Carroll County JV had just played the squad from Alleghany earlier in the week so there were no surprises in the forecast for round two on Friday.
Our squad is loaded with young, scrappy players with speed and energy to burn. When they are on a level playing field they can apply pressure to their opponents with their efforts.
We are now in the second round of witnessesing the effects of the Alleghany – Covington merger that took place during the Summer. The move took the Volleyball team from middle of the pack to the regular season title and the football team from the bottom all the way to third place, right behind the juggernauts of Radford and Glenvar.
The Girls 👧 JV Basketball went from there not being one at all to having one that is still learning how to play the game but on the Boys side they now have a squad that could handle their business against some Varsity squads.
The Cougars were leading 24-5 at the end of the opening 7:00 minutes but the thing about our team that stuck with me the most was how hard the five we had out on the floor continued to battle hard despite the large deficit. The game was played in the old Gymnasium at Floyd County so the teams weren’t driven by the sound of a large crowd but our guys kept at it right until the end of the 56-25 decision.
Hayden Jackson was the leading scorer on the day with six points but had plenty of company on the score sheet as eight of the fifteen that played scored at least one basket.
There were two stretches of the second half (played to a 13-19 score) that were great examples of a group not going away. Trailing 48-14, Blake Reed scored a basket while being fouled. Reed missed the free throw but Dane Leonard grabbed the rebound and made the put back, completing a four point possession. Next time down the floor Leonard connected on a pair of free throws to complete the 6-0 run 🏃♂️.
The fourth quarter netted one scoring spurt of five points with Isaiah Leagans and Jayden Jones combining to spark the offense. Jones hit the 3-pointer and Leagans scored from inside the line.
Thankfully that should be the last time we tangle with the size and strength of the Cougars ! The team will get to move forward Monday evening when they travel further up I-81 to face James River High School 🏫.
Accounting for the 25 points –
Hayden Jackson 6, Dane Leonard 4, Blake Reed 4, Jayden Jones 3, Trace Reavis 2, Colton Gravely 2, Landon Phillips 2, Isaiah Leagans 2….
By the quarter:
CCHS – 5 7 8 5 – 25
AHS – 25 13 13 6- 56
You can find more on this game inside of the Friday day long blog.
A.S.P.N on The Hill 