(BOYS) Churchill Bulldogs battle but can't keep Handsworth Royals big men at bay
Churchill Bulldogs @ Handsworth Royals
Written by Devin Delany, Handsworth Grad ‘06
The Handsworth gym was once again packed for this year’s Senior Boys Spirit Game between the visiting Churchill Bulldogs and the home team Handsworth Royals.
Just like the girls game started off with a touching tribute to Quinn Keast to whom the tournament is in memory of , the boys started this way too. Quinn lived every one of his short days with this mentality of ‘No Regrets’ and he certainly left his mark throughout the basketball community and everyone else who was fortunate enough to know him.
The intensity and energy was incredible from the first tip as the home squad Royals once again had a jam packed gym willing them behind every possession.
Handsworth’s big man in George Horn was a force in the first quarter pulling down 4 defensive rebounds on the defensive side and as well driving the ball well on offence. It was the Royals shooting guard Zach Waters who had the early hot hand hitting long range jump shots and spaced the court extremely well with his length.
Even though the Royals came out hot, coach Randy Story clearly had a game plan to utilize his deep bench as he rotated players in on full line changes.
The bulldogs were playing a high-octane game as they knew they needed to keep a high tempo game against the oversized and long Royals. They were getting their offensive chances with their speed however they struggled to find their range from beyond the arc. To nobody’s surprise the Bulldogs were avoiding the post play with the dynamic duo of Horn and Van Bylandt down low.
At halftime the Royals led 32-14 over the Bulldogs in what looked to become a lopsided affair.
Once again, the Handsworth Dance crews stole the show with the 3 individual crews putting on fantastic performances. Congrats to this Dance program for executing such a great show in front of a large rambunctious crowd!
The second half started out very much like the first with the Royals big men capitalizing on the fast break as well as in the low post. It did seem odd that the Royals were controlling the game yet Bulldogs coach refrained from using their one big man centre Landon Frigualt. It appeared as he would be the only Bulldog to match Horn and Van Bylandt’s size however he was not getting minutes.
Even though the Bulldogs couldn’t find any rhythm in their shooting game this did not push them away from their game plan as all their shots were from distance.
This one was quickly tuning into a one-sided game through 3 quarters as the Royals finished the 3rd frame up 57-27.
With this comfortable lead coach Story started to even out the playing time and get some minutes for the deep bench. Having a deep bench that can provide strong minutes is so critical in tournament-like formats like this to ensure fresh legs throughout the weekend games.
Despite some of the visiting Bulldogs hoping for a turnaround, they will have to wait until tomorrow to get back to their better shooting ways.
The final score line was 71-47 for the Royals in a one-sided contest. Best of luck to both teams moving forward!
Congratulations to the player of the game Zach Waters.