Simsboro-Sterlington Hall of Fame Game Standouts
One of the earliest Hall of Fame games in the state occurred on Tuesday night between Sterlington and Simsboro at Simsboro High. Paced by their seniors, Simsboro walked away with a 72-60 against the Panthers. Both sides played well for…
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Continue ReadingOne of the earliest Hall of Fame games in the state occurred on Tuesday night between Sterlington and Simsboro at Simsboro High. Paced by their seniors, Simsboro walked away with a 72-60 against the Panthers. Both sides played well for and October contest and had some stellar performances. We will take a look at players, from both teams, who stood out during Tuesday night’s game.
Jamarion Cato / 6’4″ / 2020 / Simsboro
Cato would be categorized as an undersized big man in larger classes. However, in class B, he fits right in. Against Sterlington, Cato displayed the ability to be super active on the glass. He scored on quite a few tip-ins and rebounded the ball very well in traffic. Because he was so good on the offensive end attacking the rim and gathering offensive rebounds, he went to the charity strip seven or eight times. On defense, Cato is not a shot blocker. Consequently, you can not back him down into the paint either. He is solid and strong and holds his position well. Because he positions himself well, he is great at rebounding the ball. Cato even showed some decent range when shooting his jumper. Scoring 22 points against Sterlington shows that Cato can handle his own in the paint.
Kalep Crane / 6’1″ / 2020 / Simsboro
Outside of the cramping last night, Crane looked as if he was in midseason form. He was in attack mode from the initial jump and carried that on through the final buzzer. He looked very spry on the fast break dunk that he had early in the game. Crane actually went on his own 7-0 run which gave the Tigers the lead at the end of the 1st quarter (hitting two threes). He had great lift on his jumper throughout the night. Crane also had several layups just running the floor. He never let his foot off of the gas on his way to a 30 point performance. On the defensive end, Crane showed he could defend all guards and wings on the floor. His versatility was one of the reasons Simsboro ended up taking the victory on this night.
Fred Hymes / 6’4″ / 2021 / Sterlington
Last night’s game was my first time seeing Hymes play. He is a very active post player who is hard to keep off the glass. Simsboro had trouble keeping him off of the defensive and offensive board all night long. Hymes was very good on rim runs most of the night. There were several times he was given the ball in scoring position just because he ran down the middle of the floor. When Hymes catches the ball, no one is going to get it away from him. He has a strong upper body an displayed that garnering post position and rebounds. All of his work is done in the paint. If Hymes develop a mid-range jumper during the season, he will definitely improve his scoring opportunities. One thing is for certain, he will help Sterlington be competitive night after night.
Chance Carter / 6’3″ / 2020 / Sterlington
Carter was, at times, the Panthers best player on the night. He is one of those players that does a little bit of everything. When the game is done, he has scored double digits and has six to seven rebounds. Last night was one of those cases. He has a jumper that is consistent from inside 19 feet anywhere on the court. Carter is also sneaky good on the boards. He tracks the ball well off the rim and finds a way to it. There were several times he got an extra possession for the offense during the contest. Carter even showed that he could handle the ball if necessary. His 15 point night showed a player who is multi-faceted and can play the game with anyone. Carter will definitely be an asset to the Panthers going forward.
Simsboro and Sterlington had some other intriguing players. Senior Jakemin Abney (6’3″) did not have his usually productive night due to foul trouble. However, junior Braxton Taylor (5’11”) and sophomore Nick Maryland (6’1″) stepped in and performed admirably. Sterlington guards Ashton Stallings (5’10”, 2021) and Michael Givens (5’10”, 2020) were tough and showed the ability to play great on-ball defense whether in a man or zone. Both teams should be a tough out no matter who they play this season. Simsboro will begin their title defense on November 5th while Sterlington begins their season November 18th.