3 things to look for in the Center Hill-Olive Branch matchup
The first game between Center Hill and Olive Branch is finally here. This game, which has been marked on tons of calendars, is set to tip-off Friday night. The Mustangs, who is coached by Newton Mealer, is looking for their…
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Continue ReadingThe first game between Center Hill and Olive Branch is finally here. This game, which has been marked on tons of calendars, is set to tip-off Friday night.
The Mustangs, who is coached by Newton Mealer, is looking for their first-ever win over Olive Branch. The home crowd will definitely be behind Center Hill. As for the ‘Quistors, they’re looking to keep the Mustangs winless with Eric Rambough in charge of the team.
This might be Mealer’s best chance at defeating Olive Branch due to the talent he has on this year’s roster. Mealer has four gritty guards in Calvin Temple, Kevin Henry, Kenneth Lewis, and Cameron Goodwin. Mealer has a 6-foot-5 undersized post player in Decorian Payton, who has shown in the past that he’s not afraid to play on the big stage. Then, there’s sophomore forward Kaeden Laws, who has blossomed into a force on the offensive end.
On the other side, Rambough has a team that only lost one player from last season’s 5A state title team. Olive Branch is led by Wes Taylor, Joe Cooper, D.J. Jeffries, and Cameron Matthews. Since point guard Josh Stevenson has returned to the team, the ‘Quistors are deeper and bigger in the backcourt. Stevenson is 6-foot-3, with upper body strength.
Both teams have winning records. Both teams have state championship aspirations, so the winner of this game will have the upper hand heading into the district tournament. Temple, Henry, Goodwin, and Lewis are all dealing with the stomach virus, but are expected to play.
Matchups are going to play a huge part in this matchup, so I came up with three things to watch for:
Laws vs. Matthews
Cameron Matthews is a 6-5 forward that’s very athletic and physical. Will Kaeden Laws be able to hold his own against Matthews on both ends of the court? Laws has had a solid sophomore season, but he’s going up against a more seasoned player. I expect those two to go at it, and even though Laws is only in his second season of varsity basketball, he’s not going to back down.
Who guards Temple?
I expect Josh Stevenson to guard Calvin Temple, because of his size, but Temple is hard to stay in front of, because of his quickness. Not only will Olive Branch put a bigger body on Temple, but the ‘Quistors could send double teams his way. Olive Branch will have to be careful with the double teams, because Center Hill has other players who can score.
Can Kenneth Lewis be the guy?
Let’s say Temple has a bad shooting night or he’s forced to pass the basketball because of defensive pressure from Olive Branch, can any guard for the Mustangs take over? Kenneth Lewis can fill that role. Back in December when Center Hill defeated Whitehaven at home, Lewis made some big shots when the Mustangs needed them. History could repeat itself, only this time it could happen in a more meaningful game.