Four seniors carry Athens Drive to first season sweep of Cary since 2012-13

By: Zachary Adams

2/1/19

RALEIGH, NC — Athens Drive (15-5, 5-1) used a balanced scoring attack from four of their seniors to down Cary (7-12, 3-4), 68-55 on Friday night. With this win, the Jaguars completed their first regular season sweep of the Imps since the 2012-13 season.

After a slow start for both sides, Athens Drive senior Chase Graham would knock down back-to-back threes to give the Jaguars the early 6-0 advantage. Graham was not the only Jaguar senior who got in on the early offensive onslaught. CJ Mitchell would record two straight buckets, giving Athens Drive the 10-0 lead with 2:54 to play in the opening frame. After Cary called timeout, Bryan Quiller and Jett Fortuny both hit two point baskets to make it 10-4 Athens with just over a minute to go in the quarter. After one quarter of play, Athens Drive led 13-6. Chase Graham and CJ Mitchell totaled all 13 of Athens’ points, scoring 7 and 6 respectively.

Cary began the second quarter on a 6-0 run. After trailing by as many as 10 early on, the Imps were only down 13-12 with six minutes to go before halftime. A little bit later, Brandon Dixon would stop, pop through a bit of contact, and get the foul call. Dixon sunk the free throw, extending the Jaguar lead to 20-15 with 4:05 to play in the second. Athens Drive would go on another 10-0 run, this one to close the first half. This run was highlighted by two threes from Northern Kentucky signee DJ Robertson and consecutive fast-break baskets by Brandon Poggioli. The Jaguars went into the break leading the Imps, 30-19.

The home side would pick up right where they left off post-intermission. Junior Jonah Milchuck would spot up and drain a three to make it 33-19 Athens Drive. Jett Fortuny and Logan McNeil would keep the Imps treading water in the third quarter. Fortuny and McNeil combined for 13 of Cary’s 18 points in the third quarter. The senior duo would help the visitor’s cut their deficit down to 11, 40-29, with 4:18 to play in the third stanza. Cary would try to press Athens toward the end of the quarter, but the Jaguars were unphased. Athens Drive would hold onto the 50-37 lead going into the fourth.

Cary senior Logan McNeil began the final quarter with a three ball left of the key to make it 50-40 Athens. After Cary’s Jared Moore hit one of two from the line, Athens’ DJ Robertson would answer with a turnaround jumper from the elbow, propelling Athens to a 52-41 edge. A few possessions later, Jett Fortuny would attack the rack, make the basket, and get fouled. Fortuny made the and one free throw, making it a 52-44 ballgame with 5:39 remaining. With just over a minute to play in the game, Athens Drive led 61-51. Athens’ Blue Crew would begin to serenade Cary’s Gang Green with taunts, giving their rivals a unique exit as time winded down. The Jaguars would go on to outscore the Imps 7-4 in the final 1:09 to win by 13, 68-55.

CJ Mitchell paced Athens Drive with 15 points. Tevon Johnson and DJ Robertson each added 13 points. Chase Graham was the only other Jaguar in double figures with 11 points. Jett Fortuny led the way for Cary with 15 points. Logan McNeil and Bryan Quiller added 14 and 10 points respectively.

Both the Imps and Jaguars will hit the hardwood once again on Tuesday. Cary will travel to Durham to meet Riverside, while Athens Drive will host Panther Creek. The Catamounts have already knocked off the Jaguars twice this season. 

South Johnston uses sharp three point shooting to complete regular season sweep of Clayton

By: Zachary Adams

1/31/19

FOUR OAKS, NC — South Johnston (18-2, 5-1) knocked down 10 three pointers en route to their 79-57 victory over Clayton (9-9, 3-3).

Rain may not have been falling outside, but it sure was raining threes inside the South Johnston Gymnasium in the first quarter. The Comets and Trojans combined to hit nine three pointers in the opening stanza. With 3:22 to play in the quarter, South senior Jaquain Smith sunk a three in front of the Clayton bench to put the home side up 17-5. Later in the frame, Comet senior Cameron Walden hooked up with sophomore Amare Bryant for a corner triple. Bryant’s three ball cut the South Johnston lead to 21-9. With just under a minute to play, Carel “CJ” Ray would get two looks from beyond the arc. Ray is a proven three pointer shooter, so giving him back-to-back looks is a bad idea. The Trojan junior would hit his second attempt to make it 24-9 with just under a minute to play. To end the first quarter, Comet junior Joquan Ross drained a three right of the key. Ross’ triple made it 24-12 in favor of South Johnston after one quarter of play.

To the chagrin of the Comets, the Trojans would keep their shooting touch at the beginning of the second.  South’s Thomas Dees would knock down his fourth three of the game to give the home side the 29-14 advantage. The visitor’s would actually crawl back into the game behind their gritty press and two threes by Amare Bryant. Halfway through the second, South Johnston led 33-23. With 2:33 to play in the stanza, Cameron Walden would bank home a deuce to make it 35-27 South. Despite Walden pouring in nine second quarter points, the Comets still trailed going into the locker rooms. South Johnston used seven first half threes to lead 39-31 at the break.

