By Mark Carpenter-
63-14, 69-6, 70-26, 55-2, 52-3, 64-2. It’s a path of destruction perhaps not seen since General Sherman trekked through Georgia. Those numbers are the final scores for the first six games of the 2018-19 season for Coach Eric Toole and his seventh grade North Adams Green Devils. One of the most anticipated arrivals of a group of boys to the junior high level has certainly lived up to the hype as the seventh grade Devil shave literally destroyed everyone in their path to this point, outscoring their opponents 373-53 on their way to an unblemished 6-0 record.
The latest conquest came on Wednesday, Dec. 12 as the Devils hosted the Lynchburg Clay Mustangs, a team they had defeated by the lopsided score of 55-2 just a week earlier. This time the outcome was even worse from the Lynchburg standpoint as the Devils held them scoreless for three and a half quarters and handed them a 64- 2 defeat.
The outcome was decided as the Devils scored their first basket off of the opening tip, then dominated on both ends of the court from that point forward. It was a big first quarter for Caleb Rothwell, who racked up 10 points as Coach Toole used every player on his roster and saw his team lead 24-0 after one.
In the second stanza, it was big man David Raines powering in the paint for 10 points, that combined with a Hunter Brown three-pointer, sent the devils to the intermission with a 41-0 advantage. After three quarters, the score stood 51-0 and finally, midway through the final six minutes, Lynchburg’s Logan Warner scored the Mustangs’ only bucket of the game to avoid the shutout. In the final period, the Devils got a pair of three-pointers from Connor Darnell on their way to victory number six against no losses.
Every player on the roster scored for North Adams, led by 14 points apiece from Raines and Rothwell. Darnell added 9 with Brown and Bransyn Copas chipping in 7 each.
Lynchburg
0 0 0 2 —2
North Adams
24 17 10 13 —64
Lynchburg (2): Warner 1 0-0 2, Stacey 0 0-2 0, Miller 0 0-2 0, Team 1 0-4 2.
N. Adams (64): Brown 3 0-0 7, White 1 1-2 4, Copas 3 0-0 7, Darnell 3 0-0 9, Hesler 1 1-2 3, Young 1 0-0 2, Rothwell 7 0-0 14, Daulton 1 0-0 2, Shupert 1 0-0 2, Raines 7 0-2 14, Team 28 2-6 64,
Three-Point Goals:
N. Adams (6)- Brown 1, White 1, Copas 1, Darnell 3
In the following eighth grade contest, Coach Ryan Unger’s Green Devils showed marked improvement from last week when they were handled easily by Lynchburg 45-17. On Wednesday night, the eighth grade Devils were much more competitive, staying with the Mustangs for most of the game before eventually falling by a final score of 49-40.
North Adams trailed just 12-10 after the first quarter and stayed close in the second, trailing just 18-14 before the Mustangs went on a 9-2 run to end the first half and claim a 27-16 halftime advantage.
The home team seemed to never recover from that late first half Lynchburg run, though they remained within striking distance for most of the game’s final two periods. In the final quarter, the Devils got a three-point goal from Brayden Allen and two baskets from Terrell Leasure but just couldn’t get over the hump as the Mustangs claimed the nine-point road win.
Leasure and Dillon Ragan topped the North Adams scoring with 8 points each, with Kam Buttelwerth getting 6, while Allen and Kelby Moore each scored 5.
Lynchburg
12 15 11 11 -49
North Adams
10 6 11 13 —40
Lynchburg (49): Pitzer 3 0-0 8, Chisman 5 1-3 11, West 0 0-1 0, Waits 6 1-4 13, Reno 1 1-2 3, Bennington 3 1-2 7, Binkley 3 1-1 7, Team 21 5-13 49.
N. Adams (40): Moore 2 0-0 5, Allen 2 0-0 5, Hesler 2 0-0 4, Leasure 4 0-0 8, Buttelwerth 3 0-0 6, Young 1 2-2 4, Ragan 4 0-2 8, Team 18 2-4 40.
Three-Point Goals:
Lynchburg (2)- Pitzer 2
N. Adams (2)- Moore 1, Allen 1
