Photos by Leigh Downey
The James River boys and girls hosted a doubleheader against Carroll County last Friday and swept the visiting Cavaliers in Springwood.
The boys opened the twin-bill with a 64-61 win over Carroll. It was close all the way with Carroll holding a 27-26 lead at the half before River won the third quarter, 18-11, and held on for the win.
“We lost a one-possession game against Radford last week so it felt amazing to be on the winning side this time,” said River coach Ethan Humphries. “We understand the margins are razor thin and to see our guys make big play after big play is what it’s all about. It was the first time I’ve seen this group dig this deep and say, ‘We’ll go there.’”
Riley Carlisle had 18 points and five rebounds to lead the Knights while Ryder Ward had 17 points. Maddox Pichay had a strong all-around game with 14 points, six boards and four steals and he hit the game-winning shot with 2.5 seconds on the clock. Jack Beheler had nine rebounds in his first game back since before Christmas.
The girls followed with a 44-26 win in a game that was originally scheduled to be played in Hillsville. River jumped to a 19-7 lead at the half and won every quarter. The win, combined with a 51-40 loss at Patrick County on Jan. 20, gives the girls and 8-8 overall record and a 4-2 mark in Three Rivers District games. No details were reported.
The boys hosted Patrick that night and picked up a 74-56 win. Ward had 26 points and seven rebounds, Carlisle had 22 points and Pichay had 11 points and five rebounds. The boys are now 10-7 overall and 2-4 in a very tough Three Rivers District.
“This is James River’s first three-game win streak in January since 2022,” said Humphries. “The two district wins in that four-day span is more district wins than we’ve had the last two seasons combined. While we are proud of last week we are humble enough to know the challenge that lies ahead. This district is unforgiving.”
Both the boys and girls were scheduled to play Radford on Tuesday of this week but both games were postponed by inclement weather. On Friday the boys are home to Martinsville at 6 p.m. and the girls are scheduled to play at Martinsville at 7 p.m.
