By Patrick Hite
With Jarvis Vaughan on the floor, Robert E. Lee is unbeaten, a perfect 13-0. With the big man off the court, Lee is 0-1, losing Jan. 6 to East Rock.
Vaughan is leading the Leemen with 18 points a game this season and, on Saturday, he surpassed 1,000 points for his high school career.
Lee has three games this week, but the biggest game, by far, is Friday night in Lexington. As part of the Rock the Ribbon Roundball Shootout (preview of the Rock the Ribbon will be on newsleader.com Tuesday), Lee High plays old Valley District rival Spotswood. The teams are the third game of the night, tipping at approximately 8:45 p.m. at Rockbridge County High School.
Robert E. Lee's Jarvis Vaughan tries to reach the basket after slipping between East Rockingham's Dalton Jefferson and Austin Beaghan during a basketball game played in Staunton on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018. (Photo: Mike Tripp/The News Leader)
Spotswood is 12-4, with all four losses coming in nondistrict play, The Trailblazers have lost to the top-ranked Class 3 team Northside, as well as Handley, E.C. Glass and Sherando.
Daniel Ouderkirk, Spotswood's 6-9 senior center, has missed the last eight games with an ankle injury. Before going out, he was averaging 20 points and 16 rebounds a game.
Ouderkirk, who is committed to play baseball at West Virginia, is out indefinitely. Whether he returns this season depends on how he responds to treatment, Spotswood coach Chad Edwards said.
"Our guys have not let the adversity of losing Dan or the difficulty of our out-of-district schedule negatively affect our approach and psyche," Edwards said. "I am very, very proud of my team, especially when you consider we have zero seniors besides Big Dan."
Without Ouderkirk, Spotswood is led by sophomore Robby Smith (12.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg). Juniors Kaleb Strawderman (11.8 ppg) and Angel Pacheco-Ortiz (10.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg) are the other double-figure scorers for the Trailblazers.
As for Lee, Everett Castle is scoring 9.5 points a game, while point guard Jayden Williams is averaging 8.6 points.
"Spotswood is our rival," Lee coach Terrell Mickens said. "I guess it hasn't been a rivalry in the last couple of years because we haven't beat them, but it's always fun playing Coach Edwards. We've got respect for them."
Lee has lost to Spotswood the last 12 times the teams have played. Friday night's game will be the only meeting between the two this season.
With Jarvis Vaughan on the floor, Robert E. Lee is unbeaten, a perfect 13-0. With the big man off the court, Lee is 0-1, losing Jan. 6 to East Rock.
Vaughan is leading the Leemen with 18 points a game this season and, on Saturday, he surpassed 1,000 points for his high school career.
Lee has three games this week, but the biggest game, by far, is Friday night in Lexington. As part of the Rock the Ribbon Roundball Shootout (preview of the Rock the Ribbon will be on newsleader.com Tuesday), Lee High plays old Valley District rival Spotswood. The teams are the third game of the night, tipping at approximately 8:45 p.m. at Rockbridge County High School.
Robert E. Lee's Jarvis Vaughan tries to reach the basket after slipping between East Rockingham's Dalton Jefferson and Austin Beaghan during a basketball game played in Staunton on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018. (Photo: Mike Tripp/The News Leader)
Spotswood is 12-4, with all four losses coming in nondistrict play, The Trailblazers have lost to the top-ranked Class 3 team Northside, as well as Handley, E.C. Glass and Sherando.
Daniel Ouderkirk, Spotswood's 6-9 senior center, has missed the last eight games with an ankle injury. Before going out, he was averaging 20 points and 16 rebounds a game.
Ouderkirk, who is committed to play baseball at West Virginia, is out indefinitely. Whether he returns this season depends on how he responds to treatment, Spotswood coach Chad Edwards said.
"Our guys have not let the adversity of losing Dan or the difficulty of our out-of-district schedule negatively affect our approach and psyche," Edwards said. "I am very, very proud of my team, especially when you consider we have zero seniors besides Big Dan."
Without Ouderkirk, Spotswood is led by sophomore Robby Smith (12.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg). Juniors Kaleb Strawderman (11.8 ppg) and Angel Pacheco-Ortiz (10.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg) are the other double-figure scorers for the Trailblazers.
As for Lee, Everett Castle is scoring 9.5 points a game, while point guard Jayden Williams is averaging 8.6 points.
"Spotswood is our rival," Lee coach Terrell Mickens said. "I guess it hasn't been a rivalry in the last couple of years because we haven't beat them, but it's always fun playing Coach Edwards. We've got respect for them."
Lee has lost to Spotswood the last 12 times the teams have played. Friday night's game will be the only meeting between the two this season.
