, all of his starters know their role. Demetric Horton and Trayvon Ferrell are pure shooters. Horton has finished all eight contests Garner has played while Ferrell has seven games in double figures. Both can light it up from the outside and have mid range game and in today's game, is rare and a huge quality for a team to have mid range jump shooters. Forwards Kenyon Burt and Sal-Bey Young do a lot for this Garner team. They can both grab rebounds, dish out assists, and score the basketball; more so Burt than Young but are both capable of putting the ball through the net for the fiery Eddie Gray. Point Guard Marque Maultsby is one of the most consistent ball distributors in the Triangle. Maultsby is a pass first point guard who rarely turns the ball over and can score the ball if need be. A point guard of Marque Maultsby is the glue of this Garner team and really sets the tone for success for the Trojans. Some names to watch coming off the bench for Garner are guard Donovan Evans, forward Jarren Ellerbe, and center Mekhi Townes. Garner will meet Trinity Christian out of Fayetteville to conclude Day One of David West Bracket play Wednesday (Dec. 27) at 7:00.

Just how good is Wesleyan Christian Academy?
The Langley brother led Wesleyan Christian Academy Trojans come into this year's Holiday participating in their third in four seasons. The Langley brothers, Keyshaun and Kobe, are two top 2019 talents in the nation and are currently both "free to recruitment" as the brothers decommitted from Buzz Williams and the Virginia Tech Hokies a few weeks back. With two, related division-one talents on one roster, you would think they would be the favorites to take the TJ Warren Bracket, which includes talent like IMG Academy and University School. But two division-one talents is not all HC Keith Gatlin brings into this four day event. Wing Aaron Wiggins (Maryland) and forward Jaylen Hoard (Wake Forest) are two more top talents coming to Raleigh with the Trojans. Wesleyan Christian comes into The John Wall at 13-2 with their only two losses coming in tournaments to Norcress and Paul VI. With a 5-2 neutral site record, can they prevail with three victories in Raleigh? It will be tough with two of the top teams in the nation in their bracket, but Wesleyan Christian is ranked #4 in the state of North Carolina on MaxPreps so they'll be doing some fighting for the "Hoop State" against two of Florida's best. The Trojans will open against a pesky, yet tested Word of God team on Wednesday evening. Word of God has played Oak Hill (81-50 loss), Huntington Prep (82-67 loss), and Northwood Temple (82-67 win). Also, the Holy Rams knocked off another team in this tournament (Cannon) 96-86 as well earlier this season so definitely Word of God will be no push over for Wesleyan Christian.

After going 1-2 a season ago, can the now undefeated host, Broughton make a run?
With 2016-17 leading scorer Carson McCorkle, a freshman, transferring to Greensboro Day and reclassifying, that left Caps coach Jeff Ferrell without a go to scorer in what looks to be a pretty deep Cap-7 conference this year with Leesville, Millbrook, and Cardinal Gibbons all in that conference with Broughton. Well, so much for that belief because Broughton brings a 10-0 record in the tournament they host year after year, the Holiday Invitational. Last year's team included one senior starter (forward Jack Holloway) and that three junior, one freshman, and one senior lineup went 1-2 in last year's Invitational. This year, they will probably have one of the most underlooked backcourts in this event. Guards Jalen Finch and DJ Thomas can both handle and score the basketball on all levels. The other two returning starters joining Finch are Jessup Lowe and Tyler Palmer. Both can score the ball down low and/or mid-range and also step outside and hit the three. This Broughton team is very dangerous and could very well upset some tournament favorites at their own, Holliday Gymnasium. The Caps open the tournament against Downey Christian School (FL) Wednesday at 1:45. What better way to kick off the event than with the hosts and possibly the best point guard matchup we will see all week with Julian Newman squaring off against DJ Thomas?

Make sure you all come out to this year's John Wall Holiday Invitational! Should be a great four days of high school basketball action as some of the nation's best will collide in the 919. Hope to see you all out at Broughton High for the Boys Tournament or Cary Academy for the Girls. Full coverage of this year's event will be on the official Holiday Invitational Twitter account (@JohnWallHoliday) or my Twitter, @xzadamsx. Stories will be also posted on the Blog following all of this year's action.

Jordan Howard scores 2 touchdowns in Bears 20-3 win over Browns

By: Zack Adams

12/24/17

(Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press/Bleacher Report)

Jordan Howard scores his fifth and sixth touchdowns against AFC North opponents on the season in the Bears (5-10) 20-3 victory over the still win less Browns (0-15).

The score was 6-3 at the half, in the Bears favor. Costly penalties hurt the Browns on the opening drive of the second half as Jordan Howard went left guard for a 16 yard scamper for his second touchdown of the day. Howard ran 22 times for 44 yards and two touchdowns. Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky had a stellar day for Chicago as well. The rookie out of North Carolina finished 14/23 for 193 yards. Not only did the #2 overall pick from the 2017 NFL Draft beat the Browns defense through the air, he also did it with his feet; and Trubisky is not even considered a "mobile quarterback". He ran seven times for 44 yards and a touchdown. Benny Cunningham led the Bears receiving with 2 catches for 62 yards, including a 40 yard catch and run.

