Prep Hoops Top 10: Henrico vs. Hermitage
A rivalry that never lacks bad blood, this early season Conference 11 matchup was intriguing because Hermitage returns 11 of their 12 players from last year when they surprised a lot of people, and Henrico rolled out an entirely new…
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Continue ReadingA rivalry that never lacks bad blood, this early season Conference 11 matchup was intriguing because Hermitage returns 11 of their 12 players from last year when they surprised a lot of people, and Henrico rolled out an entirely new lineup in their first game in the “post Buckingham era.” Hermitage got off to a 4-0 start, but Henrico quickly turned the tables with their pressure forcing Hermitage into 15 turnovers throughout the game. Henrico ended up running away with it 85-64 in both team’s first game of the year. Here’s some of the highlights from the 804 rivalry.
MVP | Timon Jones | Henrico ’18
Henrico’s sixth man from last year is going to be a go-to guy for them, and Jones showed it with 19 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds. He had 10 points to lead the Warriors in the first half, and despite a shooting slump in the third he scored nine points in the first four minutes of the fourth to put it away for Henrico.
Play of the Game
With time running down in the first half and Hermitage trailing by 22 points, senior Rahki Person hit a contested step back three as time expired. Person was falling away and shooting it over two players, and it looked like he was fouled too. Hermitage used that momentum to cut the deficit to single digits early in the third quarter.
Best Offensive Performance | Toriano Lewis | Henrico ’18
Toriano “Baby Boy” Lewis was excellent in his Henrico debut after transferring from Armstrong. He was very efficient from the floor, scoring 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the floor and going 3-for-4 from deep. With a lot of their scoring gone, it will be important for Lewis to be a scoring threat while still taking shots within the offense.
Best Defensive Performance | JoJo Morris | Henrico ’18
After big man Marco Suggs went out early in the first with foul trouble, Henrico inserted 5’6” JoJo Morris off the bench and his energy in the press changed the game. He finished with four steals, and his quickness and tenacity caused even more turnovers in the press that plagued Hermitage all game long.
Best Guy Off the Bench | Claude Funn Jr. | Henrico ’17
Funn wasn’t even the first guy off the bench for Henrico, but he was the most efficient. He played within the system, moved well without the ball and finished 6-for-6 from the field, almost all of which were layups.
Best Intangibles | Chris Morris | Henrico ’17
Morris was a key bench player last year, but this year he’s the starting point guard and he did a great job setting the tone on both ends. He finished with 7 assists to only one turnover, and didn’t flinch on the road when they were punched in the mouth.
Best Under the Radar Performance | Rahki Person | Hermitage ’17
Person had the best individual performance of the day, scoring 22 points on 5-for-8 shooting from deep. On a team loaded with upperclassmen, it will be hard to think that he’ll put numbers like that up all year, however he will be one of the best shooters in the Richmond area for sure.
Best Underclassman | Isaiah Shearon | Henrico ’19
Both teams are loaded with seniors and juniors, and Sharon was the only underclassman that really saw much time. The 6’8” big battled in the post and on the glass, and it’s obvious that he has a ways to go but has a bright future if he keeps working.
Biggest Dog | La’Kye Owens | Henrico ’18
While Morris got the nod for best defensive performance, Owens set the tone with his intensity. A player that doesn’t need to score to play hard, he brought a ton of energy with his on-ball defense, and he rebounded like a giant finishing tied with a game high seven boards. He’ll be the energy and glue guy for the Warriors moving forward.
Best Storyline Moving Forward
It will be interesting to see if Henrico will be able to negate their size all year by running teams to death. They don’t have the big name players they’ve had in the past, but they still stick with their principles of full court pressure defense, turning defense into offense and running in transition as much as possible. They’re thin up front, so they’ll have to rely on their guards to make plays on both ends of the floor this year.