Clayton’s press would continue to be troublesome at the start of the third. Sophomore Justin Bell picked off a Trojan pass and turned it into two points for the Comets. After a South Johnston miss, Parker Tate would hit the offensive glass and put home a floater to trim the deficit to just four, at 41-37, with 4:41 to play in the third quarter. After Clayton’s Javonte Long and South’s CJ Ray traded threes, it was 48-40 Trojans with just about three minutes to play in the third. On the next offensive possession for the home side, CJ Ray would rock the gym with a tomahawk slam. Ray jogged down the lane, caught the rock unbothered by any of the five Comets on the floor, and threw down the right handed slam. The Gang Green Student Section and the rest of the Trojan faithful went nuts after the flush. After three quarters of play, South Johnston had the 59-46 edge.

Frustration would set in for Clayton in the fourth. After Jacob Thornton got his runner to fall through contact, the officials assessed Justin Bell with a technical foul. Thornton would miss the and one free throw and Jaquain Smith made one of the two technical free throws. After the whole technical foul situation was cleared up, South Johnston moved up by 16, 64-48. Later, Trojan senior Clayton Blackman would actually complete an old-fashioned three point play to make it 70-50 South Johnston. The Trojans went on to outscore the Comets 20-9 in the final quarter to earn the 22-point victory, 79-57. This was the first time since 2005-06 that South Johnston has swept a home and home series with Clayton

Carel “CJ” Ray led South Johnston and all scorers with 24 points. Ray finished with four made threes and scored 14 of his 24 points in the second half. There were three other Trojans in double figures. Jaquain Smith finished with 20, Clayton Blackman had 16, and Thomas Dees contributed 12. Cameron Walden paced Clayton with 15 points. 11 of Walden’s 15 came in the first half. Amare Bryant added 12 points on his four made threes.

South Johnston will host West Johnston on Tuesday night at home, while Clayton will hit the road once again to face East Wake.

Robertson totals a career-high 43 points in Athens' 70-52 win over Green Hope

By: Zachary Adams

1/29/19

CARY, NC -- Northern Kentucky signee DJ Robertson put on a show for the fans at Green Hope High School on Tuesday night. Robertson totaled a career-high 43 points to lead High School OT #20 Athens Drive (14-5, 4-1) past Green Hope (6-14, 0-6), 70-52. Senior PJ Fenton, Green Hope's leading scorer at 17.4 points per game, did not play Tuesday.

The Falcons opened the game "flying high". After two free throws by Athens Drive senior guard Chase Graham, Green Hope would go on a 7-0 run. Junior Teddy Rasmussen scored five of the seven Falcon points on the run. Rasmussen drilled a three from the left wing, then got a baseline scoop shot to drop. The Jaguars would finally get a bucket to break to early run, as CJ Mitchell found Jonah Milchuck for an easy lay-up. Milchuck's deuce cut the Green Hope lead to 7-4 with 4:23 to play in the opening frame. Just 10 seconds later, Justen Grant completed an old-fashioned three point play to make it 10-4 in favor of the home side. After not starting, DJ Robertson made an immediate comeback off the bench for Athens on both ends. "Racks" Robertson would pick-off an errant Falcon pass and finish a two-hand jam, making it 12-8 Green Hope. After Jalen Corprew sunk two foul shots to give Green Hope the 14-8 edge, Athens forward Jonah Milchuck would respond with a deep three to make it 14-11 Falcons with just under a minute to play in the quarter. After two DJ Robertson free throws, Falcon junior Tavaras Vann would close the half by grabbing an offensive board and getting a bank shot to fall at the first quarter horn. Vann's hard-earned bucket gave Green Hope the 16-13 edge after eight minutes of play.

Both sides would trade buckets to begin the second quarter. 3:10 into the second quarter, the Jaguars would move the rock well and the possession concluded with a sweet three point bucket by Chase Graham. Green Hope's lead was just two after Graham's three, at 20-18. After trailing by as many as eight in the first quarter, Athens Drive would take the lead. DJ Robertson forced yet another Green Hope turnover and he finished off a nifty lay-up to give his team the 24-23 lead. Robertson would remain in "attack mode", as he concluded his nine point frame with a three point play. At intermission, the game was tied up at 27.

After intermission, Athens Drive would punch Green Hope right in the mouth. Tevon Johnson opened the third stanza with a corner three off the feed from CJ Mitchell. Johnson's three sparked a 7-2 run by the visitor's. When the Falcons called timeout, the Jaguars were up 34-29 with 5:47 to play in the quarter. Frustration would begin to set in for the home team about halfway through the frame. The officials assessed the Green Hope bench a technical foul and DJ Robertson would make both technical free throws to put Athens Drive up 40-31. After the bench technical, Tevon Johnson and DJ Robertson would knock down back-to-back threes, putting the Jaguars up 46-31 with 3:44 to play in the third. A 17-point quarter from Robertson allowed Athens Drive to take the 52-39 lead going into the fourth and final quarter.

The Jaguars would continue to knock down perimeter shots in the fourth. Tevon Johnson and DJ Robertson would once again go back-to-back from long distance, giving the visitor's the 58-39 lead with 6:31 to go. Green Hope would just not go away. The Falcons would put together a 9-0 run to make it 62-51 Jaguars with 3:51 left. The 9-0 run was highlighted by threes from Jeremiah Lewis and Devin Knowles, along with a Ben Maske floater. DJ Robertson (because who else??) would end the Falcons' run with yet another three ball. Athens Drive would go onto win by 18 points, 70-52, to extend the Jaguars' win streak to three games.