As for the Browns, it was the same story, different Sunday for them as they turned the ball over three times today in Chicago, two of which were interceptions by DeShone Kizer. The rookie now leads the NFL in interceptions with 21 on the season. For Kizer, he finished 18/36 for 182 yards with two interceptions. Missing receivers, terrible decision making, etc. continues to follow the #52 overall pick into what was his 14th start today against Chicago.

Speculation of Isaiah Crowell being frustrated with his touches from the Browns 27-10 home loss against the Ravens a week ago came out this week and was touched on by Hue Jackson in one of his press conferences this week. Crowell busted out for a 59 yard run and Jackson stated "anyone could have ran through that hole." which really fired up both Crowell and many Browns fans. The Browns gave Crowell the ball on the first four plays on the game where he totaled 19 yards on those four plays. "The Crow" finished with 44 yards on 12 carries. Crowell was targeted four times through the air, only catching only one of those passes for -1 yard. Kizer either over or under threw him, which really frustrated the four year pro. His backfield mate, Duke Johnson Jr. has really been the Browns only bright spot of the season on offense, well besides Joe Thomas of course but his season ended early on with a triceps injury. Johnson caught seven passes for 81 yards today to go along with four carries for 20 yards on the ground. Josh Gordon played today's game "under the weather" and his performance proved that. Two catches on eight targets for "Flash”, for only 19 yards.

The Browns now fall to 1-30 now under HC Hue Jackson. With today's loss, the Browns clinched the #1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and as the skidding Texans continue to struggle and lose ballgames as well, the Browns could very well get another top five pick.

On another note, Hue Jackson now falls to 2-1 as a head coach on Christmas Eve, 1-1 in Cleveland on Christmas Eve. Unlike last when the Browns beat the Chargers 20-17, the Browns were unable to bring any Christmas Miracle to Browns fans rather than coal and a 15th loss of the season or the 16th straight regular season defeat.

Next week is the final week of the regular season and both the Browns and Bears will be on the road. Chicago will travel to Minnesota to face the 13-3 and NFC North champions, the Minnesota Vikings while the Browns will travel to Pittsburgh to face the AFC North champions, the Steelers. Next week in “The Steel City” will be Cleveland’s final chance to stave off a possible 0-16 season.

Hoggard and Clinton both down Corinth Holders to take respective Hawk Holiday Hoops Championships

By: Zack Adams

12/23/17

The two best guys and girls teams in the 2017 Hawk Holiday Hoops Tournament squared off Friday evening at Triton High. Both Corinth Holders varisty teams found their way into the championship contests after nailbiting victiories on Thursday. The girls would meet Hoggard in the championship opener and the Dark Horses of Clinton would square off with the Pirate guys in the night cap. But Friday evening did not go so hot for the guys and gals in the purple and gold.

Hoggard vs Corinth Holders GBB:

The Girls Championship game was all Hoggard. Hoggard (8-1) floored Corinth Holders (4-7) 52-21 Friday night to win their second consecutive Hawk Holiday Hoops Tournament championship. The Lady Vikings were making it rain all night long from outisde. Hoggard hit five triples on the evening, including three on five trips down the floor. Also, the Hoggard girls pesky 2-3 zone was causing havoc for Corinth Holders all night long. The zone forced the Lady Pirates to jack up three point jump shots and unlike Hoggard, the shots for the "home side" just were not falling. Hoggard was up 31-15 at intermission but a 19-2 third quarter run, where that string of three threes on five trips occured, really shut down any chance for a fourth quarter comeback for the Pirates. Hoggard seniors Keeley Britt and Lola Lovitt outscored Corinth Holders combined. Britt finished with 16 and Lovitt added 14. Also, senior guard Mia Boone added nine on three triples. The Lady Pirates were led by Mikayla Thompson with 11 and Lamaya Miles, who added four.

Clinton vs Corinth Holders BBB:
The tone was set from the get go when Clinton's Xzavier Howard met Corinth Holders' Warren Ramsey at the rim with a big time block with a bit of contact with no call. Corinth Holders (3-7) took a lead early on with a Ramsey triple to make it 3-2 in the Pirates favor but Howard answered with the first of his two threes on the evening to give Clinton (7-1) the lead once more and the Dark Horses would never look back. Clinton throttled Corinth Holders 69-38 to win the 2017 Hawk Holiday Hoops Boys Tournament championship. Senior guard Kris Williams scored 18 points to lead Clinton, 14 of those coming in the opening half. Williams also shot 50%, 2/4 from three. Forwards Dewan Lesane and Xzavier Howard, as mentioned before had big nights. Lesane finished with 16, ten of those coming in the first half. Lesane followed up Kris Williams missed three late in the third to beat the buzzer with a tip in to complete his scoring on the evening. Howard had 13 on 2/7 shooting from three. Zion Autry may have not scored in double figures but he had a stellar game Friday night. Only scoring four points but he also grabbed nine boards and dished out four assists. It wasn't such a good showing from the Pirates. Corinth Holders shot just 13% from three (3/22). Warren Ramsey made two of those threes as the senior finished with 11 points and four rebounds. Cameron Walden added 10 points, six rebounds, and four assists for Corinth Holders in defeat. The Pirates would cut the Clinton lead to ten points early on in the third but four straight turnovers in the last 2:29 of third, leading to quick fast break points for the Dark Horses in all likelyhood put the game on ice as they then led 44-25 as Corinth Holders called timeout. Clinton plain and simply just outshot Corinth Holders Friday night as they mad seven threes to Corinth Holders' three. It is very difficult to win basketball games at any level if you shoot 13% from three point land, in which the Pirates found out in Erwin Friday.

