Don't know any details about the girls, other than reading the score on the Shenandoah District website. So however they did it and whoever the heroines were, congratulations to the suddenly-surging Lady Gladiators for tonight's 57-48 win. That Senior Night date with Wilson on Tuesday is looking more interesting all the time!
As for the boys game at Riverheads, where I was, Page came out on top by a final of 67-54. Although it goes in the books as a loss for RHS, they did a lot of things right tonight and overall I found this game to be one of their better efforts of the season, if you take into account the caliber of the opponent.
For one thing, they aggressively attacked the basket all night and worked together better than usual. They were also able to handle Page's speed and intensity better than I expected. As a result, they scored more points tonight in the first half (29) than they had the entire game when the two teams played earlier at Page, a 56-28 Panther win. RHS also shot well, canning a season-high 7 three-pointers, including 5 from leading scorer Brett Hostetler, who led the Gladiator scoring with 24, his second 20+ game of the season.
Page was of course its usual finely-tuned machine, always hustling and making the extra pass to get the best shot, with Dovel, Williams, and McKay appearing to have the best games. Coach Rodriguez handled his double duty admirably as he filled in for Purdham, who was required by VHSL policy to sit this one out.
So overall I was OK with the way the Big Red hung with them, trailing only 34-29 at the break, and never letting it get out of hand. From all indications, even though each team played hard, this one must not have come anywhere near the intensity level as Page's neighborhood brawl last night.
RHS now goes into the last full week of the regular season facing a daunting four-game slate, but on the positive side, at least two of those games appear to be winnable ones, which could boost the confidence level of the Big Red if they do indeed come out on top. They travel to Wilson on Tuesday and then host Stuarts Draft Wednesday and Stonewall Friday, before hitting the road to Bath County on Saturday afternoon.
It is looking like the snowed-out home game with Bath simply may not have an open date where it can be fit in, which will be a shame since it would have given the Big Red another solid chance for a win. It is not a dead issue yet, so keep watching on here and on the school website for a final determination.
Tonight's JV game in some ways was the harder-fought and more controversial of the two. For one thing the officiating kept fans and coaches alike on both sides howling almost from the opening tip, and they did seem to make some head-scratching calls.
For example, one of RHS' top guns, Grant Painter, picked up a third foul midway through the first quarter and had to sit out the rest of the half. Neither team mustered much offense, affected somewhat by the frequent whistles, so they went into the locker room tied at 13.
Painter returned in the second half and scored the first two RHS baskets to give them a lead they would not relinquish. The pace and point production picked up considerably and the Gladiators quickly burst out to a 27-20 lead.
Page made a push or two to keep it close, the officials finally let the teams play a little bit, and the Gladiators were able to gradually pull away to a 47-34 win, with their all-eighth-grade starting line-up of Painter, Braeson Fulton, Elijah Dunlap, Zack Adams, and Deacon Moore all having a nice game. RHS fans are genuinely and justifiably excited to see how well (and how quickly!) this group develops. Tonight's win gives them a 10-4 overall record, virtually guaranteeing a winning season.
So all things considered, two entertaining games in which the Gladiators should be pleased with their efforts against such quality competition.
As for the boys game at Riverheads, where I was, Page came out on top by a final of 67-54. Although it goes in the books as a loss for RHS, they did a lot of things right tonight and overall I found this game to be one of their better efforts of the season, if you take into account the caliber of the opponent.
For one thing, they aggressively attacked the basket all night and worked together better than usual. They were also able to handle Page's speed and intensity better than I expected. As a result, they scored more points tonight in the first half (29) than they had the entire game when the two teams played earlier at Page, a 56-28 Panther win. RHS also shot well, canning a season-high 7 three-pointers, including 5 from leading scorer Brett Hostetler, who led the Gladiator scoring with 24, his second 20+ game of the season.
Page was of course its usual finely-tuned machine, always hustling and making the extra pass to get the best shot, with Dovel, Williams, and McKay appearing to have the best games. Coach Rodriguez handled his double duty admirably as he filled in for Purdham, who was required by VHSL policy to sit this one out.
So overall I was OK with the way the Big Red hung with them, trailing only 34-29 at the break, and never letting it get out of hand. From all indications, even though each team played hard, this one must not have come anywhere near the intensity level as Page's neighborhood brawl last night.
RHS now goes into the last full week of the regular season facing a daunting four-game slate, but on the positive side, at least two of those games appear to be winnable ones, which could boost the confidence level of the Big Red if they do indeed come out on top. They travel to Wilson on Tuesday and then host Stuarts Draft Wednesday and Stonewall Friday, before hitting the road to Bath County on Saturday afternoon.
It is looking like the snowed-out home game with Bath simply may not have an open date where it can be fit in, which will be a shame since it would have given the Big Red another solid chance for a win. It is not a dead issue yet, so keep watching on here and on the school website for a final determination.
Tonight's JV game in some ways was the harder-fought and more controversial of the two. For one thing the officiating kept fans and coaches alike on both sides howling almost from the opening tip, and they did seem to make some head-scratching calls.
For example, one of RHS' top guns, Grant Painter, picked up a third foul midway through the first quarter and had to sit out the rest of the half. Neither team mustered much offense, affected somewhat by the frequent whistles, so they went into the locker room tied at 13.
Painter returned in the second half and scored the first two RHS baskets to give them a lead they would not relinquish. The pace and point production picked up considerably and the Gladiators quickly burst out to a 27-20 lead.
Page made a push or two to keep it close, the officials finally let the teams play a little bit, and the Gladiators were able to gradually pull away to a 47-34 win, with their all-eighth-grade starting line-up of Painter, Braeson Fulton, Elijah Dunlap, Zack Adams, and Deacon Moore all having a nice game. RHS fans are genuinely and justifiably excited to see how well (and how quickly!) this group develops. Tonight's win gives them a 10-4 overall record, virtually guaranteeing a winning season.
So all things considered, two entertaining games in which the Gladiators should be pleased with their efforts against such quality competition.
