The middle school basketball season is nearing the end of the season with the last games scheduled for December 14 for Glenvar and December 19 for Andrew Lewis. Glenvar teams will wrap up their seasons today with a doubleheader at Christiansburg. Both teams played on Monday at Floyd with the home team sweeping. The Glenvar boys lost 39-29 despite 13 points by JD Williamson and nine for Parker Doolan. Chris Anderson had seven rebounds.
Last Thursday the Glenvar boys beat Covington Middle, 46-38, as Doolan had 15 points, Williamson had 14 and Money Shaw scored 13. The Glenvar girls dropped a 29-15 game to Floyd Monday. “They came out in a full court press and never let up,” said Glenvar coach Tiana Byrd. “The girls panicked and couldn’t shake out of it. Just about all of our starters found themselves in foul trouble.” Last week in Covington the girls took a 26-5 win. Ashante Byrd and Maudie Doolan led the team with nine points each. Andrew Lewis teams will play Northside tonight with the girls at home and the boys at Northside.
Next Tuesday they’ll wrap up the season with a doubleheader at Blacksburg, beginning with a boys’ game at 4:30 pm. Lewis teams swept William Byrd last Thursday and Hidden Valley on Monday to continue great seasons for both. The boys won 55-26 in Vinton behind 13 points by Jaidyn Rudisell and eight each from Grayson MacBrien and Braylon Smith. “Our full court pressure and our ability to be patient on offense against their zone defense was the difference,” said coach Adam Rutledge.
On Monday the boys beat Hidden Valley, 43-18. The Eagles had just two points in the first half. “Man, am I proud of that,” said Rutledge. “Our full court defensive pressure over the course of a game really wears on the opposition.” MacBrien led Lewis with 10 points and Brady Geary had seven. The Lewis girls beat Byrd at Byrd at home last week, 28-12. It was one of the closer games of the season for the Wolverines, tied at 10-10 at the half before Lewis outscored the Terriers 18-2 after intermission. Rosie Horne had seven points, all in the decisive third quarter, and Elizabeth Keffer had six.
“Our intensity and defensive effort really improved in the second half,” said coach Nat Franklin. “We were able to rebound much better, create turnovers, and Rosie got us going offensively.” On Monday the girls downed Hidden Valley on the road, 32-19. This was close at the half again, as Lewis led by two, but a 16-2 run in the fourth quarter put it away. Horne had 11 and Keffer and Jayla Wood had seven each. “It took us a little longer to get going offensively in this one, but the girls’ defense and effort held us together until then,” said Franklin. “Very proud of the girls.”