The Hoggard girls return to action following the Christmas holiday (Dec. 27) when they play in the Brogden Holiday Tournament at Laney High when they meet the Cap-7's, Millbrook. The Clinton boys will square off against the Eagles of East Bladen next Wednesday, Dec. 27 as they meet in the West Bladen High Holiday Tournament. Both Corinth Holders squads will suit up again in the 2017 John Jacobs Christmas Classic at Cleveland High next Wednesday, December 27th. Both teams are set to meet the Rocky Mount Gryphons in the opening round. The girls are set to tip at 1:00 and the boys to follow at 2:30.

Both Corinth Holders varsity teams earn births in the 2017 Hawk Holiday Hoops Tournament Championship games

By: Zack Adams

12/22/17

A great way to start the holiday season for Corinth Holders, to the displeasure of Triton. Both Corinth Holders varsity teams advance to the 2017 Hawk Holiday Hoops Tournament Championship games following the varsity sweep of the host, Triton.

Corinth Holders @ Triton GBB:

The girls needed overtime to decided a winner in the second semifinal of the day. In the first, Hoggard downed Wake Forest 51-36 to give the Lady Vikings a spot in Friday’s Championship. Corinth Holders (4-6) needed the additional four minutes to down Triton (3-10), 40-36 in overtime. Two big layups from Lady Pirates guard Mikayla Thompson in both regulation and overtime sealed the four point victory. Thompson finished with 13, ten of which came in the second half and over time. But Thompson’s 13 was not the team, or game high. Sophomore Deonna Adams finished with 15, including two big threes down the stretch which complimented the deuces from Thompson. Freshman forward Crawford Ramsey carried the load in the first half for the Pirates, scoring eight of Corinth’s ten points. She was on and off the floor in half number two with an ankle injury, but did finish with 10. Triton’s leading scorers, Anastasia McDonald and Alluve Smith, each finished with nine in the Lady Hawks defeat. 

Corinth Holders @ Triton BBB:

The nightcap was an upset. Corinth Holders (3-6) upset the host, Triton (8-4) 55-53 Thursday evening. With this win, Corinth Holders earned a spot in the Championship game Friday against Clinton, who staved off Wake Forest 58-53 early Thursday. Pirates junior Cameron Walden nearly had a triple double last Friday in the Pirates 64-62 win over Cleveland (16 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists). Thursday against Triton, Walden finished with another double-double as he had 17 points and ten rebounds. Walden’s 17 were complimented by sophomore Tanner Smith and his 13, on 3/6 shooting from three. Senior Warren Ramsey also added nine, all nine came of three third quarter triples. It was a new look Triton lineup for Coach Morrison as his two leading scorers, ShiQuan Cox and Maurice Williams came off the bench. Cox exploded for 20 points and five boards while Williams added eight. Christion Green started the contest for the Hawks and he finished with 11 points, going 5/7 from the foul line. 

The finish came when Cameron Walden drove to the basket and got fouled by Emari White. Walden, who has struggled from the foul line this season, knocked down two big free throws to put Corinth up 54-52 with 56.6 seconds remaining. Emari White got a bit of revenge on the Pirates junior, drawing his fourth foul but White had a chance to tie the game but instead, went 1/2 from the foul line bringing the score to 54-53. Kalil Hodges fouled Corinth guard Jermaine Best, sending him to the charity stripe with 15.6 remaining. Best went 1/2, extending the Corinth Holders lead to 55-53. Christion Green brought the ball across the timeline, leading to another Triton timeout with 11.8 to play. The Hawks got two chances to win the ballgame in that span. The first, Maurice Williams wild jumper from the foul line rimmed off and went out of bounds with 1.8 to play. Williams would then inbound the ball to Hodges who shot an off balance three in which hit the side of the rim to give Corinth Holders the victory. Hodges did not score on the evening, but did dish out a game high, eight assists. 

Here is today’s 2017 Hawk Holiday Hoops Tournament Schedule:

2:30 - Wake Forest vs Triton - Girls Third Place

4:10 - Wake Forest vs Triton - Boys Third Place

5:50 - Hoggard vs Corinth Holders - Girls Championship 

7:30 - Clinton vs Corinth Holders - Boys Championship

Wendell Carter Jr. scores 27 as Duke pummels Evansville

By: Zack Adams

12/20/17

Boston College downed the then #1 Duke Blue Devils 89-84 to open up ACC play. Well after 11 days off and probably long days of practice along with review time for exams, #4 Duke (12-1) beat down Evansville (10-3) Wednesday night in Cameron, going on to win 104-40.