DJ Robertson led Athens Drive and all scorers by pouring in a career-high 43 points. Robertson scored 30 of those 43 points in the second half and he finished with 17 made field goals. Both Jonah Milchuck and Tevon Johnson contributed nine points a piece for the Jaguars. Tavaras Vann finished with eight points to pace Green Hope. Justen Grant, Devin Knowles, and Jeremiah Lewis all had seven points for the Falcons.

Both the Jaguars and Falcons will have home games this Friday. Athens Drive will face their arch rival, Cary at 8:00pm. Green Hope will be in-action against Riverside at 6:30pm.

Wakefield uses a big fourth quarter to down Corinth Holders by 20 on the road

By: Zachary Adams

1/22/19

ARCHER LODGE, NC — High School OT #8 Wakefield (15-2, 3-0) remained perfect in NAC-6 play by taking down Corinth Holders (5-12, 0-3), 75-55 on Tuesday night.

Wake Forest transfer Darius Everett got the scoring started for the Wolverines off the jump. Everett cut down the baseline, caught a pass from Khayne Cayne, and finished a lay-in. A few possessions later, 6’9” Cayne grabbed the offensive board and dropped the rock in the cup to give Wakefield the 7-0 advantage with 6:37 to play in the first quarter. After trailing 13-4 with four and a half to play in the opening stanza, Corinth Holders would begin to catch fire. The Pirates finished the quarter on an 11-5 run saw Kimar Kornegay make a three from the corner and Jacob Poole grab an offensive board and finish a well contested bucket in the post, to name a few “highlights”. Corinth’s big run was then capped off by point guard Jermaine Best racing down the floor, catching an outlet from the aforementioned Poole, and finishing a contested lay-up. Despite starting the game on a 7-0 run, Wakefield only led 18-15 after eight minutes of play. 

Wakefield’s Darrius Everett began the second quarter scorching hot. Everett went on a personal 8-0 run early in the frame to give the Wolverines the 27-15 lead. Senior forward Tyler Wooten would put an end to Everett’s 8-0 run by knocking down an elbow jumper with just about five minutes to play in the second. Then, a three point contest would ensue from Archer Lodge. Corinth’s Justin Stephens got the three point barrage underway with a trey from the wing, making it 31-22 Wakefield. Trae Smith would then hit one on the other end, giving Wakefield their double digit lead back. Feed the hot hand, right? Yes. That’s what the Pirates would do as the ball swung around the perimeter and the rock finished in the hands of Justin Stephens, who sunk his second three in a row. Speaking of back-to-back threes, Trae Smith would hit another triple for the Wolverines and this time Smith buried it from the corner. Justin Stephens’ third consecutive three was followed by his backcourt mate Jermaine Best hitting a long ball of his own. Wakefield’s 41-31 advantage would hold the final 46 seconds of the second quarter, giving the visitor’s the double figure lead at the break.

The Wolverines and Pirates traded baskets coming out of intermission. At the 3:28 mark in the third, Justin Stephens sunk a foul line jumper to cut the Wakefield lead down to 43-35. A few possessions later, Wakefield’s 5’3” guard Ja’Ques Shields would poke the ball away from 6'0" Stephens, rush down the floor, and finish an uncontested lay-up. Shields’ DIY bucket made it 47-37 Wakefield with 4:09 to play in the third. Tyler Wooten’s nine third quarter points helped the Pirates maintain traction. After 24 minutes of action in “Pirate Country”, Wakefield was up 55-48 on Corinth Holders.

The Wolverines would put their foot on the gas in the fourth and final quarter. Wakefield opening the final stanza on a 9-1 run that was highlighted by Darius Everett getting the steal on one end and the throwdown on the other. Two triples from three point specialist Nyeem Smiley and six points at the cup from Vernon Fraley Jr. allowed the visitor’s to put the game on ice. Wakefield found themselves on top by 20, 71-51, with 3:07 remaining. The Wolverines outscored the Pirates 20-7 in the final eight minutes to seal the 75-55 victory. Wakefield has now won 10 of their last 11 games.

Trae Smith led the way for Wakefield with 20 points. 14 of Smith’s 20 came in the first half. Darius Everett and Vernon Fraley Jr. each contributed 16 and 10 points respectively. Justin Stephens paced Corinth Holders with 14 points, 11 of which came in the second quarter alone. Tyler Wooten would also finish in double figures for the Pirates with 13 points.

High School OT #8 Wakefield will hit the hardwood again at home on Friday night against #9 Knightdale. At the 2018 South Granville Holiday Invitational, Knightdale handed Wakefield their second loss of the season in the Columbia Bracket Championship. The Knights were victorious 72-67. Corinth Holders will also be at home Friday night against Rolesville, led by crafty point guard Jordan Cooper.

Van der Heijden Brothers pace Ravenscroft past Heritage, 65-55

By: Zachary Adams

1/21/19

RALEIGH, NC — Jake and Eric Van der Heijden combined for 41 points on Monday evening to lead Ravenscroft (12-10) past Heritage (9-7), 65-55.

