When you’ve gone through the adversity that most of the Monticello girls basketball team went through last season, a win — whether pretty or ugly — counts the same at the end of the day. There isn’t anything sexy about winning a game when you score 28 points, but there was little doubt that Mustangs were more than pleased to take a contenst where the shooting for both squads was a little more than rusty.
“If we can win a game when we shoot 20 percent (from the field) when we shoot 40 percent it’s going to be unbelievable,” said Monticello’s Lisa Marshall.
Monticello showed that they were up to the task defensively against Charlottesville which boasts more size than the Mustangs, especially in the paint.
If Monticello coach Mike Mountjoy has a loose ball drill that he’s running in practice, it certainly showed against the Black Knights as his players scratched and clawed for every opportunity to earn possession. And though their offense will have to score more than 28 points if the Mustangs want to continue their early season success, they know that it’s better to be behind in that department than struggling on defense.
“We just have to convert when we can and hold ourselves accountable,” said Monticello junior Carla Brooks. “But the offense will come. Defense comes first.”
Of course early in the first week of the basketball season, it’s hard to expect anyone to have great offensive chemistry. In Monticello’s case, after the 2008-2009 campaign, the desire to hit the court almost adds to that. Mountjoy’s players were frothing at the mouth to get their first game under their belts.
“We’ve practicing a lot and we’ve been waiting for this game for a long time,” Brooks said. “We came out and did what we said we wanted to do and it feels great.”
It will be interesting to see if the Mustangs can continue to channel the grit they showed against Charlottesville two to three times a week. If they can, this team could be one of the season’s feel-good stories.
Players of the week
Boys- Madison County’s Casey Campbell. The Mountaineers’ senior leader at point guard is easy to miss among the big bodies and big scorers, but Campbell makes Madison go. He had seven assists against Charlottesville in a big road win, and his steady hand on offense and defense sparked the Group A Mountaineers to a fast 3-0 start with wins over three Jefferson District, Group AA squads. He also had six assists and some critical free throws against Fluvanna Monday night.
Girls- Western Albemarle’s Ellen Shaffrey. Hard to argue with Shaffrey’s two strong outings this week where the junior post standout had 13 points and 23 boards against Heritage and earlier in the week she pulled down 11 rebounds and scored eight points against Albemarle.
These two have a Scrimmage Play prize pack headed their way. Coaches or athletic directors who want to nominate players for the SP player of the week, email info@scrimmageplay.com by Monday at 5 p.m.
Boys Top Five
It’s way too early to figure out who’s at the top of Central Virginia on either the boys or girls side, so we expect these rankings to change significantly over the course of the next couple of months because of competition and who Scrimmage Play’s staff sees.
1. Blue Ridge (1-0) – Barons bring back a lot and reload with talented new faces — again.
2. Miller (1-0) – Could the Mavericks be even better than last year’s state title team? It’s looking possible, and they’ll need it moving to VISAA’s Division I.
3. Madison County (3-0) – Great start for Mountaineers with two solid wins over Fluvanna County and Charlottesville.
4. Charlottesville (1-1) – The Black Knights bounced back after loss to Madison, with a bunch of talented new contributors.
5. Western Albemarle (1-1) – The Warriors fell to Albemarle, but seemed to take a leap forward against Nelson County.
5t. Albemarle (1-0) – They have to run, but if Mayn Francisco and Daiquan West can make it work like they did against Western, Albemarle may be the season’s surprise.
Girls Hoops Top Five
Again, let’s be clear, this will be some siesmic shifts in these rankings this season.
1. Fluvanna County (2-0) – The average margin of victory for the Flyin’ Flucos in their games against Buckingham County and Goochland was 35.5 points.
2. Western Albemarle (2-0) – The Warriors took care of both Albemarle and Heritage in their first week on the court. All the playing time that Kris Wright gave his young squad last year looks like it will pay considerable dividends.
3. Covenant (2-0) – The Eagles held their first two opponents to 19 points or less. If their offense can consistently score 40 or more points it’s going to be a very nice year for Mike Thornton and his team.
4. Miller (1-0) – The Mavericks squad beat Heritage 47-42 Friday night at home with Ruta Lizdenyte, a potential force in the post, leading the way with 20 points and eight boards.
5. William Monroe(1-1) – An awfully young Dragons team avenges a tough loss to Eastern View with a convincing victory over Madison County.
Five Games to Watch this week
December 8 at 7:30 p.m. Albemarle’s boys host Brooke Point. Can the Patriots prove they’re ready to compete in the Commonwealth tonight?
December 9 at 4:30 p.m. Blue Ridge boys host an Australian all-star team. We’re not sure much else needs to be written about this. This is, most likely, a must-see, and one of the few big tests on the Barons’ early schedule.
December 9 at 7:30 p.m. Monticello boys host Goochland. This is one of Central Virginia’s first close looks at the Bulldogs, and with Brandon Henry’s 18 points per game back in the fold, Goochland has a chance to impress.
December 9 at 6 p.m. William Monroe girls host Western Albemarle. A win for Monroe would mean that Phillip Lamb’s team may be inexperienced, but knows what it’s doing. A win for Western helps them maintain their position as one of the early favorites.
December 11 at 7:30 p.m. Charlottesville boys travel to Western Albemarle. This is a big-time early tilt for both squads who have the talent to challenge for the Jefferson District title. A win here is a big leg up going into winter break.