"Defense, defense, defense" is something that was stressed by Mike Krzyzewski and the rest of the Duke coaching staff over the past 11 days. Well, Duke left no doubt on defense and continued to pour in points on the offensive end as they won their final non conference game by 64 points. This margin was the fourth largest margin of victory for Duke under Coach K in his tenure. Duke forced 19 turnovers, 13 of those turnovers were steals.

Wendell Carter Jr. had himself a game. The freshman forward scored a career high, 27 points to go along with five rebounds. Carter Jr. shot 9/15 from the field and 4/7 from beyond the arc. His front court mate and possible #1 overall pick, Marvin Bagley III finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Grayson Allen finished with 16 points and Gary Trent Jr. added 13. The fifth and final starter, Trevon Duval did not finish in double figures but he attacked the rack well and dished out eight assists.

The bench was also key in Duke's blowout victory. Duke outscored Evansville 26-6 off the bench and were led by Alex O'Connell's nine points and Justin Robinson's six points, on 2/4 shooting from three. Like Duval, backup point guard Jordan Goldwire was also "dime happy" as he dished out seven assists.

Evansville normally is a great three point shooting team. The Aces coming into tonight's contest were shooting 49.4% from three point land but tonight, only shot 35.7%. Duke was making in rain from beyond the arc, shooting 16/26 as oppose to Evansville's 5/14 and that came with great zone defense from Krzyzewski's men. In Evansville's defense, the Aces were without four original starters. The four guys combine for 45.5 PPG and that was greatly missed in this big loss. Evansville only had eight players active and were led by "D.C" Dainius Chatkevicius' 12 points and five rebounds.

Evansville will open Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday (Dec. 23) at home against Illinois State. Duke will enjoy the Christmas holiday and another ten days off as they'll play their second ACC game of the season as they host now #24 Florida State on Dec. 30.

Ferrell and Horton lead Garner to second victory over Heritage this season

By: Zack Adams

12/20/17


It was a battle of two local heavyweights for the second time in a week when PrepsNow #4 Garner (7-1) traveled to Wake Forest to meet #5 Heritage (7-2). A week ago when the sides met at South Garner High, the Trojans took down the Huskies 84-79. But Wednesday, it was all Garner as the Trojans downed the Huskies once again, 91-79.

Coach Eddie Gray's Trojans are led by a starting five full of seniors. Two of those stepped up Tuesday evening as both Trayvon Ferrell and Demetric Horton showed their range as they combined to hit nine threes. Ferrell finished with 26 and Horton added 24 to led Garner to their 12 point victory. Also, Trojan forward Kenyon "K.D." Burt was shut down, scoring wise, in the opening 16 minutes down low by both Heritage forwards Jayden Gardner and Dow Dunton. It is really hard to hold a senior forward down who has scored in double figures in five of Garner's seven games prior to this one. Burt did finish in double figures with 12 points and seven rebounds, six of those points coming in the fourth including a corner three ball which helped Garner ice the game.

East Carolina commit, Jayden Gardner also made some noise for his Huskies. Gardner finished with his eighth double-double of season as he had 30 points to go along with 12 rebounds. One of Gardner's many highlights from last night was one of his two blocks on the night where he denied Trayvon Ferrell of an easy midrange jumper as he sent Ferrell's shot attempt into the Garner bench late in the fourth. Tilden Brill also has another Division One commit, that being Jarren McAllister, who will be playing for Buzz Williams in Blacksburg in 2018 (Virginia Tech). McAllister finished with 21 points and a perfect four of four from the foul line. Don't let freshman Redford Dunton's mad, crazy flow fool you. This kid can play and he gets buckets. Dunton is the Huskies sixth man and he scored 12 points off the bench, also grabbing five rebounds. Also, do not leave the kid open in the corner because both of Red's triples he knocked down were from the corner and likewise, when I saw Dunton and Heritage play earlier in the season against Millbrook, he was still knocking down corner threes like nobody's business.

With 40 seconds to play, Demetric Horton deflected Lucas Taylor shot attempt and he outlet the ball to Marque Maultsby, who finished the layup with contact from Huskie sophomore Tre Waller. Maultsby made his only free throw of the night to complete the three point play and seal the deal for Garner's seventh victory of the season.

Both Garner and Heritage will step back on the floor following the Christmas holiday at the 2017 John Wall Holiday Invitational at Broughton High School. The four day tournament will tip off December 27th and run through December 30th. Garner will meet Duke commit Joey Baker and Trinity Christian on Dec. 27 at 7:00 while Heritage will meet Hillcrest Prep (AZ) on Dec. 28 at 8:30 in a rematch of last year's winners of the Holiday Invitational.

Walden's near Triple-Double leads Corinth Holders to Varsity split vs Cleveland

By: Zack Adams

12/16/17

Last night in Wendell, two county rivals squared off right before Holiday break as Cleveland faced off against Corinth Holders. Not only did the two schools open their doors the same year (2010), but these two have been conference foes as well since both opened, until now. The NCHSAA reclassifications moved the Pirates of Corinth Holders up to 4A while the Rams of Cleveland remained in the 3A classification. Normally, these two would split a home and home but this year, only one meeting and the sides split the varsity contest.

