Best 10: Central Christian vs. Waldron
In the first game of the season, Central Christian got out to a blazing hot start and a 10-1 lead which buried Waldron before they had a chance to recover. Waldron brought it together though and took it to halftime 41-31.
Waldron made a comeback in the second half getting the deficit to three points but Central Christian held strong and took the victory 74-69.
Leading scorers: Central Christian: Micheal Roberson 29, Zeke Brown 19, Joshua Clanton 11. Waldron: Hank Johnson 21, Kaden Branam 19, Peyton Huffman 16.
Leading rebounders: Central Christian: Zeke Brown 10, Micheal Roberson 8. Waldron: Hank Johnson 10, Kyler Kuhn 9, Kaden Branam 6.
MVP: Zeke Brown (Central Christian)
Zeke finished with a double-double in a very impressive showing. The 6’3 sophomore can shoot the ball and defend. He’s a big body and his team really relies on him. He was all over the court tonight on both ends and made some clutch free throws.
Best offensive performance: Micheal Roberson (Central Christian)
Roberson was the best shooter on the floor tonight. On the first shot of the game he pulled up from the volleyball line and drained it. He did that a few times and can score at all three levels. He knows how to get into the lane and draw the foul.
Best defensive performance: Joshua Clanton (Central Christian)
Clanton came up huge on the defensive end with two blocks late in the game when Waldron was closing in. He provided energy and the team really rallied around him near the end of the game. Impressive defensive showing by the 6’2 junior.
Best under-the-radar performance: Peyton Huffman (Waldron)
Huffman used his ability as a shooter to draw multiple fouls on three point attempts as Waldron was making their run. He got to the line and made 7-of-11 from there to keep his team in it. He also had four assists on the night and displayed great court vision.
Best guy off the bench: Kaleb Vonderheide (Central Christian)
Kaleb caught my eye in the JV game and was the second guy off the bench in the varsity game. Even though he did not enter the stat book, Vonderheide was an impact player on the defensive end. I really like what the 6’3 freshman brought to the table and he will be a key bench player off the bench later in the season.
Play of the game: Marquis Humphrey knocking down his free throws for Central Christian
Humphrey was known as one of the worst free throw shooters on the team coming in. In crunch time he nailed 3-of-4 from the line to help his team to the win.
Best intangibles: Dathan Torres (Central Christian)
Torres was loud the whole game. He was the voice of the team firing them up and getting their adrenaline running. He came in and made some hustle plays and made sure his teammates knew about it. A great teammate to have.
Best underclassmen: Kaleb Vonderheide (Central Christian)
As he was the best player off the bench, Vonderheide was one of the lesser known underclassmen in the game besides Brown and Roberson. His play will really excel this year and down the stretch we may be able to put him in the conversation for the starting lineup.
Best Passer: Kobe Simmons (Central Christian)
Simmons had a great night with three assists all on slick passes that led to easy baskets. Simmons was not the lead guard but by the end of the year we may see more of him with the ball. Did not fill it up but had some great looks to teammates.
Biggest Takeaway: Central Christian will be a good team this year relying on their guard play. They will be a fun team to watch and play some good competition. Waldron will be a solid 1A team as well with a few shooters and with Johnson inside he will compete with the best forwards in 1A.