Ravenscroft point guard Steven Riley Jr. would get the long ball game started off early. Riley Jr. drilled a three from the wing to put the Ravens on top 5-2 with 6:33 remaining in the first quarter. Ravenscroft shared the ball well in the opening stanza. Brady O’Connell dished the rock to a cutting Eric Van der Heijden, who finished an easy lay-in to give Ravenscroft the 7-4 advantage. The Huskies on the other hand, would need to make adjustments to their game plan in the early going. Sophomore sharpshooter Lucas Taylor was disqualified after fouling Steven Riley Jr. hard on a fast break. Riley Jr. did return to the game early in the second quarter. Fellow Heritage sophomore Redford “Red” Dunton drilled a foul line jumper at the first quarter horn to cut the Ravenscroft lead down to four, 17-13, after eight minutes of play. Eric Van der Heijden scored 10 of the Ravens’ 17 points in the frame.

The Huskies and Ravens would go back and forth in the second quarter. After Ravenscroft’s LucRichard Rameau opening the second quarter scoring, Tre Waller would drop a pass down-low to Dyson Pender on the other end, who finished off glass. Need I remind you that Pender is a 5’10” guard, who is scoring in the post amongst the skyscrapers inside that Ravenscroft possesses. Just wow. With 4:33 to play in the second quarter, Redford “Red” Dunton knocked down a three from the wing to cut the Ravenscroft lead to one, 23-22. Remember Eric Van der Heijden? Well, you should after his 10 point explosion in the first quarter. The 6’5” sophomore put his defender in the spin cycle to finish a floater, making it 27-24 Ravenscroft with 2:22 to go before halftime. Eric’s brother, Jake, drilled his first three of the game a few possessions later extending the Ravens’ lead to 30-26 with 1:21 to play in the frame. Ravenscroft would maintain a four point advantage, now at 32-28, going into halftime.

Unfortunately for Heritage, Bucknell commit Jake Van der Heijden would begin to “feel it” from deep after intermission. Van der Heijden hit not one, not two, but three triples in the third quarter. He hit his third three with 1:46 to play in the third quarter, giving Ravenscroft the 45-36 edge. The Huskies would then move the rock around the perimeter, giving Dyson Pender the chance to show off his range. Pender would pop a three from the top of the key to make it 45-39 Ravenscroft with 1:09 to play in the third. Junior guard Tre Waller has hit his fair share of “meaningful” threes in his varsity career. On Monday, Waller drained a corner three at the third quarter buzzer to cut the Ravenscroft lead down to six, 50-44, with just one quarter to go.

Every time it seemed Heritage would take the lead or grab any sort of momentum, something went wrong. Rather it was a missed shot, a bad turnover, or just a defensive lapse; it occurred at the most inopportune times to derail a potential comeback. Ravenscroft’s LucRichard Rameau was the beneficiary of many Heritage mistakes. Rameau scored a team-high, six points in the final stanza. Despite two Tre Waller threes, Heritage could not overcome the mishaps against Ravenscroft on Monday evening. Ravenscroft went on to pick up the 65-55 victory over Heritage, avenging their six point loss to the Huskies back on Dec. 27 (55-49 at the 2018 South Granville Holiday Invitational).

Jake Van der Heijden led Ravenscroft and all scorers with 24 points (5 3PM). 14 of those 24 points came in the second half. Eric Van der Heijden finished with 17 points and LucRichard Rameau added 10 points to round out the double figure scorers for the Ravens. Redford “Red” Dunton powered the Heritage offense with a 19-point effort. Dyson Pender stepped up in Lucas Taylor’s absence by dropping 16 points.

Heritage will return to NAC-6 play on Tuesday night with a home tilt against Knightdale. Ravenscroft will be back in-action on Friday at Durham Academy. That contest will have huge NCISAA Triangle regular season championship implications.

Robertson and Frost combine for 37 on their birthday, as Athens Drive takes down Apex, 73-52

By: Zachary Adams

1/21/19

RALEIGH, NC — Both DJ Robertson and Mickey Frost led Athens Drive (12-5) past Apex (2-14), 73-52, on Monday night to snap a two game losing streak for the Jaguars.

Athens Drive didn’t start the game off on the right note. Apex senior Desmond Booze opened the scoring with an uncontested lay-up on the game’s opening possession. Birthday boy and Northern Kentucky commit DJ Robertson would connect with a three from the corner to later give Athens Drive the 3-2 lead. CJ Mitchell would then create space for himself to hit an elbow jumper, extending the Jaguar lead to 5-2 with 5:10 to play in the first quarter. Apex’s Rishikesh Nookala would then show off his three point touch. Nookola hit back-to-back threes to put the Cougars in front 8-5. Speaking of back-to-back, DJ Robertson would get two straight quick and easy lay-ups to give Athens the 9-8 lead with 3:35 remaining in the opening stanza. After Joel Hoffler drilled a three for the Cougars, Mickey Frost (the other birthday boy) hit a three to give the home side a 14-11 advantage. Frost would use his three ball as some first quarter momentum. The junior guard attacked the cup and scored twice more in the frame, helping give Athens Drive the 22-15 lead after one.

Athens Drive would start the second quarter red hot. The Jaguars would go on a 9-3 run the first 4:07 of the quarter. The run was capped off by a Brandon Poggioli deuce off an in-bounds play. Senior Tevon Johnson would then come off the bench for Athens and immediately make an impact. Johnson would drill a wide open three from the wing on his first offensive possession of the game, putting the Jaguars up 34-23 with 2:41 to play in the second quarter. After a Desmond Booze deuce for the Cougars, Tevon Johnson would step-in and hit another three. Johnson’s second triple made it 37-26 Athens Drive with 1:35 left before halftime. Tevon Johnson was not done stroking the three ball in the second quarter. Johnson would drain his third triple of the frame just before the halftime buzzer to give Athens Drive the 42-26 advantage going into the locker rooms.

