Why write ✍ to stories on one game? It’s a logical question and its comes with a very logical answer. On my best day 500 people will read a story that is only on the blog but if a story gets picked up by the Carroll News and then by other media outlets after that (NewsBreak comes to mind) then the story has a chance to be read by 15,000 to 20,000 people. Head Coach Anthony Barnes is very proud of his group, as he should be.
I try my best to assist all of the Coaches in the CCHS loop and each has a different set of needs. For example the Varsity Football team and the Girls 👧 Varsity Basketball 🏀 team do not lack coverage. My efforts are focused on trying hard to get coverage for everyone else, including the JV programs of the Sports.
The first story today is one fit for a blog and it will be a fun write ✍. The second story will be more business like or what is called a “Gamer” that can be used in the newspaper 📰.
Because the Carroll News is a local paper and Allen Worrell is allowed to be an equal HOMER, that story gets to be tilted heavily towards our team!
Let’s start today’s story for here back on Monday night 🌙 after watching Tennessee whip up on Iowa in the Citrus Bowl 🥣 down in Orlando, Florida. I felt very confident about the fact that the Carroll County – Alleghany match up on the Hill was going to be the showdown between the two best teams in the Three Rivers District this season. So sure that I actually flew back up for the game the next day and tried to share with a few people in the Gymnasium that we were about to be tested by the new look Alleghany – Covington team.
The Cougars entered the contest at 8-2 and they looked like a small College team in size and strength 💪 and opened the game with a 10-7 lead behind a pair of 3-pointers. But then something happened that caught the Cougars flat footed. Carroll County played a game of a lifetime for the remaining 30 minutes!!! Everything we did worked to perfection, it seemed like every shot fell and Davis Reitzel netted 25 points by halftime.
The lead 🎈to an astonishing 91-61 point late in the fourth quarter which triggered a running 🏃♂️ clock ⏰ of all things! Carroll County moved to an unprecedented 10-0 and did it against a talented team.
Fast Forward three days to yesterday when the teams got back together as part of the Chase Harmon Tournament held annually at Floyd County. The two teams met there last season which meant that Alleghany didn’t have to make the trip to Carroll County so one bright spot is we don’t have to make the trek up to the Highlands.
Carroll County has just one noticeable flaw to their seven deep rotation, there’s not an overabundance in size. Alleghany is the flip side of that with size and strength 💪 to spare. Knowing that Carroll plays really small without Davis Reitzel in the line up they went right at him on the defensive end. This led to the 6’4 Senior picking up a pair of early fouls which led to him having to spend time on the bench during the first half.
AHS lead 8-2 late in the first quarter until Bryce Smoot (14 points) connected on the first of his three 3-pointers to pull within 8-5 and that’s where the score landed at the end of the period. The Cavaliers finished the first half with just 14 points and trailed at the break 23-14.
Big adjustment to make at the half when you go from averaging a 25 point lead over nine games to trailing by nine. Isaiah Easter became more aggressive in driving 🚗 to the basket in the third quarter and netted seven of his eight points in that frame but the Cougars grew their lead to 16 (45-29) after three quarters.
The fourth quarter opened in a flurry for our Cavaliers, highlighted by a hustle steal and dunk by Reitzel ➕ 3-pointers from both Reitzel and Smoot. Just like that the lead was back down to 8, 49-41.
Fellow senior Jabin Talley scored his five points on top of each other by corraling a length of the court pass for a layup and then hitting a 3-pointer to make it 52-46.
The Cavaliers weren’t able to get closer than six as in order the players each picked up their fourth foul – Reitzel (3:11), Easter (2:44), Richardson (2:09) and Talley (0:17).
Alleghany outscored the Cavaliers 14-6 during a parade to the free throw line before Smoot ended the scoring with his final 3-pointer of the game, making the final score 66-55 in favor of the Cougars.
The game counts as a District game and concludes our regular season games with Alleghany, giving us a split and a spot in the co-pilot seat 💺 for the regular season title.
Next story will be in game form and Coach Barnes will add a Box Score and his take on the days events.
Greg Talley sent a bunch of photos 📷 that have their own post 📫 and there was plenty more coverage inside of the Day long Post from Friday.
Will have the gamer up shortly.
Davis Reitzel 15, Bryce Smoot 14, Isaiah Easter 8, Ethan Richardson 6, Jabin Talley 5, Cody Reece 4 and Brayden Smoot 3 = 55
A.S.P.N on The Hill 