Friday Night Floater: Walnut Grove and Buford face off
As 2019 becomes a memory and 2020 starts popping up on everyone’s phone, Region play in Georgia also comes fast and furious with the calendar change in January, and this past Friday was a big one out in picturesque Walton…
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Continue ReadingAs 2019 becomes a memory and 2020 starts popping up on everyone’s phone, Region play in Georgia also comes fast and furious with the calendar change in January, and this past Friday was a big one out in picturesque Walton County in 5A, Region 8.
Walnut Grove, entering the game at a sterling 12-1 (now 14-1) and off to the best start in school history, welcomed Buford from northern Gwinnett County, and even though the home Warriors didn’t have their best stuff, a team laden with veterans got big late efforts in a 51-45 win.
Camren Lee Ryan Landers (10)
Buford vs. Walnut Grove – Having only played one game between Dec. 21 and this match-up, one can argue that some sloppiness might occur with any group, even for a team that features 5 seniors in the first 6 that see action. Such was the case for The Grove, a team that throws athletes from 6-0 to 6-3 at you in waves but who all play a lot bigger with guts and leaping ability. Both teams struggled to get much going in the first half, but the Warriors got some key buckets to keep Buford at bay and took a 23-16 halftime lead into the break. Interestingly, the lone junior in that six-man group for coach William Witherspoon, Camren Lee, bookended his night with excellent 1st and 4th quarters. He spent some time on the bench with foul trouble in between but started off the game strong with 5 in the first, running the floor and showing great athletic ability. His 6 points in the 4th were all three key buckets as the home team took a 7-point lead and stretched it to 11, and all were in close where Lee likes to operate. Playing a role in that late run and also getting 11 points on the night to tie for the team-lead was senior Ryan Landers, who holds offers from N. Georgia and Columbia St., and is also getting interest from Presbyterian and Clayton St. like the rest of the lineup seemingly floats between center and shooting guard when needed. He showed 3-point range with a pair of triples, and also took his act on the break as he got a big bucket off a press break to give the Warriors that final push. Senior Quante Rogers was impressive at both ends, matching Buford’s 6-10 center James Munlyn defensively at times on the block despite standing just 6-0, and he was superb at the point as well, running the break and cutting through Buford’s press to set up teammates in that big 4th quarter. Two more impact seniors, Carter Selman, a dangerous three-point gunner, and Darius Jones, who had 10 points off the bench playing the 4-spot, had nice showings, and in an immensely deep 5A field they’ll need this bevy of athletes to ball out each night to make a deep run.
Sebastian AugustaveBuford, anchored in the middle by the imposing Munlyn, is yet a more perimeter-oriented team, as most are these days. The Wolves got strong games from 5-9 senior point guard Sebastian Augustave, a crafty lefty who finished with 11 points, who has a scorer’s mentality and likes to drive it, and 6-5 sophomore wing Jaylon Taylor, a long lean and wing player (also 11 points), and showed a nice ability to get to the rack off the bounce but also a willingness to pull it from mid-range. At 12-4 (after a Saturday win vs. Johnson), the Wolves too can do some damage in 5A, but will need Munlyn to be more of a consistent force to help Augustave, Taylor and another good-looking sophomore, 2-guard Caleb Blackwell, against the wave of strong teams in 5A.