By Mark Carpenter-
A much anticipated early season boys basketball showdown in the Southern Hills Athletic Conference last Friday night at North Adams High School as the Green Devils welcomed the Eastern Brown Warriors to town, both teams looking to make an early conference statement against an opponent that could very well end up as the big school champion for 2018-19. Coach Nathan Copas and his Green Devils came into Friday night’s battle perfect at 4-0 and came out of the fight still unblemished as they held off the Warriors with some late free throws and claimed a 56-51 victory.
“This was just a great win for us,” said Coach Copas. “I told our boys that it was going to be a game that we had to play for 32 minutes. I figured it would be a game of runs and it was and I felt like we did a nice job of keeping our composure when they made a run, and then respond with one of our own.”
Though the game was tight throughout, North Adams actually went wire-to-wire with the lead, getting the game’s first basket and never actually giving up the lead, but it is never that easy against a talented group of Warriors. Getting two baskets from Cody Rothwell and single scores from the Meade twins, Seth and Cade, and Austin McCormick, the Devils forged an 11-8 advantage after one quarter of play as the theme was set for the night, close action in front of a gym full of loud and boisterous basketball fans.
The home team maintained its lead in the second frame, getting three-point baskets from Jayden Hesler and Elijah Young, while their defense held Eastern to just a pair of field goals. When the halftime break rolled around, North Adams was still in front and the margin had increased to six points at 23-17.
Early in the third period, it looked as if the Devils might break things open as they scored the first two buckets to open up a double digit lead and send their side of the gym into a frenzy. Though the Warriors battled back, the home team got three-pointers from Hesler and Cameron Young and five points from big man McCormick and by the third quarter’s end had added to their lead, up 38-30.
The final eight minutes went as expected, the Warriors clawing closer and the Devils continually holding them off. Eastern’s Marcus Hamilton found the hot hand, hitting nine fourth quarter points as his team made their final run, but it was the Devils at the free throw line down the stretch that made the deciding call. Hesler hit 4 of 5 and McCormick, who had struggled from the line in previous game, also hit 4 of 5 in crunch time to seal the deal. Though they were outscored 21-18 in the final eight minutes, it was a North Adams celebration as the final horn sounded on a 56-51 Green Devils’ triumph.
“We made plays when we needed to and made free throws when we needed to,” said Copas. “It has been a great start to the season but to continue this success we have to stay hungry, not get content, and continue to improve.”
For North Adams (5-0), Austin McCormick led the way with 16 points, joined in double figures by Jayden Hesler with 14 and Elijah Young with 13. For Eastern Brown, Marcus Hamilton was the only player in double figures, scoring 15. Kaleb Martin added 9, Colton Vaughn 8, and Gage Boone 7.
The Devils were right back in action on Saturday night with a non-conference road trip to Portsmouth Clay, where they improved to 6-0 with an easy 58-29 victory. On Friday, Dec. 21, Homecoming Night at NAHS, they face another tough SHAC challenge when the Ripley Blue Jays fly into town, with a triple header of action beginning at 5 p.m.
Eastern Brown
8 9 13 21 —51
North Adams
11 12 15 18 —56
E. Brown (51): Hamilton 5 4-7 15, Vaughn 3 2-2 8, G. Boone 3 0-0 7, Burns 1 2-2 4, Jimison 1 0-0 3, Wiles 2 1-2 5, Martin 4 1-1 9, Team 19 10-14 51.
N. Adams (56): Hesler 3 6-7 14, C. Young 1 2-2 5, Rothwell 2 0-0 4, S. Meade 1 0-0 2, E. Young 5 2-4 13, C. Meade 1 0-0 2, McCormick 5 6-9 16, Team 18 16-22 56.
Three-Point Goals:
E. Brown (3)- Hamilton 1, G. Boone 1, Jimison 1
N. Adams (4)- Hesler 2, C. Young 1, E. Young