After Niko Gnann and DJ Robertson traded baskets to begin the half, Mickey Frost stepped out and hit a deep three to put Athens Drive up 47-28 with 5:26 to play in the third. The Jaguar bench continued to make an impact on this game. Junior Brandon Spruill would score five straight points for Athens, including completing a hard earned three point play. After Spruill’s contribution, Athens Drive led 57-33. Logan Adams and Nick Carlisle both knocked down jumpers for Apex to close the third quarter. Athens Drive led by 22, 59-37, going into the fourth and final quarter.

Desmond Booze picked off an errant Jaguar pass and turned it into two points on the other end to start off the fourth. Booze’s deuce made it 59-39 Athens Drive with 6:36 remaining. A bit later, the Cougars went on a 7-0 run that was highlighted by a corner three from Booze. Mickey Frost would snap that run with a three of his own, making it 64-46 Athens Drive with 4:36 to go. On his 18th birthday, DJ Robertson capped his night off with a right handed flush to make it 68-46 Jaguars. The newest Athens varsity member, Myles Void, scored his first varsity points on Monday night. Void finished with three points. Despite being outscored in the fourth quarter, Athens Drive would knock off Apex, 73-52, to snap a two game losing streak.

DJ Robertson led Athens Drive and all scorers with 20 points on his birthday. Fellow birthday boy, Mickey Frost finished with 17 points for the Jags. Desmond Booze poured in 11 points to lead Apex.

Athens Drive will be back in-action this Friday night at home against Jordan. Apex will hit the road on Tuesday night against SWAC foe, South Garner.

McKoy, Berry, and Barbee combine for 55 points in Panther Creek's 78-63 victory over Athens Drive

By: Zachary Adams

1/18/19

CARY, NC — Panther Creek (14-2, 3-0) used big nights from Justin McKoy, Daylen Berry, and Dre Barbee en route to their 78-63 victory over Athens Drive (11-5, 2-1).

The Jaguars started quickly, as Mickey Frost grabbed the opening tip and turned it into two points. Dre Barbee would answer on the other end with a deuce of his own. After Barbee’s bucket, Athens would go on a 6-0 run to go up 8-2 with just five minutes and a half minutes to play in the opening frame. The Catamounts would then put their foot on the gas, closing the first quarter on a 19-2 run to go up 21-10 after eight minutes of play. Justin McKoy, Daylen Berry, and David Butners combined for 15 points in the first.

After Panther Creek went up 25-10 early in the second quarter, Mickey Frost put an end to a 23-2 run by getting a runner to fall off the glass, making it 25-12 Catamounts with 6:46 to play in the second. With just over three minutes to go in the second quarter, Chase Graham would dial up his first three of the game to trim the Panther Creek lead to 10, 32-22. Athens senior CJ Mitchell would become a catalyst off the bench. Mitchell would got on a personal 6-0 run to cut the Catamounts’ lead to 34-28 with 1:19 to play before halftime. Panther Creek would close first half on a 5-0 run, including a Dre Barbee three from “Curry Land” just before the halftime buzzer. Panther Creek took a 39-28 lead headed into intermission.

Panther Creek would pick up right where they left off before halftime. The Catamounts opened the third quarter on a 6-2 run, capped off by sophomore Daylen Berry finishing a contested lay-up. CJ Mitchell would then distribute the rock to Northern Kentucky signee DJ Robertson for a three from the wing. Robertson’s triple cut the Panther Creek lead to 45-35 with 4:57 to play in the third quarter. With just over a minute to play in the quarter, Jaguar forward Jonah Milchuck would grab a big rebound and get a much needed bucket to follow. That made it 52-44 Panther Creek. After three quarters of play, Panther Creek led Athens Drive 56-49.

The Catamounts iced this game from the foul line. In the fourth and final quarter, Panther Creek went 10 of 11 from the charity stripe. Of those 11 appearances at the line, the Penn State signee found himself there seven times. McKoy went a perfect 7 of 7. Besides DJ Robertson, the Athens offense was stagnant in the fourth. Robertson would score nine points in the frame, including an emphatic one handed jam with 90 seconds to play. Despite Robertson’s highlight reel flush, Panther Creek would go on to defeat Athens Drive for the second time this season by the final score of 78-63.

Penn State signee Justin McKoy led the way for Panther Creek with 22 points. McKoy went 14 of 15 from the foul line in Friday’s game. Sophomore Daylen Berry and senior Dre Barbee would compliment McKoy well with 18 and 15 points respectively. David Butners also finished in double figures for the Catamounts with 11 points. Northern Kentucky signee DJ Robertson scored a game-high 28 points to lead Athens Drive. 22 of Robertson’s 28 points came in the second half. Mickey Frost used a hot start to be the only other Jaguar in double figures with 12 points.

Both the Jaguars and Catamounts will be back in-action on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday. Athens Drive will play Apex on Monday night apart of the Person Street Pharmacy Showcase at 7:00pm. Panther Creek will also be partaking in the same showcase, where they’ll play Cardinal Gibbons at 4:00pm.