Cleveland @ Corinth Holders GBB:
Cleveland (3-8) squeaked out the sloppy, 43-31 victory over Corinth Holders (3-6) Friday night. Coach Danehower and his Lady Rams were led by junior Jaeda Scott and senior Kailjn Williamson. The two both stand over six foot tall and were a huge presence down low and getting to the basket where they were almost unstoppable. Scott finished the game with 19, shooting seven of eight from the foul line. Williamson also finished in double figures with 13 and like Scott, she also shot well from the foul line hitting five of eight. Deonna Adams did try to mount a Lady Pirates comeback, though. Adams hit two big threes in the second half that cut deeper and deeper into the Rams lead. But once again, the two Lady Rams forwards were just too much, especially in the closing 16 minutes. Adams finished with 10 points and she also got some help from backcourt mate, Mikayla Thompson who had seven.

Cleveland @ Corinth Holders BBB:
It was a close one, but Corinth Holders (2-6) edged out Cleveland (2-9) 64-62 in Friday’s night cap. Junior Cameron Walden was a big reason the Pirates picked up their second victory of the season as he nearly had a triple double; finishing with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in the Pirates two point victory. The Pirates also had two other double figure scorers. Sophomore Tanner Smith had 14, nine of those coming in the first quarter, and senior Warren Ramsey had 12, who hit two big fourth quarter triples. Hamilton Harrison also had himself a big game for the visitors. Harrison finished with a game high, 17 points and 11 of those came in the second half. He was complimented by Josh Marlowe, who had 11 points and seven assists. Cleveland had a steady lead going into the fourth quarter up 46-38. That eight point lead came crashing down when the Pirates started the quarter on a 13-4 run, behind those two big threes from Ramsey and one added by Smith. Also, Cameron Walden finished a big and one with his left hand, plus the free throw with 3:48 to play to put Corinth Holders up 54-52. DJ Khaled says “Another one”, right? Yes, well Walden got another and one with 36.9 to play but this time, misses the foul shot. That and one would end up being the game winning basket as  that put Corinth Holders up 64-62.

Cleveland would have two great chances to tie the game and sent it to overtime. Zach Matthews had a wide open lane with six seconds to play and missed the left handed layup. That missed layup fell into the hands of Cameron Walden for his 12th rebound of the contest and he was fouled by Marlowe. Walden missed the one and one free throw attempt and the Rams called timeout. 4.5 seconds to play and Dawson Smith had the ball on the baseline. He threw the ball the length of the floor into the hands of Houston Harrison, who drove in on Walden and he too missed a left handed layup. That sealed win number two for Corinth Holders, improving them to 2-1 in Pirate Nation.

Friday’s contest was more than just another basketball game for the head coaches of both the Cleveland and Corinth Holders boys teams. Why? Well coach Jeff Davis (Cleveland) and Chris Davis (Corinth Holders) are brothers. With the Christmas holiday coming up, Chris now has a little bit of “bragging rights” on his brother and could very well be brought up on the 25th at the family Christmas festivities.

As both teams move into the holiday break, both have holiday basketball tournaments they will be partaking in. Corinth Holders girls and boys varsity teams with travel to Triton to play in the Hawk Holiday Hoops Tournament. Both will battle Triton next Thursday (Dec. 21), at 6:00 (girls) and 7:30 (boys) for those two games. The Lady Pirates just played Triton on Wednesday and lost 37-22. As for Cleveland, they are hosting a holiday tournament, the John Jacobs Christmas Classic, in the late Coach Jacobs’ honor. The Pirates will also be in this tournament but Dec. 27th will be the next time Cleveland plays when both girls (7:00) and boys (8:30) meet Wake Christian Academy.

Are the Orioles shopping Machado?

By: Zack Adams

12/14/17

(Photo Courtesy of Fansided)

The MLB offseason just went 0 to 100 real quick. The Winter Meetings were this week, which normally means some trades will occur, or at least trade talk. Former Miami Marlins slugger, Giancarlo Stanton Judy signed with the New York Yankees this past weekend. Stanton joins both Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez as apart of “The Bronx Bombers”, which probably has ballhawk, Zack Hample tickled pink right about now. The three combined to hit 144 home runs a season ago and all three competed in the 2017 Home Run Derby, that Judge won. After the Stanton signing, talk unfolded that Manny Machado wanted out of Baltimore. Machado made his MLB Debut for the Orioles in 2012. Machado went yard not once, but twice in his debut against the Royals. Since, Manny is a three time All-Star, two time Gold Glove award winner, and has became one, if not the best third basemen in the league. For his career, he is batting .280 with 138 home runs and 405 runs batted in.

The rumor stated that Machado wanted out of Baltimore because he wants to do the Cal Ripken Jr. transition and move from third base to shortstop. Last summer, the Orioles acquired Tim Beckham from the Rays. He played 50 games in the orange and black, totaling 66 hits, 10 home runs, 13 doubles, two triples, and 36 runs scored. “Swaggy-T” also batter .306 in those fifty games so the Orioles do not want to give that up, and I do not blame Dan Duquette and the Orioles front office for that one. What I do see them at fault for is not really trying to discuss a new contract for their 25 year old All-Star. Besides second baseman Jonathan Schoop, Machado has been the Birds most consistent player over the last few seasons, both in the field and at the plate. Yes, 2017 was a down year for Machado. He batted .295 with 33 homers and 95 runs batted in. Manny hit a slump in the first half, part of why he missed the 2017 All-Star Game. Progress was made in half number two when he hit three walk offs, all being homers. On August 18th, Machado hit a walk off grand slam at Oriole Park at Camden Yards against the Angels. Those three walk off homers all came at home, in very crucial moments in the season in what did keep the O’s in the Wild Card race.

