SHS Girls, CHS Boys victorious in 53 Frenzy
♦ Lady Phoenix dominate Lady Jackets; Yellow Jackets outlast Phoenix in possible final region meeting between schools
The Sonoraville Lady Phoenix and the Calhoun Yellow Jackets each picked up region victories over their respective cross-town rivals Thursday at Calhoun High School. The Lady Phoenix cruised to a 50-28 win while the Yellow Jackets defended home court with a 59-53 W.
Lady Phoenix cruise over Calhoun
With a dominant second-and-third quarter defensive performance, the Sonoraville Lady Phoenix (13-6, 8-2 Region 6-AAA) topped the Calhoun Lady Jackets (10-9, 6-5 Region 6-AAA) 50-28 Thursday at Calhoun High School. The Lady Phoenix have swept the three-game regular season series (Calhoun and Sonoraville met in a non-region tournament contest at NW Whitfield High School on Nov. 27).
“Our defensive intensity ... I think that was probably the biggest difference,” Lady Phoenix head coach Stephanie Caudell said. “We didn’t really take many possessions off defensively. We kind of hang our hats on playing solid man-to-man defense. It’s excited for me especially because that’s what I love to teach and love to coach.”
“We couldn’t make a basket,” Lady Jackets head coach Jaime Echols said. “I thought, defensively, we played OK tonight. (Sonoraville’s) got some kids that are really tough to guard.”
After the first eight minutes, Calhoun struggled mightily to find any offensive rhythm, scoring just seven points in the second and third quarters combined.
“We couldn’t make a basket, and then that led the a lot of frustration on the offensive end,” Echols said. “We were trying some different things tonight, trying to spread them out a little bit to get some of their size away from the basket and create some opportunities for some of our kids. One thing led to another.”
Meanwhile, senior Maliyah Parks scored 18 points, including hitting 9-of-10 free throws in the second half en route to the victory.
“We knew she was going to have a hard time scoring inside, so we told her if you’ve got some open looks from the outside, take them,” Caudell said. “She made some pull up jump shots. I just think she showed she’s a complete player.”
Junior Alexa Geary was close behind with 15. In Sonoraville’s previous contest, a 67-24 blowout of Adairsville, Geary reached the 1,000 point milestone in her varsity career.
“It says a lot about how consistent she’s been for us and how big she’s been for us for not even three complete seasons,” Caudell said. “I think tonight, she played with a ton of energy on both ends and we challenged her to do that every night and she’s stepped up and met the challenge as far as bringing a lot of energy every time we step on the floor.”
The Lady Phoenix now have a seven-game win streak against the Lady Jackets, stretching back to 2017.
Yellow Jackets hold off Phoenix
Behind 21 points from senior Gage Maffetone, the Calhoun Yellow Jackets (12-6, 7-4 Region 6-AAA) defended home court against the Sonoraville Phoenix (9-8, 5-5 Region 6-AAA) 5953. Calhoun has now swept the regular-season series with Sonoraville and moved into fourth place in region standings.
“It’s a pretty good feeling,” Yellow Jackets head coach Vince Layson said. “(Sonoraville’s) a good ball team. They played us tight the first game, tight the second game. We made a couple plays down the stretch to pull it out. Hopefully it will start putting some confidence back in the tank for the guys.”
Both squads went back and forth throughout, with neither side able to get on a run until Calhoun garnered a 12-0 streak during the early stages of the fourth quarter.
“They made a few more plays than we did, and that’s what I told our guys,” Phoenix head coach Brent Mashburn said. “Our kids play hard. We battle and we play. For 32 minutes we play; just needed to make a few more plays.”
Two other Yellow Jackets reached double figures on the score sheet. Senior Caleb Boone added 14 and sophomore Jaylan Harris notched 10.
“One of our focuses has been putting together four quarters,” Layson said. “I think, for the most part, we put four quarters together. I think most of it stemmed from ... the defensive end. We changed some things up on defense and how we’re defending.”
Layson said Maffetone’s presence was something the team had been missing the previous several contests. Ten of Maffetone’s 21 points came in the final quarter.
“That’s what we expect out of him night in and night out, not just how he finished strong in the fourth quarter, but his leadership,” Layson said. “He made it tough on (Sonoraville). When he gets going like that, we’re a pretty good ball team.”
For Sonoraville, junior Orry Darnell led the way scoring-wise with 18 points, eight of those coming in the final eight minutes.
“(He’s) a kid who’s a leader,” Mashburn said. “A kid who wants the ball in his hands. A kid who’s going to make him and everyone else around him better. He’s done that for us all year and gives us a chance most nights.”
Fellow junior Murray Somers recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
“He’s hard to handle,” Mashburn said. “He’s a relentless rebounder offensively (and) defensively. He really attacks the glass aggressive and I thought tonight, his mentality was affect the game on both ends of the floor, and he did that for sure.”
Continuity of 53 Frenzy
Unless Calhoun and Sonoraville were to face each other again in the region tournament next month, this was the last occasion the Jackets and the Phoenix faced one another in Region 6-AAA competition.
When GHSA realignment goes into effect at the start of the 2020-21 academic year, Calhoun will move up to Class 5A while Sonoraville stays in 3A. If the Jackets and Phoenix were to battle in the future, the contest would be non region.
So is there a chance the teams meet after Spring 2020? Coaches expressed hope the rivalry will continue.
“It’s always fun to have a rival because I think they push you,” Caudell said. “They make you want to be better. They make you want to raise your game and compete. Hopefully, we will get to play some more. It’s fun for the community. It’s fun for the players. We’ll see how it pans out with scheduling ... hopefully that’s something we can look at in the future.”
“I just think everything about it is great for our community,” Echols said. “Everyone’s spirited, involved in it. I’ve been a part of some rivalries that are kind of nasty and not fun to be a part of. This one is fun. I think this rivalry, though one-sided as it may be, represents everything that high school basketball should be in the community. I think our kids enjoy playing against each other.Anytime you can draw a lot of excitement, big crowd, it’s fun to be a part of.”
Up Next
After a non-region battle with Chattooga and a region matchup at Adairsville, Calhoun travels south to Tallapoosa to battle Haralson County on Friday, Jan. 24. Tipoff of the Lady Jackets game is scheduled for 7 p.m., immediately followed by the boys contest at 8:30 p.m.
After region duels with Haralson County (1/17), North Murray (1/20) and Coahulla Creek (1/21), Sonoraville treks north to face Murray County on Friday, Jan. 24. Tipoff for the Lady Phoenix is set for 7 p.m., immediately followed by the boys at 8:30 p.m.