Every high school basketball season gets progressively tougher, said Catawba Ridge boys’ head basketball coach Brett Childers, from preseason to the non-region slate, to the region schedule, and eventually into playoffs.
Childers said he thinks his Copperheads team is, “trending in the right direction” following Dec. 16th 51-34 win over the Lexington Wildcats.
He said his team has faced several difficult matchups in the early season, including the Wildcats, who he said were one of the biggest teams they have faced in terms of length and size.
“We’re breaking in a lot of new people, but we want to move in the right way with our effort, our execution, our toughness,” Childers said. “We preached tough defense tonight, making their shots tough ones. I think we came out with the right mentality.”
Senior Kevin Butler led all scorers with 17 points, junior Isaiah Thomas chipped in 12, and sophomore Preston Heffner picked up 10 points to help the Copperheads, now 8-1, earn their eighth straight win. Senior center Mark Caslaru picked up nine points on the floor.
Childers praised Thomas and Butler in particular, saying both players were stepping into important roles and that he considered them key to the team’s performance. Butler missed most of last year while recovering from an ACL injury.
“If they produce, I think we can be in the upper tier of teams,” Childers said.
Catawba Ridge opened the game on a hot streak. The Copperheads scored four unanswered buckets close to the rim to take the early lead, but Lexington cut the lead to 16-14 by the end of the first quarter. Sophomore point guard Samarion Glenn powered a 13-8 Lexington run with four field goals, including two fast-break layups off steals.
Glenn continued his hot hand in the second quarter, knocking down back-to-back pull-up jumpers to help the Wildcats tie the game at 18-18. However, Heffner and Caslaru answered back for Catawba Ridge with consecutive treys in the final 3:30 to give their team a 24-18 edge at the break.
Thomas and Butler combined for 10 points in the opening 3 minutes of the third quarter to power Catawba Ridge to a 9-2 run, extending the Copperheads’ lead to 14 at one point. Butler’s coast-to-coast layup with 1:30 left in the quarter capped off a strong 14-point third for the Copperheads.
Catawba Ridge continued to press in the fourth quarter. Thomas connected with a contested rebound layup before Heffner nailed a pull-up jumper in the lane to push the lead to 16 with less than four minutes left to play.
Lexington’s Sam Mills picked up back-to-back layups in the final 3:30 to cut the lead to 46-34, but Catawba Ridge kept its lead through the final buzzer.
Childers said the non-region schedule was good for his team’s confidence. He said four freshmen are training with the team, and that his squad has a good mix of veteran leadership and youth.
Childers said his players are “learning exponentially.”
“It’s been a little trial by fire, and there’s still some growth to be had,” he said. “There are guys leaning into practice, and there are more steps to take.”
Girls’ basketball
Eight different Wildcats scored in the 59-13 rout of Catawba Ridge.
Senior shooting guard Jaleta Lytes nailed four 3-pointers in the lopsided win, while senior center Sydni Anderson and junior shooting guard Keira Bobseine also secured double-digit nights at Catawba Ridge.
Lexington took a 20-5 lead after the first quarter. The Wildcats started the game with a 10-2 run and never looked back. Bobseine nailed two three-pointers to open the game and push the lead to double-digits, while her teammates made a pair of steals that led to runaway layups.
Six different Wildcat scorers combined for a 21-point second quarter to push the lead to 41-7 at halftime. The Copperheads were held to just two made free throws in the quarter.
Lytes hit back-to-back treys in the first two minutes of the third quarter to trigger a 40-point lead and a running clock.
Lexington emptied its bench midway through the third quarter. The Lady Copperheads – who were shut out in a shortened fourth quarter – scored a total of five field goals.
Camryn Davis scored four points and Rilyn Grinch, added three points, led the scoring for the Copperheads, while Karsyn Heffner, Taylor Talley, and Brooke Berninzoni each picked up two points.
Catawba Ridge drops to 6-4, while Lexington remains undefeated at 8-0.
Catawba Ridge opens its Region 3-5A slate against crosstown rival Fort Mill at 6:15 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 19, with the boys’ game following.
Dec. 16 Roundup
The Fort Mill girls’ basketball team fell to Marvin Ridge 69-54 to drop to 4-7 on the season. The Fort Mill boys’ team fell 75-55 to Marvin Ridge and dropped to 8-3 on the season.