Ray's 19 points leads South Johnston past Corinth Holders for 5th straight win

By: Zachary Adams

1/15/19

ARCHER LODGE, NC — South Johnston (14-1) picked up their fifth straight victory on Tuesday by knocking off Corinth Holders (5-10), 68-54. With this victory, South Johnston moved to a perfect 7-0 on the road this season.

The three point shot was the name of the game in the opening quarter. South’s Jaquan Smith set the tone with a three ball on the game’s opening possession. To counter, Corinth’s Justin Stephens would hit a three of his own to tie the game up at 3-3. After the Pirates went on top 5-3, Thomas Dees would go on a mini 5-0 run to give the Trojans the 8-5 advantage with 4:37 to play in the quarter. Sophomore Jacob Poole would lift the home faithful to their feet after getting a basket to drop through contact and sinking the free throw to follow. Poole’s three point play evened the score at 8-8. A few possessions later, Jaquan Smith would sink a step-back three with Marcus Bland all over him to give the Trojans the 11-8 advantage. The benches would then get involved in the fray. South’s David Honeycutt and Corinth’s Sam Tilton would both hit contested threes just after checking in. Tilton’s trey gave Corinth Holders the 15-14 lead with 1:23 to play in the opening frame. South Johnston closed the opening stanza on a 5-0 run, including a second three by Thomas Dees, to go up 19-15 after a wild eight minutes of play.

Carel “CJ” Ray. Remember the name. After just registering two points in the first quarter, the South Johnston junior came alive late in the second to give total control to the visitor's. The Trojans started the frame on an 8-2 run. Five points from senior two guard Jacob Thornton, including a three pointer, highlighted that spurt. Corinth Holders sophomore Matt Cozart would attempt to reel the home side back in it. Cozart would hit a hook shot off the glass, get corner three to fall, and dish out an assist to Kimar Kornegay. Besides, Cozart is Corinth’s starting quarterback on the gridiron, so distributing the ball is kinda his thing. After Cozart’s flurry, CJ Ray would takeover and assert himself in the post. Ray would then tally seven points in the final six minutes of the quarter to help give South Johnston a 39-28 lead at intermission. In the first half alone, the Trojans would hit six threes.

CJ Ray would continue to dominate for the Trojans after halftime. The Pirates had no answer for Ray or fellow junior forward Colby Norris. Ray and Norris combined for 16 of South’s 24 third quarter points. South Johnston led by 13 with 2:15 to play in the third quarter. After struggling with foul trouble in the first half, Justin Stephens would sink a three from the wing to cut Corinth Holders’ deficit to 10, 53-43. South Johnston would go on yet another run to close the quarter. The Trojans finished the final 2:03 on a 7-0 run to head to the final quarter up 60-43.

Both the Trojans and Pirates would be careless with the rock in the fourth. Many turnovers and sloppy offensive play plagued the final frame. Austin Denning came off the bench for South Johnston in the fourth and recorded five points. Corinth Holders saw six different players score in the final stanza. Despite being outscored 11-8 in the fourth, South Johnston still won by double figures (14), 68-54.

Carel “CJ” Ray led the way for South Johnston with 19 points. Back on Jan. 8 when the teams met in Four Oaks, Ray dropped 20. Jaquan Smith and Thomas Dees each added 11 for the Trojans. Justin Stephens led Corinth Holders with 11 points. Jacob Poole would also reach double figures for the Pirates, contributing 10 points.

Both the Trojans and Pirates will return to conference play later on this week. South Johnston will hit the road once more to face GNRC rival, West Johnston on Friday night. Corinth Holders will also be on the road Friday against NAC-6 foe, Wake Forest.

Rameau gets 30-piece in Ravenscroft's 78-71 victory in City of Oaks Showcase

By: Zachary Adams

1/12/19

RALEIGH, NC — Ravenscroft (10-10) used a fast start to down Athens Drive (11-4) by seven, 78-71, on Saturday afternoon at Phenom’s City of Oaks Showcase.

Ravenscroft senior Jake Van der Heijden showed off his shooter’s touch early and often. The Bucknell commit would knock down not one, not two, but three triples in the opening eight minutes. Van der Heijden was not the only Raven scoring the rock. Leading scorer LucRichard Rameau was having his way with the Jaguar defense by getting easy bucket after easy bucket at the rim. Van der Heijden and Rameau combined for 15 first quarter points. Athens Drive came to the TAR Gymnasium Saturday with just seven players in uniform. The lack of depth and lack of length proved costly, especially early on defensively. Some positive for Athens Drive on the offensive end came when DJ Robertson popped a corner three at the 4:51 mark in the frame and when Jonah Milchuck recorded two well-earned baskets in the post. Ravenscroft used a 10-2 start to take the 19-11 lead after one.

The Ravens continued to fly high in the second quarter. Jake Van der Heijden started the frame off with another three from the corner; only difference being that this one was contested. They do say “shooter’s shoot”, right? Van der Heijden’s fourth three of the game had Ravenscroft doubling up Athens Drive at 22-11. Speaking of shooters, Athens senior Chase Graham answered back with a three of his own. Graham would take the crosscourt feed from backcourt DJ Robertson and would connect from way downtown. Ravenscroft led 25-16 with 5:09 to play in the second after Graham’s three pointer. Ravenscroft tried to set up a few dunk attempts in the first quarter, all failed. 6’7” junior Brady O’Connell would take matters into his own hands. The southpaw took the rock right down broadway, rose up, and threw the left handed hammer down with 4:33 to go before half. After Athens’ Mickey Frost drained a three with 1:24 remaining in the second, Ravenscroft closed the quarter on a 5-0 run to go up 39-24 at halftime.