So where does Machado land? I’ve came up with three possible options and will explain the three further in order of what I think will least likely happen to what is the most likely:

New York Yankees

Yankees GM Brian Cashman had a vision a few years back. With that, he saw the Beltway’s best, Manny Machado and Bryce Harper both in pinstripes by 2019. This is Machado’s contract year while Bryce Harper will play at least one more season for sure in “The District”. So one half of that equation is open at the moment, with Machado wanting a new beginning in both team and position. The Yanks current left side of their infield consists of short stop Didi Gregorius and third baseman Todd Frazier. Gregorious played excellent a year ago, probably the best season of his career while Frazier is a veteran and capable slugger who was acquired from the White Sox last summer. If the Yankees wanted to make this move for Machado though, cap space is something they’ll need to free up so therefore, with enough sluggers and not enough salary space to hold Manny Machado, I see this deal less likely happening, especially after the excellent season Didi just had batting .287. Plus, the Yankees are an AL East division foe for the Orioles so I don’t see Machado wearing pinstripes just yet in his career, if ever.

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox are currently in a rebuild and they have been since they traded Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox. The White Sox have been the “hot pursuer” of Machado over the past few days. Chicago does have a lot of options, four specifically as Mike Asika stated in his piece on Machado. Those include signing him now and letting him play the 2018 season the walk (to a potential Yankees or Red Sox), let him play in 2018 and resign him or just acquiring him to see what they could get for him down the line. With other young stars like second baseman Yóan Moncada and first baseman, and power hitting José Abreu, Machado would be a great addition to the team on the south side of Chicago’s lineup, but at what cost (prospect wise)?

Miami Marlins

Lastly, the Miami Marlins. Manny Machado is a Miami native so how fitting? In last year’s “Player’s Weekend”, Machado’s nickname on his back was “Mr. Miami” so could he actually get that name to become a reality this offseason, next season, or the following offseason? I can see this deal happening the most of every trade rumors so far. The Marlins just got rid of Giancarlo Stanton and are now missing a “star”. Also, the Marlins currently do not have an established shortstop with Adeiny Hechavarria leaving last season and going to Tampa Bay. Also, what do the Marlins give up to get Machado? The Orioles desperately need pitching, both starter and bullpen help and what catches the Orioles eye? Wei-Yin Chen? He used to be an Oriole and did not do too much for us. Yes, it seems to be the most realistic but what do the Orioles get back is my only question but if anywhere Manny had to go, I would love to see him in Miami, it only seems right if it’s not in Baltimore.

Multiple other teams have been rumored. The Cardinals, Giants, Phillies, etc. Just those three teams above are in my opinion the only realistic possibilities and who are the “hot pursuers” of Machado, and/or where he would be the best fit to play shortstop. Yes, the Orioles do need to show more effort in trying to retain Machado but if he really is not please with this team any more, let him go and try to get whatever you can back rather that is prospects or a star player or two. I am also a Cleveland Cavaliers fan and I hated seeing Kyrie Irving want a new beginning in Boston but like Machado, I respect what Kyrie did in wanting a new, fresh start to solely be the star of a team and finally be happy playing the game he loves once again and that’s what I want Machado to do, be happy playing the game he loves again, baseball.

Cary slides past Middle Creek, led by four double figure scorers

By: Zack Adams

12/13/17

Cary (6-2) squeaks by former SWAC rival, Middle Creek (1-7) 62-58 Tuesday night. Coach Gus’ Imps were led by four double figure scorers. Junior Jett Fortuny led Cary with 18, scoring nine of those in the opening eight minutes. Leesville transfer, DJ Horne finished with 13 and Philip Blackley added 11 for Cary as well. Tyler Carpenter came off his 29 point performance vs Heritage Friday night with a 15 point game Tuesday in the Imp Dome. Helping Carpenter was Ryan Tanklewicz, who finished with 14. Keeping the Mustangs in the game were ten threes. Middle Creek outscored Cary from long distance 30-12 (10 threes to four). 

As Middle Creek was trying to crawl back into the game, Brandon Kiaku attempted to drive to the basket for two but his shot was partially blocked by DJ Horne. Horne’s blocked shot fell into the hands of Cary’s Jalen Thomas who was then “tackled”, or intentionally fouled by Kiaku, the call being to the displeasure of the Mustang faithful. By the time Kiaku’s shot went up, the Mustangs were only down two, 60-58 so that floater would have tied to game. Thomas got both foul shots to roll in to give the Imps a 62-58 lead. Jalen Thomas finished with 14 for Cary. The two sides will meet again over Holiday break on Dec. 20 at Middle Creek. Tip for that one is set for 6:30.

