Everyone knew that the ride on the Cavalier Express would eventually have to end and it did Tuesday night in Penn Laird, Virginia at the hands ✋of the Spotswood Trail Blazers, 71-52.
Allen Worrell will have your actual Game Story available here shortly so I will begin with some thoughts on what the journey meant to the team, the Coaching staff and to me personally.
But first, here’s Head Coach Anthony Barnes, sharing his thoughts :
We knew coming up here to their house would be tough, they are well coached and they play really hard D, and their two guards are solid deadly shooters. 34-27 at half could have been 15 or worse,but we stood strong we worked really hard on defense too would limit them , when they did miss we never could secure the rebound or get the 50/50 ball. They are very physical and sometimes the team leading gets by playing that way as the aggressor. Foul count 21-11, Isaiah held to hardest 8 pts he ever scored to date and same with Ethan with only 9. Still my guys never quit playing period. So very proud of this group, Region runner up, 23-3, back back District Champs, back back Christmas Champs! All time Leading scorer with Bryce Smoot. Over all record for three years is 61-15! What more can Coaches ask for in a high school group. This game don’t define their season at all ! The last dance
ends, but the History books tel
ls there ride forever. TEAM CAVS !
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Yes, the Express ended with back to back defeats but one has to take aI5th look at what it took to knock down our Cavaliers.
Northside High School 🏫 has two Division 1 players leading them in their quest to a third consecutive State Championship.
Spotswood has two equally impressive Division 1 players and a smothering fan base. Playing in Pulaski County High School was a neutral site where nothing about Tuesday night was equal.
My takeaway from the end of the season can be explained in how much Heart ❤ was on display in the fourth quarter last night 🌙. Our five Cavaliers were giving inches and pounds to their counterparts at every position ➕ running on fumes but the defended themselves one last time.
Facing their biggest deficit of the season, late in the third quarter and with a decent chance the entire starting five fouling out of the game, Carroll County made their final push.
We cut the lead to 12, at 61-49 after Bryce Smoot drilled a NBA 3-pointer and after another stop ✋, fellow Senior Ethan Richardson got a great look at another 3-pointer and the shot went halfway down before falling away. The shot would have cut ✂️ it back to single digits.
Instead of down nine and being on the cusp of scaring the Trail Blazers, Junior Isaiah Easter picked up his fifth foul. Spotswood closed out the game with a 10-3 run to make it look like a one sided affair. Trust me, for 29 of the 32 minutes, Spotswood was in a dog 🐕 fight with a dog that has a great deal of fight in it!!
Carroll County 14 13. 12. 13 – 52
Spotswood HS 14 20 21 16 – 71
Please enjoy Allen’s Game Story and know that there will be plenty more Hoops coverage coming afterwards!
This group made me PROUD to know them !!
A.S.P.N on The Hill 