Mickey Frost came out of intermission with a purpose for the Jaguars. Frost tallied five quick third quarter points the cut Ravenscroft’s lead down to 10, 41-31, with 4:46 to play in the third quarter. After Jake Van der Heijden got in foul trouble, LucRichard Rameau would takeover for the Ravens. Rameau continued to carve through the Jaguar defense, as he poured in a team-high eight points in the third quarter. Athens’ Chase Graham would knock down his second three of the game to cut the Ravens’ lead to 13. That advantage would remain and after three quarters, Ravenscroft led Athens Drive 53-40.

Then, both offenses would erupt. There was a combined 56 points scoring in the final eight minutes of the game. After a Brady O’Connell drive and bucket, Ravenscroft called timeout leading 57-42 with 6:49 remaining. Out of the Ravenscroft timeout, Athens’ Jonah Milchuck would knock down back-to-back threes from the corner. The Athens Drive 3-point party was not over in the fourth. Northern Kentucky commit DJ Robertson would get a three to rattle home with 4:14 to go. Ravenscroft only led by 11 at that point, 64-53. If there is one thing we learned about this Athens Drive today, it’s that they never give up. Despite only having seven players and trailing wire to wire, the Jaguars only lost by single digits after nearly trailing by 20 early in the second half. Ravenscroft went 13 of 15 from the line in the fourth quarter to ice the 78-71 victory.

LucRichard Rameau dropped 30 points to lead Ravenscroft. 19 of Rameau’s 30 came in the second half. Jake Van der Heijden added 19 points for the Ravens, including 5 made three’s. DJ Robertson scored a game-high 32 points to lead Athens Drive. 27 of Robertson’s 32 were scored in the second half.

Ravenscroft will take the floor again on Tuesday at North Raleigh Christian Academy. Athens Drive will be back on the road next Friday against Tri-6 Conference foe, Panther Creek.

Robertson goes for 16 in Athens Drive's 46-35 victory over Cary

By: Zachary Adams

1/11/19

CARY, NC — Athens Drive (11-3, 2-0) used 16 points from Northern Kentucky signee DJ Robertson en route to their 46-35 victory over Cary (5-10, 1-2), who were without guards Jett Fortuny and BJ Keith.

The Cary Crazies and the rest of the Imp faithful fueled a quick start for the home side. Cary opened the game on an 8-3 run, highlighted by two threes from senior guard Logan McNeil. Athens Drive would find life behind a personal 6-0 run from junior AJ Thompson, that gave the Jaguars the 11-8 lead with 2:20 to go in the opening frame. Shortly thereafter, DJ Robertson would sink a fade-away jumper in front of the Cary bench to put the Jags up 13-8 with 1:36 remaining in the quarter. The Jaguars were not finished in the opening stanza. Out of a Cary timeout, Athens senior Chase Graham got behind the Imp defense and finished with a bank shot off the in-bounds. That made it 16-8 Athens Drive and that score would hold at the conclusion of eight minutes.

In the second quarter, points were few and hard to come by for both the Jaguars and Imps. There were a combined eight points scored in the quarter. Athens Drive took a 20-12 lead over Cary going into intermission.

Offense would return to the Imp Dome after the halftime break. DJ Robertson got the frame started for the Jags by dropping a corner three, giving Athens a 23-14 lead with 6:26 to play in the quarter. Cary’s Logan McNeil would respond with his third three of the ballgame on the ensuing possession, trimming the Jaguar lead to 23-17. Athens Drive would follow McNeil’s three with a 9-0 run. Brandon Poggioli knocked down a mid-range jumper, Mickey Frost completed an old-fashioned three point play, and Chase Graham got a long two to fall. That run gave the visitor’s the 32-20 advantage with 2:42 remaining in the third. After back-to-back Cary baskets, DJ Robertson sunk a step-back two from the elbow to extend the Jaguar lead to 11 with 1:06 to play in the stanza. That 11-point lead would stand, as Athens Drive was up 35-24 on Cary after 24 minutes of play.

DJ Robertson’s 7-point fourth quarter helped Athens put the game on ice. Robertson would get his “big quarter” started with a drive into the chest of Cary’s Jared Moore followed by a floater. That basket gave the Jags the 39-31 lead with 3:38 to play. Speaking of Jared Moore, he would get a contested bucket in the post that cut Athens’ lead to 43-33 and led to a Cary timeout with 1:12 to play. Out of the timeout, AJ Thompson played a bit of quarterback by finding DJ Robertson down the floor for an easy lay-up. The Imps fought to the final buzzer, but couldn’t overcome the Jaguars without of their two starters.

DJ Robertson led Athens Drive with a game-high 16 points. 13 of Robertson’s 16 came in the second half. Logan McNeil led Cary with 14 points. McNeil made four three point baskets.

#6/9 Athens Drive will be back in-action tomorrow afternoon apart of Phenom’s City of Oaks Classic. The Jaguars will meet Ravenscroft at Raleigh Trinity Academy. After the short exam break, Cary will play hosts to Riverside next Friday.

