2A Standout Shooters: New Plymouth vs Cole Valley Christian
On Thursday night I was able to witness a heated game between New Plymouth (6-4) and Cole Valley Christian (4-5). Since both teams have similar records this was an important game. New Plymouth went on a scoring spree in the…
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Continue ReadingOn Thursday night I was able to witness a heated game between New Plymouth (6-4) and Cole Valley Christian (4-5). Since both teams have similar records this was an important game. New Plymouth went on a scoring spree in the 2nd and 3rd quarter, getting ahead by 15 points or better, but Cole Valley was able to fight their way back and get the lead with 10 seconds left. New Plymouth took the ball off a missed shot, ran down the floor and Tony Ray hit a buzzer-beater 3 for the win. There were some standout players on both teams that deserve a mention.
Cole Valley Christian
#5 Haydon Harmon 6’3/12/C/PF
Harmon stood out to me right away when he swished two jumpers at the beginning of the game. From then on he continued to put on a shooting clinic, especially at the end when he hit several 3 pointers in a row to get his team the lead. He also had some nice steals and a floater in the lane that was nothing but nylon. Harmon holds the ball high, has a quick release, and a high arching shot, allowing him to shoot right from a pass or to shoot over taller defenders. During the game, he received the ball on the block and quickly dribbled then turned around for a fade, shooting the ball straight up and in. Harmon finished the game with 22 points. He is a pretty solid player who seems to be strong enough to play in the paint, but also has the speed and skill to play as a guard. Lastly, the kid plays with tons of passion and getting a win seems very important to him.
#1 Hunter Gill 6’4/11/G
Although Gill only had 4 points in this game, he is a player that should be on the radar since he has another year left. He is tall, lanky, and plays hard. Of the 4 points he scored, one was a nice follow put back right at the rim, just timed it perfectly. The next bucket he scored was towards the end of the game when he picked a guard and laid it in on the other end. He had some other steals and more opportunities to score but missed a fast-break dunk; nevertheless, I can see him stepping up and improving more next year.
New Plymouth
#24 Matt Hall 6’5/11/G
Hall finished the game with 12 points which included a couple of 3 pointers, jumpers, and a follow and putback on his miss. He has great shooting form with the right amount of arch on the ball as well as a clean release, much similar to Harmon’s shot. Cole Valley played pretty tough defense on him so he wasn’t able to get very many shots off, and he fouled out in the 4th quarter as well. Being only a Junior, he has many great games ahead of him.
#52 Jace Watson 6’5/12/C
Jace had himself a good game coming off the bench and scoring 8 points. He played with passion and just made a lot of tough buckets down low in the paint even when the foul wasn’t called. He’s not scared to fall on the floor either and that kind of hustle gave his team momentum.