Although there was not a Gladiator football player in sight for obvious reasons, we still have to wonder if maybe, just maybe, the Central Falcons put a little extra oomph into tonight's games, seeking a little payback for the beatdown the Big Red put on them the other week. Whether or not that was the case, the Falcons took full advantage of both of Riverheads' limited seven man rosters tonight, winning the JV game 51-34 and the varsity 72-47.
In each case, the home team applied full court pressure early and often, which was of course designed to wear out the Big Red, since the Gladiators could not substitute nearly as freely as Central could with its full roster available. That pressure led to frequent steals and breakaway lay-ups but both Central squads also featured some talented outside shooters. Not only that but the Big Red had no answer for the post moves of 6'4" Luke Williams in the varsity game, as he was easily the high scorer for the Falcons.
The JV game featured one exciting moment for the Falcons that did not seem to generate the response you might have expected. Riverheads was at the foul line with 4 seconds left in the first quarter, and when Central inbounded afterward, one of their players calmly took a dribble or two and let it fly from about 3/4 quarter court. The ball stripped the net cleanly, and yes, the crowd made "some" noise, but not the level you would have expected for such a rare play.
In the varsity game, the Gladiators had their biggest moments early and late, with Central pretty much dominating the middle quarters. Riverheads enjoyed an early five-point lead and still led 16-13 at the first horn. But Central opened the second quarter with a 13-0 spurt and led 40-23 at the break. They then scored the first 12 points of the third quarter before Riverheads came alive and kept pace in the fourth quarter.
For the first time this season, the fact that Riverheads has only seven players almost hurt them in terms of individual fouls. The refs were not giving them any breaks and as a result, by my count three varsity Gladiators had four fouls each when the game ended. You do the math and you can see how things could have soon gotten dicey if the game had not ended when it did.
One bright spot for Coach Weller tonight was the second straight double-figure game from sophomore Joseph George. Not only did he hit another triple tonight to go with Saturday's three-spot, but he hustled in ways that do not necessarily show up in the stats. He finished with 12 points, behind J P Crawford's team-leading 16, which included three triples. Jackson Brammer almost reached double digits with nine.
We know that the Gladiators have at least one more game in which they will have to deal with the limited numbers, as they will travel to James River Friday night. Of course the state championship football game is then scheduled for the next morning.
The next basketball game for the Big Red will then be a home re-match with these same Falcons next Tuesday. I don't have any inside information as to how many football players will be joining the teams and how quickly it will happen, but if they are pressed into service for that game, perhaps Mr. Williams and company will not necessarily be able to count on a season sweep of the Big Red.
In each case, the home team applied full court pressure early and often, which was of course designed to wear out the Big Red, since the Gladiators could not substitute nearly as freely as Central could with its full roster available. That pressure led to frequent steals and breakaway lay-ups but both Central squads also featured some talented outside shooters. Not only that but the Big Red had no answer for the post moves of 6'4" Luke Williams in the varsity game, as he was easily the high scorer for the Falcons.
The JV game featured one exciting moment for the Falcons that did not seem to generate the response you might have expected. Riverheads was at the foul line with 4 seconds left in the first quarter, and when Central inbounded afterward, one of their players calmly took a dribble or two and let it fly from about 3/4 quarter court. The ball stripped the net cleanly, and yes, the crowd made "some" noise, but not the level you would have expected for such a rare play.
In the varsity game, the Gladiators had their biggest moments early and late, with Central pretty much dominating the middle quarters. Riverheads enjoyed an early five-point lead and still led 16-13 at the first horn. But Central opened the second quarter with a 13-0 spurt and led 40-23 at the break. They then scored the first 12 points of the third quarter before Riverheads came alive and kept pace in the fourth quarter.
For the first time this season, the fact that Riverheads has only seven players almost hurt them in terms of individual fouls. The refs were not giving them any breaks and as a result, by my count three varsity Gladiators had four fouls each when the game ended. You do the math and you can see how things could have soon gotten dicey if the game had not ended when it did.
One bright spot for Coach Weller tonight was the second straight double-figure game from sophomore Joseph George. Not only did he hit another triple tonight to go with Saturday's three-spot, but he hustled in ways that do not necessarily show up in the stats. He finished with 12 points, behind J P Crawford's team-leading 16, which included three triples. Jackson Brammer almost reached double digits with nine.
We know that the Gladiators have at least one more game in which they will have to deal with the limited numbers, as they will travel to James River Friday night. Of course the state championship football game is then scheduled for the next morning.
The next basketball game for the Big Red will then be a home re-match with these same Falcons next Tuesday. I don't have any inside information as to how many football players will be joining the teams and how quickly it will happen, but if they are pressed into service for that game, perhaps Mr. Williams and company will not necessarily be able to count on a season sweep of the Big Red.
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