Athens Drive pulls out 57-52 victory in OT against Green Hope

By: Zachary Adams

1/8/19

RALEIGH, NC — It was the Tri-6 opener for both Green Hope and Athens Drive on Tuesday night in Southwest Raleigh.

Athens Drive (10-3, 1-0) opened conference play with a 57-52 overtime victory over Green Hope (6-8, 0-1), handing the Falcons their third loss in four games.

The Falcons and Jaguars traded punches all night long. Green Hope’s PJ Fenton averages a team-high 18.2 points per game. The 6’7” senior asserted himself in the post early on, by totaling six first quarter points. Athens senior Chase Graham fired back with six first quarter points of his own, as he hit back-to-back corner threes. Green Hope held the 13-12 advantage on the road after the opening stanza.

Northern Kentucky signee DJ Robertson would come to life in the second quarter. Robertson scored seven points in the frame, going 3 of 4 from the charity stripe. The Falcons did not shoot well from downtown last night, as they only went 3 of 12 (25%). Two of those three triples came in the second quarter. Tavaras Vann and Jake Beja both sunk threes that provided the visitor’s needed momentum in this back and forth contest. Athens Drive didn’t go into the break so hot. Turnovers and defensive break downs allowed Green Hope to close the hectic quarter on a 7-2 run, taking the 29-26 lead going into intermission.

Green Hope led the opening 6:37 of the third quarter. That’s when Athens junior AJ Thompson drained a corner three to put the Jaguars out front, 33-32. After Jalen Coprew went one of two from the line to tie the game, Thompson would hit another three from the same spot to give Athens the 36-33 lead. A Tavaras Vann three point play and a PJ Fenton hook shot gave Green Hope the 38-37 lead after three quarters.

Chase Graham nailed his third three of the night to get the fourth quarter started with a bang for the Jaguars. Graham’s three gave Athens the 40-38 lead with 6:55 remaining. DJ Robertson remained in “attack mode” for the Jags. Robertson scored two straight buckets that gave Athens a 46-42 lead with 4:43 to go. Both PJ Fenton and Jalen Coprew got baskets to fall to tie the game at 46-46 with 2:37 left. Athens would call timeout with 1:23 to play. The Jaguars worked the ball around the perimeter for the remainder of the game, but could not sink a game-winner after DJ Robertson’s three ball rolled around and out at the horn.

Four minutes went up on the clock and overtime was underway. Athens Drive opened the extra session on a 7-0 run that was highlighted by the third corner three by junior AJ Thompson. Free throws would help the Jaguars ice the game. The home side went 4 of 6 from the stripe in overtime, helping them fend off Green Hope to earn the 57-52 victory.

DJ Robertson led Athens Drive with a game-high 25 points. Robertson shot 11 of 14 from the free throw line. Chase Graham and AJ Thompson each added 9 points. Both Graham and Thompson knocked down three triples. Tavaras Vann led Green Hope with 16 points. PJ Fenton was held below his season average (18.2 PPG) with a 14-point effort for the Falcons.

High School OT #9 Athens Drive will hit the road on Friday for a date with rival Cary. Green Hope will make the trek to Durham for a match-up with Riverside on Friday as well.

Robertson drops 26 in Athens Drive’s 64-60 win over Garner

By: Zachary Adams

1/4/19

GARNER, NC — Athens Drive (9-3) used a strong second quarter to take down Garner (4-6) on the road Friday night, 64-60.

The Trojans were fueled by the home crowd in the opening stanza. After falling behind by three early on, Garner exploded on a 12-2 run that saw them up 15-8 with 2:37 to play in the first quarter. That run was highlighted by back-to-back three pointers by senior Jaylen Andrews and junior Chris Nobles. The visiting Jaguars would not be denied in the early going. Athens cut the deficit to just three, 20-17, after the first quarter behind nine points from Northern Kentucky signee DJ Robertson.

The turning point of the contest came in the second quarter, where the Jaguars outscored the Trojans 26-8. Athens Drive began the frame on an 8-0 run, that led to a Garner timeout. The Athens run continued behind point guard DJ Robertson pumping out transition bucket after transition bucket for himself or fellow teammates, as well as two three point baskets from shooting guard Chase Graham. The Jaguars led by 15 at intermission, 43-28. 

Chris Nobles and pesky defense out of the halftime break kept Garner in this game. Nobles had six third quarter points and the Trojan defense held the Jags to just seven points in the third. In the latter half of the quarter, Lawrence “Mickey” Frost exited the game with a left ankle injury. Frost’s departure left a huge void on the defensive end and it allowed Garner to trim the deficit to just nine, at 50-41 after three.

The game of runs would continue for both sides. Athens opened the final quarter on a 10-4 run to go up 60-45 with 4:30 remaining. Garner junior Chris Nobles would then go on a personal 5-0 run to get the Garner Blue Crew and the rest of the home faithful back invested in the game. After a couple of defensive lapses and a ton of missed free throws by the Jaguars, the Trojans were only down three with 13 seconds to play. DJ Robertson would go one of two at the line to seal the messy victory for Athens.

DJ Robertson had a game-high 26 points to lead the Jaguars, while Chris Nobles poured in 21 points to lead the Trojans.

Both squads will hit the hardwood one again on Tuesday. The High School OT #9 ranked Athens Drive Jaguars will be back in-action at home against rival Green Hope. That will be their Tri-6 opener. Garner will return to SWAC play by hosting Fuquay-Varina inside Trojan Coliseum.