Middle Creek will return to the court Thursday, Dec. 14 to host Heritage. Cary will host Fuquay-Varina, another former SWAC rival, Friday Dec. 15 at 7:00.

Corinth Holders sweeps Princeton in first home games of the season

By: Zack Adams

12/7/17

A week ago, these two county foes squared off in Princeton. Corinth Holders won the girls meeting pretty handily while Princeton took the boys game in a close one. Last night in Wendell, the Pirates swept both varsity contest in Corinth’s home opener.

Princeton @ Corinth Holders GBB:

Corinth Holders (3-3) downed Princeton (2-5) 40-31 Wednesday. The two met last week in Princeton where Corinth Holders took that one 44-28. Wednesday was a bit closer of an affair as the Pirates squeaked by for the nine point victory. Pirates guard Mikayla Thompson scored in double figures for her fifth straight game, finishing with 16 last night. 12 of those 16 came from three point range as the junior guard was feeling it from outside. Helping Thompson was junior center Gabby Miller. Miller finished with 10 and almost had a reverse layup go down late in the ballgame for her which would’ve brought the home side to their feet in awe. Like Thompson, Princeton’s leading scorer, Emily Ricks finished with 16. Takiria Cummings added eight but it was not enough to bring the Lady Bulldogs back into the contest. The Pirates have now won two in a row as they head into a big rivalry game tonight against Clayton at home while Princeton is now on a four game losing skid as they’ll travel to Kenly to face North Johnston Friday. 

Princeton vs Corinth Holders BBB:

Welcome home, Pirates. Corinth Holders (1-5) dropped five straight games, all on the road, coming into Tuesday’s home matchup against Princeton (3-4). Coming home was all the Pirates needed as Corinth Holders won big, 56-26. Senior wing Warren Ramsey finished with a season high, 25 points to go along with six rebounds. Ramsey had 11 of those 25 came in the third quarter and he also shot 5/9 from three in the game. Sam Carlson also posted his season high, eight points last night. Carlson moved to the “sixth man” role in Tuesday’s 49-43 loss vs Southern Nash and Wednesday against the Bulldogs, really embraced that role with a big eight points off the bench, six of which came in the fourth quarter. For Princeton, Colby Sullivan led the Bulldogs with eight points. Ryan Woodard totaled 20 points and 11 rebounds in Princeton’s win last week but for the most part, the Pirates shut the forward down tonight. Woodard finished with six points and seven rebounds, six of those rebounds came in the opening frame. 

A great bounce back game for the Pirates as they’ll now play their third game in three nights Thursday when rival, Clayton comes to Wendell. Like the Lady Bulldogs, the Princeton guys will also travel to Kenly to face North Johnston Friday.

Clayton dominates to take both games vs Corinth Holders

Clayton dominates to take both games vs Corinth Holders

12/2/17

By: Zack Adams

Clayton takes both varsity match ups over Corinth Holders in the first of two meetings between the two Johnston County rivals. The girls game featured two really good friends lighting up Jeff Adams Gymnasium and the Comet football boys are back, picking up the undefeated regular season on the gridiron momentum and shaking off the 38-31 third round loss to Eastern Guilford a week ago in the 3AA East Playoffs. Very electric atmosphere in C-Vegas this evening with some really explosive moments that would occur, especially during the boys game. 

Corinth Holders vs Clayton GBB:

Clayton (2-3) bounced back from their loss to the Aussie Travelers Tuesday with a 58-41 victory over Corinth Holders (1-3). Two friends, Asia Todd (Clayton) and Mikayla Thompson (Corinth Holders) both went back and forth tonight, with Asia's Comets coming out on top with the 17-point victory. Todd finished with 30 points for Clayton, shooting 6/8 from the foul line on the evening. 20 of Todd's 30 would come in the first half, equaling the Pirates total as a team at the break (36-20 Comets after 16 minutes). Mikayla Thompson would have herself a game as well. The junior finished with 20 points and five rebounds for the Pirates. Both Todd and Thompson would get help from their teammates. Endaisha Howard finished with eight points, three assist, and five rebounds for the Comets. Ciasia Washington and Maya Kelly each added six points as well for Coach Marlon Lee. Helping Thompson were Crawford Ramsey and Deonna Adams, each finishing with 5 points and Lamaya Lomax grabbed a season high (for herself and as a team), 12 rebounds. Both sides will meet again next Friday in Wendell and if this 30 and 20 point duel from Todd and Thompson was a preview, or just Round 1-- next Friday should be something special. 

