Hudson, NC (January 26, 2017)…Maybe there are the readers of this publication that are aware of the recent basketball games South Caldwell has played and have played with a certain degree of success. Since those amazing wins over the Hickory Red Tornadoes, the men and women’s varsity squads have gone 4-2 with their most recent wins over the Patton Panthers. These squads from Morganton were no easy matchup however, Spartan Nation prevailed with the ladies winning by the count 36-25 followed by the boys nailbiter, 52-49.
In the women’s matchup, defense most certainly prevailed. Even the “sixth man crew” of Goins, Hilton, Rizk and Voekler made matters on the court rather annoying for the opposition. Fans anxiously await the return of the rooster and the raccoon.
The Lady Spartans overcame a shooting funk to prevail in this win with Lacey Annas leading all scorers with 11 points. Amazing how these ladies only surrender a mere 28.6 points per game, which has to either be the best in the entire state or in the top three. And they achieve such an accomplishment with smiles on their faces. Might this be indicative that they enjoy making matters difficult for their opponents? Who’s to say?
For the men, the Spartans would build a lead between nine and eleven points. Then, the Panthers squad, paced by Austin Spurlin with 18, would rapidly cut into the lead. Yet, toward the end of the contest, Dalton McCloud, Jody Spears, J.C. Byland and the AHag (that Alex Haigler guy) made key baskets coming down the stretch. And what can be said about Ryder Martin. Though he only scored four points, his defense and rebounding were sensational. At the last count, there were five blocked shots and ten rebounds. Byland also made some crucial follow-up shots in the low post, all of which enabled the Spartans to preserve the win.
Both Coach Jeff Parham and Darren Hart were pleased with the wins on Tuesday. With the men’s contest, Coach Hart only had praise for Patton, coaching staff and players. “They definitely came to play. I was pleased with our effort, especially in the later part of the game”. For the ladies, Coach Parham is confident that their scoring savvy will return. It certainly will have to, as they travel to Hickory on Friday to face the Red Tornadoes once again. What is really pleasant to see is that the ladies continue in their winning tradition, especially after losing players like Caliegh Raby, Anna Bollinger, and Blake Gosnell (to name a few). These young ladies have excellent camaraderie and are well-focused on what they desire to accomplish as a team, which is an integral part of what solid coaching (which they have) is all about. With the young men, at this point of the season, the Spartans have an 11-7 record. Can anyone remember the last time this has happened? Whatever the case, Coach Hart and his staff have done very well and these young men, mostly seniors, desire to come out solid for their final season. Keep up the excellent achievements Spartan Nation. You all have a very loyal following!