Between football injuries and a tougher-than-average early-season schedule, it’s been a tough start for the Boyd Buchanan boys basketball team.
Some of those injured players are slowly making their way back, but in the meantime, the Bucs are taking it on the chin more often than not on the hardwood.
Such was the case at Boyd’s Jett Gymnasium Tuesday night.
Facing the Walker Valley Mustangs in a non-district battle, the Bucs never led and dropped to 5-8 with the 49-43 loss. Walker Valley improved to 12-5 with the win.
Walker Valley coach Will Campbell was just happy to be heading back to Cleveland with a win.
“That was a war,” he began after a talk with his players following the game.
“It was a low-scoring game as both teams played tough defense, but Heath Davis got hot in the second half and that helped. Hobert Brabson is also a good player and made some key free throws at the end, but we’re just lucky to get out of here with a win.
“We had to fight and scrap for everything we got and I’m sure we’ll be beat up and sore tomorrow, but we played hard and gave ourselves a chance. They had a lot of weapons, but we were able to pull it out,” Campbell added.
Boyd Buchanan coach Josh Templeton knows that better days are ahead, but that doesn’t make his job any easier right now.
“We’re still trying to put things together. Walker Valley made some big shots when they had to and we just couldn’t quite finish. We just have to keep getting better and not get down on ourselves.
“Five of our top seven players have been injured from football. They’re slowly making their way back, but their timing is still off. But we’ll be fine as we’re headed in the right direction,” he added on a positive note.
Brabson sank a 3 to start the game for Walker Valley and he later added another bucket as the Mustangs had a 7-2 lead at the first break.
Nathan Miller scored on a layup with 4:16 left before halftime to get Boyd within 12-10 before Brabson scored seven straight points to put the Mustangs ahead 19-10 with 2:11 showing.
Hunter Duggins scored on a drive from the wing in the final minute as the visitors had a 21-15 lead at intermission.
Davis had the hot hand for the Mustangs in the second half, sinking three of his five 3s in the third quarter as the lead stretched to 36-27 with one stanza remaining.
The Bucs made it interesting at the start of the final quarter as an 8-0 run at the start got the hosts within a point at 36-35 following an inside move by Jacob Shockley with 5:33 to play.
A putback by James Nolan got the Bucs within two at 39-37 with 3:25 left, but the Mustangs sank seven of nine free throws down the stretch to maintain a safe lead.
Brabson scored 22 points to lead Walker Valley while Davis was next with 17.
Shockley was tops for the Buccaneers with 14 points while Ryan Lopez added 10 before fouling out late.
Boyd Buchanan also had an unofficial 28-22 rebounding advantage as Jaylon Moore had a dozen for the Bucs. Colt Harbison had eight rebounds for Walker Valley while Kyler Parris claimed five.
Between football injuries and a tougher-than-average early-season schedule, it’s been a tough start for the Boyd Buchanan boys basketball team.
Some of those injured players are slowly making their way back, but in the meantime, the Bucs are taking it on the chin more often than not.
Such was the case at Boyd’s Jett Gymnasium Tuesday night.
Facing the Walker Valley Mustangs in a non-district battle, the Bucs never led and dropped to 5-8 with the 49-43 loss. Walker Valley improved to 12-5 with the win.
Walker Valley coach Will Campbell was just happy to be heading back to Cleveland with a win.
“That was a war,” he began after a talk with his players following the game.
“It was a low-scoring game as both teams played tough defense, but Heath Davis got hot in the second half and that helped. Hobert Brabson is also a good player and made some key free throws at the end, but we’re just lucky to get out of here with a win.
“We had to fight and scrap for everything we got and I’m sure we’ll be beat up and sore tomorrow, but we played hard and gave ourselves a chance. They had a lot of weapons, but we were able to pull it out,” Campbell added.
Boyd Buchanan coach Josh Templeton knows that better days are ahead, but that doesn’t make his job any easier right now.
“We’re still trying to put things together. Walker Valley made some big shots when they had to and we just couldn’t quite finish. We just have to keep getting better and not get down on ourselves.
“Five of our top seven players have been injured from football. They’re slowly making their way back, but their timing is still off. But we’ll be fine as we’re headed in the right direction,” he added on a positive note.
Brabson sank a 3 to start the game for Walker Valley and he later added another bucket as the Mustangs had a 7-2 lead at the first break.
Nathan Miller scored on a layup with 4:16 left before halftime to get Boyd within 12-10 before Brabson scored seven straight points to put the Mustangs ahead 19-10 with 2:11 showing.
Hunter Duggins scored on a drive from the wing in the final minute as the visitors had a 21-15 lead at intermission.
Davis had the hot hand for the Mustangs in the second half, sinking three of his five 3s in the third quarter as the lead stretched to 36-27 with one stanza remaining.
The Bucs made it interesting at the start of the final quarter as an 8-0 run at the start got the hosts within a point at 36-35 following an inside move by Jacob Shockley with 5:33 to play.
A putback by James Nolan got the Bucs within two at 39-37 with 3:25 left, but the Mustangs sank seven of nine free throws down the stretch to maintain a safe lead.
Brabson scored 22 points to lead Walker Valley while Davis was next with 17.
Shockley was tops for the Buccaneers with 14 points while Ryan Lopez added 10 before fouling out late.
Boyd Buchanan also had an unofficial 28-22 rebounding advantage as Jaylon Moore had a dozen for the Bucs. Colt Harbison had eight rebounds for Walker Valley while Kyler Parris claimed five.
BOYD BUCHANAN GIRLS 52, WALKER VALLEY 45: The Lady Mustangs had the hot hand early and led for most of the game before the Lady Bucs made their comeback.
Eva Winston’s layup with just over six minutes remaining in the game gave Boyd Buchanan the lead for the last time and it slowly stretched to the final seven-point margin of victory.
Jalisa Sanders had 14 points for the winners while Sarah Durham finished with a dozen and Winston nine. Riley Robertson had eight points for Boyd and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Ashlyn Pierce and Chloe Poe both had 12 points for Walker Valley.
Boyd Buchanan improves to 11-4 overall while Walker Valley is now 9-9.
GIRLS SUMMARY
WALKER VALLEY 18 12 11 4 -- 45
BOYD BUCHANAN 11 13 14 14 -- 52
WALKER VALLEY (45) – Ashlyn Pierce 12, Chloe Poe 12, Littrell 4, Harris, Woods, Bischof 5, Earls 4, Warden 3, Watson 5.
BOYD BUCHANAN (52) – Robertson 8, Winston 9, Jalisa Sanders 14, Sarah Durham 12, Jada Sanders 4, DeLoach 2, Reeves 3.
3-POINT GOALS: Walker Valley 8 (Pierce 4, Poe, Bischof, Warden, Watson); Boyd Buchanan 6 (Winston, Jalisa Sanders 2, Durham 3).
BOYS SUMMARY
WALKER VALLEY 7 14 15 13 -- 49
BOYD BUCHANAN 2 13 12 16 -- 43
WALKER VALLEY (49) – Duggins 3, Banks 1, Ratcliff, Hobert Brabson 22, Parris, Taylor, Heath Davis 17, Harbison 3, Jackson 3, Coates.
BOYD BUCHANAN (43) – C. Johnston, Moore 2, Ryan Lopez 10, Jones 5, B. Johnston, Nolan 2, Jacob Shockley 14, Johnson 6, Miller 4.
3-POINT GOALS: Walker Valley 7 (Brabson 2, Davis 5); Boyd Buchanan 1 (Lopez).
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)