Tournament Takeaways from Week 4

Week 4 of the high school season was action-packed. There were tournaments, non-district match-ups, and rivalry games seemingly everyday of the week. Because of all the action, there were multiple takeaways from the various events. So, here are my ten takeaways from the week that was. Airline must rely on their back court - Airline is the defending 1-5A district champion after going undefeated in district last season. If they are going to repeat that feat, they must have their back court playing at their top level. During their Parkway tournament game on Wednesday, Fred Lemons (5'9", 2019) and Tarae "TJ" Robinson (5'10", 2019) were up and down in their play on both ends. On the offensive end, they definitely were not consistent. Robinson was on for a period of time Wednesday night and Lemons only made shots on occasion. If Lemons made shots, Robinson did not. In an effort to repeat as district champs, these two have to carry the scoring load or make sure that others get easy shots. Basically, they can not play as they did at Parkway. If the inconsistency continues, it may be a long season on Viking Drive. Wossman is a complete team - Watching the Wossman Wildcats on Friday was like watching a well-oiled machine. They demolished the Richwood Rams by 30 and they did it in several ways. Starting guards Rayson Robinson (6'2", 2019) and Devonte Austin (6'0", 2021) shot the three ball well stretching the Rams defense. That long distance accuracy opened up driving lanes that Austin and junior guard Jaron Green (5'8", 2020) exploited. They were able to get to the tin or kick it out for an open jumper. If he ball came off the tim, Nick Traylor (6'3", 2020) and Nick Lavendar (6'4", 2020) cleaned the glass. The Wildcats were effective, and efficient, at all phases of offense. Because the offense was so efficient, they were able to get back on defense. Great showing by the Wildcats on Friday. They definitely looked like one of the best teams in 3A. Calvary has pieces - The Calvary Cavaliers are an interesting team. Their early season has been a series of adjustments. They started the season with mainly guards. When football season ended, they gained senior (and highly touted DB) Eric Reid who is now manning the inside for them. During this constant transition, the Cavs played well during the Parkway tournament. They played well enough to be high competitive against 2 1-5A opponents (Airline & Parkway) beating one of them. Their guards played well during both games shooting the ball from the perimeter and playing scrappy, hard-nosed defense. Guard Martin McDowell (5'9, 2022) was a flamethrower and the other guards hit timely shots. Reid and Ben Ponder (6'1", 2021) pounded the glass and kept the Cavs from being dismantled on the interior. Once they get 6'5" forward D'Marcus Hall in the mix, the Cavs should be even better. Rayville has their swag back - The last couple of weeks had been rough on the Hornets. They lost their first game since the end of the 2017 season in Illinois. Then, they lost two more games in Lake Charles. For a team that had been "reeling", they did not look like it against Ouachita on Friday night. Rayville race out to a 19-6 lead, at the end of one, and never looked back. JaMichael Wilson (6'5", 2019) led the offensive barrage with 22 points. True enough ULL signee Mylik Wilson has his typical all around game, it was another guard who was the catalyst most of the night. Sophomore guard Jalen Qualls (5'6, 2020) constantly put pressure on the Lions defense. Whether it was pushing the ball up the court, driving the lane, or making open shots, he was the catalyst for putting pressure on Ouachita. While he did not have a big scoring game (10 pts.), his energy was infectious. With the looks of their ship being steadied, Rayville may go on another undefeated streak that will lead them to their desired end result......a state title. Hamilton Chrisitan is more than just one player - Coming into Hamilton Christian's game at the Belton/Williams tournament, most of the buzz had been about senior guard Michael Thomas (6'0", 2019). While he is a gifted floor general who seems to know exactly when to do things on the floor, he was not the only player they had to perform well. Senior guard Reggie Jackson (5'9", 2019) carried the team when Thomas fouled out with a big fourth quarter. He seems to be the perfect compliment to Thomas. Wing Adrian Brown (6'1", 2020) was the surprise for me. He has a silky, smooth game. Shooting from deep or finishing on the break, he seems to do both effortlessly. He reminds me of Simsboro guard Jakemin Abney in that he allows the game to come to him and does not get rattled. These two pieces, along with Thomas, make this team very formidable in Division IV. I can see them making a deep run if these three continue to play well together. As Ouachita's guards go... - In a highly-anticipated game during the Belton/Williams Classic, Rayville played Ouachita in the night's final game. While Rayville played their usual style, Ouachita struggled the entire night. The Lions senior duo of Paul King (5'9", 2019) and Reginald "RJ" Hill (6'1", 2019) scuffled the majority of the game. King was out of sync. His outside shot was not falling and he was unable to get into the interior of the defense. Hill, who is a streaky shooter, did not take many jumpers. He did have success later in the game driving to the basket. However, it was not consistent enough. When their guards do not play well, the Lions are inconsistent on offense. While they made runs at Rayville during the game, they could never get over the hump. They may be one of the top 5 teams in 5A. If they run into similar trouble again, that may spell disaster for them. Woodlawn's dynamic duos - Woodlawn has been on a roll as of late. They have taken a couple of losses against quality opponents but have bounced back with major wins (like the one against Rayville). In the Parkway tournament, the tournament champions showed during game play on Wednesday and Saturday that they have a dynamic duo that leads them on most nights to a win. Point guard Tramichael "T-Mike" Moton (6'1", 2019) is often times one half of that duo. On Wednesday night 6'6" leaper (forward) Michael Jones (2020) played Robin to Moton's Batman when they beat Evangel. Then, on Saturday night, T-Mike played sidekick to Delatrion Moton (6'4", 2021) as the two combined for 47 of the Knights 75 points. They took the championship and proved that this year's version of Woodlawn-Shreveport is not just the Tramichael Moton show. They have some willing players that can contribute to the team's success. Tournament play will continue this weekend with Madison Prep hosting one of the most anticipated tournaments of the season. We will see how these teams, and others, will fair. District play, for some teams, is around the corner. These wins, during tournaments, will help teams go a long way in their push for the playoffs.