Corinth Holders vs Clayton BBB:

To simply put it, Jeff Adams Gymnasium was rocking Friday night for the night cap. Clayton (2-2) would earn their second straight victory, this one coming 61-39 over Corinth Holders (0-4). After being blown out by Rolesville in the Comets first two contest of the season due to the likes of MaCaleb Robertson and Devin Carter still in helmets and shoulder pads in the 3AA East Football Playoffs, the Comets have outscored their opponents 138-79 in the two games at full strength. One of those guys, MaCaleb Robertson finished with 23 points. "Crafty" finished 5/6 (83%) from three and 8/8 from the foul line, while dishing out four dimes and grabbing three rebounds. One of those assist were to NC State football commit, Devin Carter for a two handed flush to put Clayton up 4-0 early and brought the crowd to an uproar. Carter can do it on both the football field and basketball court as he finished with 11 points and eight rebounds on the night. But Dev Carter did not have the only dunk of the contest. Junior forward Trevor Van Dyke would have some fun of his own with 4:49 remaining in the second quarter, he would put Pirate forward Da'kwon Thaggard in a poster with a two handed flush. That brought the Comet lead to 19-4 and gave the Comets momentum to keep pulling away. Corinth Holders would cut it to single digits multiple times in the third, behind Warren Ramsey's three triples but still was not enough to overcome the face paced Comet offense with the crowd behind them. All in attendence saw a bit of the future for both of these county rivals as Corinth Holders freshman Sam Tilton popped a three from the wing, Comet freshman Justin Bell hit one from way downtown, then was answered once again by Tilton with another three from the corner. Fun little back and forth from those guys there. Tilton finished with eight and Bell finished just those three points. Clayton would outscore Corinth Holders 21-11 in the final frame to cap off the 21 point victory. Warren Ramsey's three triples were his only points of the night, finishing with a season low nine points. Junior Cameron Walden added eight points and seven boards as well for the Pirates. 

Both teams will step back on court against one another in Wendell next Friday (12/8) night but both will face test prior. Corinth Holders will travel to Southern Nash (2-1) Tuesday to end the five game road swing the Pirates had to begin the season with a varisty doubleheader against the Firebirds and Richmond County (0-1) travels to Clayton for a doubleheader Tuesday as well.

Is Lonzo Ball a bust?

Is Lonzo Ball a bust?

By: Zack Adams 

12/1/17

(Photo Courtesy of For the Win - USA Today Sports)

Lakers point guard and the #2 overall pick in this past summer's NBA Draft was highly touted coming out of UCLA because he was the second pick overall, but because of his dad, Lavar Ball and his mouth. That is one of the sole reasons probably 80% of his critics, or "haters" dislike the rookie. Yes, his dad speaks a lot of blasphemy and talks out of line.

"I can beat Michael Jordan one on one"  

Like come on Lavar, you know good and well that you are wrong but it is simply that Lavar is a genius. That is what many fail to see and are too ignorant to realize. For example, when Lonzo went from the Big Baller Brand shoe in game one of his Summer League career and then change to Nike and suddenly played better, all eyes were on the brand, the Big Baller Brand then. Lavar Ball seeks attention so he will continue to run his mouth, promote his brand and his three boys. Like Lavar Ball is still in a feud with the President of the United States, Donald Trump. A father from Chino Hills, California is getting his name tweeted and spoke by the President of the United States. It's just crazy. A marketing genius is what Lavar Ball is nonetheless, but the pressure he is putting on his son is not so smart and his performance through 20+ games is showing that.

So with all of this being said, is Lonzo Ball a bust? Through 21 games, Ball averages nine points, seven assist, and seven rebounds per contest. While at UCLA, he averaged 14.6 points, eight assist, and six rebounds per contest. Now, everyone is questioning what exactly is going on with the 20 year old? The bigger question coming into the league was Lonzo's shot. Yes, he does have an ugly form, one of the ugliest all time and his stats are proving it's struggles. Zo is shooting 31% from the field and 25% from three. That is one of the poorest shooting performances in a 20 game stretch in NBA history. But the kid is only a rookie. Not only is his father putting all over this pressure on him by saying Zo is already better than Stephen Curry (a 2x NBA Champion and 2x NBA MVP) so the Warriors "fan base", real fans or bandwagons, want to see him fail along with Ball Family haters, but Ball is trying to learn the NBA game and style, to be a great point guard in the league. All of the background noise and a rookie trying to learn the game just isn't healthy for someone struggling the way he is. No, Lonzo is not a bust. He has played twenty games in the league and speaking of Stephen Curry, here are his numbers vs Lonzo's through 20 games in the NBA.

Stephen Curry - 11.0 PPG / 4.9 APG / 3.3 RPG / 45% FG / 38% 3pt / no triple doubles

Lonzo Ball - 9.0 PPG / 7.2 APG / 7.0 RPG / 31% FG / 25% 3pt / two triple doubles

When the two met Wednesday:

Curry - 28 pts (13/28 in OT), 7 assist, 5 rebounds -- 127-123 OT win

Ball - 15 pts (did not score in OT), 10 assist, 2 rebounds, one cut above the eye -- 123-127 OT loss

Like Steph said, no one really judged him through his first 20 games so why are you judging Lonzo? Oh yeah, because you all hate his dad. But seriously, Lonzo is a rookie and his whole career being a success or a bust cannot be decided through 21 professional games. Magic Johnson, the President of basketball operation for the Los Angeles Lakers, drafted Lonzo at number two. Magic is one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, the position Lonzo plays. If one of the best had faith in his to turn around his franchise, let the kid develop and maybe in two to three years, talk about him being a success or bust. Lonzo has a bright future ahead of him and just needs some belief. The Lakers take the court again tomorrow night at 9:00 est in Denver to play the Nuggets. Last time the two teams met, it was Nov. 19 and Lonzo recorded a triple double (11/11/16) in the Lakers 127-109 win.