Valley girls sweep series, LaFayette boys win rematch
BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — The LaFayette High School girls and boys basketball teams split their games against cross-county rival Valley High School on Dec. 12, with the Lady Rams defeating the Lady Bulldogs 49-19 and the Bulldogs defeating the Rams 55-32.
With those results, the LHS girls team fell to 1-7, while the boys team improved to 8-5. The VHS girls team improved to 4-1, and the boys team must go back to the drawing board with a 2-3 record.
The Lady Rams and Rams both won the first game of the series 61-23 and 55-50, respectively, back on Nov. 21 in Valley.
Lady Rams 49, Lady Bulldogs 19
Heading into the rematch against LHS, defense was the name of the game according to VHS head girls basketball coach Eberne Myrthil. After giving up 70 points to Lee-Scott Academy just nine days prior, the team’s renewed focus paid off in a big way ahead of a whirlwind sprint through the end of the year.
“I think our defense really stepped up this game, especially after the last game we had,” Myrthil said. “We took a hard loss by five points to a good Lee-Scott team. We really focused on defense and trying to do everything that we’re supposed to do. We’re playing a lot of teams from Georgia during [Christmas break], and I think that’s going to help us out to speed up our game a little bit and see some different opponents to get us ready for region play.”
Star junior guard Kayden Dooley, who scored 48 points in that losing effort against LSA on Dec. 2, echoed Myrthil’s comments about the Lady Rams’ defensive emphasis and credited her teammates with allowing her to facilitate their offensive attack.
“We’ve just got to play defense hard, and if you keep playing hard and scoring points, they’re going to get down on themselves and lose their momentum,” Dooley said. “It helps a lot because I don’t always have to score the ball. I can pass the ball and get assists, and when [my teammates] score, that’s good for the team.”
From tipoff, the girls' game started off with tough, gritty performances from both teams that were defined by defensive rebounding, contested shots and plenty of fouls and turnovers. By the time the dust settled, the Lady Rams proved to be more consistent offensively and carried a 15-3 lead into the second quarter.
Down by double digits early on, the Lady Bulldogs began accumulating fouls as they desperately tried to keep VHS from getting easy layups during fast-breaks. The Lady Rams made the most of those trips to the free throw line and dominated the offensive glass to go on a 20-6 run.
Despite being behind 35-9 going into the third quarter, LHS showed better fight in the opening minutes as they managed to string several stops and baskets together. However, the game devolved into complete chaos from there, which benefited VHS to the tune of a 14-8 run that stretched their lead.
With the Lady Rams up 49-17 entering the fourth quarter, the referees established a running clock. As the game clock quickly dwindled, turnovers made it impossible for either team to establish an offensive rhythm, and two successful free throws from the Lady Bulldogs provided the only scoring.
Dooley led all scorers with 20 points, and K'leigha Kyles recorded 11 points for VHS. Jakalia Cammon paced LHS with six points.
Bulldogs 55, Rams 32
After losing to VHS in a nailbiter weeks before, LHS head boys’ basketball coach Chase Lewis knew his team needed to shake the rust off and develop their chemistry before entering the heart of their schedule. Friday’s opportunity to exact revenge showcased just how far they had come since then.
“The first time we played them and lost to them, I felt like we gave them that game,” Lewis said. “There were a couple of little things that we made mistakes on since it was our second game of the season, and I didn’t believe they saw the real us at that time. They’re a good team. Coach [Robert] Cotton had them highly prepared. All we had to do was be patient and pick our poison. And once we could open things up, then we ran like we usually do.”
For senior forward Amilleon Huguley, he said his 11-point performance was the byproduct of his preparation and his teammates around him helping lift each other up through hard times and celebrating their collective success together.
“I believe in my work, and I saw some of the shots that I normally take at practice and work on, so I took advantage of it, basically,” Huguley said. “We just need to keep moving as a team, moving as a family — we’re all brothers, and I love my boys all the way to the very end.”
As the game tipped off, the Rams and Bulldogs found it extremely difficult to generate any offensive rhythm as they felt out each other’s strategy. However, both established some rhythm later on to end the first quarter tied seven to seven.
The second quarter proved to be almost as tight, with both teams benefiting from momentum swings. While the Rams enjoyed an early run that gave them a slight advantage, the Bulldogs did enough in the final minutes to secure a 16-13 halftime lead.
Exiting the break, LHS opened up its biggest lead of the game with a swarming defense, just enough second-chance scoring opportunities and free-throw shooting. By the time the period ended, the Bulldogs had gone on an 18-5 run and entered the fourth quarter up 34-18 with a packed crowd chanting “defense.”
In the fourth quarter, LHS could do no wrong as almost every three-point attempt fell, contested shots entered the rim and the defense harassed VHS on every possession. As the final seconds counted down, LHS Gym became a party in every sense of the word while celebrating a resounding revenge victory.
It was a show of community spirit that Lewis said highlighted the best of LaFayette. He added that while he is in favor of doing whatever is necessary to give students the best possible learning experience, he hoped LHS would continue to operate independently as part of the Chambers County School District.
“I feel like this school should always exist on its own because of the pride this community has,” Lewis said. “This community really cares about its school. I’m not from here originally, but in the five seasons I’ve been here, I’ve felt the community support and pride that they have in this school and the belief they have in their town and their student athletes. To see everyone come together for these rivalry games is always a big deal. I hope and pray that we continue to be our own school, because this community pours in just as hard as Valley, even though we’re not as big in numbers.”
Jayden Thomason led all scorers with 12 points, while Cameron Thomas and Huguley each contributed 11 points for the Bulldogs. Antavious Thomas paced the Rams with eight points.
