River Ridge-Cherokee Standouts

<p><strong>2022 6-10 F [player_tooltip player_id="870150" first="Jared" last="Russo"] – River Ridge<br /> </strong>With the size advantage heavily in their favor, River Ridge pounded the ball inside to [player_tooltip player_id="870150" first="Jared" last="Russo"] in the second half to come away with a 69-63 win over Cherokee on the road. Russo scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and added 11 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 blocks. He did a good job scoring over his left shoulder and drawing fouls while doing so, going 8-10 from the foul line. When Russo gets touches and wants to dominate, he can be one of the best big men in Georgia.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/KyleSandy355/status/1461507230793097221</p> <p><strong>2023 6-1 G [player_tooltip player_id="1049232" first="David" last="Hansraj"] – River Ridge<br /> </strong>Mr. Consistent dropped in 16 points and 5 rebounds. Hansraj hit a pair of threes and was able to get into the lane as always. The energy he brings on offense often sets the tone for the rest of the team.</p> <p><strong>2022 6-4 W [player_tooltip player_id="870180" first="Grant" last="Portera"] – River Ridge<br /> </strong>The athletic swingman found a way to positively influence the game before fouling out. Portera bounced back with 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. His size and aggressiveness often put him in a place to succeed. He’s a valuable defender and a hardnosed rebounder. When he plays under control and attacks off the dribble, he can be an effective playmaker.</p> <p><strong>2022 5-11 PG Trey Hopf – River Ridge<br /> </strong>Hopf hit a key pull-up in the lane late in the fourth quarter to push ahead River Ridge for good. His court vision is advanced, always surveying the floor for cutters or lob opportunities. He did a nice job drawing fouls, going 6-8 from the foul line en route to 10 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists.</p> <p><strong>2022 7-0 C [player_tooltip player_id="870203" first="Braden" last="Pierce"] – River Ridge<br /> </strong>The foul out victim compiled 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks. Pierce looked for his offense early in the game by attacking off the dribble and shooting leaning jumpers from the top of the key. He settled in as the game went on and did his best work in the paint. Pierce has a soft touch as a passer, able to feed in multiple high-low looks to [player_tooltip player_id="870150" first="Jared" last="Russo"].</p> <p><strong>2023 5-11 PG [player_tooltip player_id="1020689" first="Tayden" last="Owens"] – Cherokee</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1020689" first="Tayden" last="Owens"] took over in the fourth quarter and nearly willed the Warriors to victory. The explosive scorer netted 15 of his game-high 27 points in the final frame, creating off the dribble and scoring at all three levels. He finished with both hands downhill, converted through contact, scored off the dribble with the jumper and created easy looks for teammates. Owens added 2 rebounds and 3 assists to his ledger. Owens’ ball handling and ability to get to his spots make him hard to defend.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/KyleSandy355/status/1461497569855561731</p> <p><strong>2023 6-2 SG [player_tooltip player_id="793816" first="Cameron" last="Pope"] – Cherokee<br /> </strong>Pope drilled five threes and posted 22 points and 5 rebounds. When Pope was able to get his feet set, he was a knockdown shooter. He had two strong drives to the rim and was able to absorb contact in the paint. Pope has a nice offensive repertoire and should continue to improve.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/KyleSandy355/status/1461496327569879045</p>