The Manchester Academy boys managed to pull out a win at the last second after a nail biting re-match against Carroll Academy.
The Mavericks started off the game aggressively against the Rebels with a strong offense, adding several points to the scoreboard, despite a tricky passing game and agile defense from the visiting team. MA ended the first quarter with a lead of 14-9 over Carroll.
In the second quarter the boys continued their strong lead, increasing the score to 24-16 thanks to the efforts of Upton Hitt, Hayes Bardwell, Parks Poe, Jon Riley Poe, Tyler Bardwell, and Will Peeler.
"They played us in a 2-3 zone defense and we were able to get to the rim and make some shots," said Manchester Boys Coach Jacob Iles. "We were able to move the ball effectively, and really got to dictate the way we like to play, and we really got inside their zone which caused them to have a lot of issues. Eventually they did get out of it and they had to switch to a man-to-man defense on us."
After a quick half-time break, the Mavericks came back to the court re-energized, ready to finish the game strong. The Rebels, however, were not going down without a fight, resulting in multiple fouls on both sides, and many free-throw points being added to the board. One Maverick, Reese Ragland, had to leave the game near the end of the 3rd quarter, due to a head injury received while going for a rebound.
"Reese took a hard fall in which it was a combination of a couple of things," Coach Iles said. "I believe he caught an elbow and hit the gym floor, and he was bleeding at the time when he exited the game. He went to the locker room and the straight to the hospital where he got five stitches above his left eye. He had no concussion and was back in the gym to celebrate with everyone after the game."
Going into the 4th Quarter, Manchester was leading 40-26, but the boy seemed to be losing steam. The Carroll Academy boys gained a second wind and started pushing their offense more and more toward to goal, catching up 48-42, by using a strategic passing game and several turnovers to their advantage.
The Mavericks were missing a lot of baskets, but Hayes Bardwell and Upton Hitt were not going to let the team down. They continued to battle and keep the team going as long as possible, even if a loss seemed to be coming.
"There was a myriad of different situations that bought us to where we were just slowly losing control of the game," said Coach Iles. "They were able to chip away and get to the free throw line on us. We had some guys who it was their first game playing so they were just not in basketball shape and we weren't used to playing together yet."
Many fouls on both sides occurred as the clock ticked down. Free throws added one point at a time to the score board for both teams, and for several minutes it seemed as if Manchester would lose the game.
With only 2 seconds left on the clock, Manchester was down by one point, and Ty Kilpatrick was on the free-throw line. All hope seemed lost when the ball bounced off the rim, but it was Parks Poe who came to the rescue. Poe snatched the ball with a quick rebound, and with a smooth jump shot, scored one last goal on the buzzer.
Manchester fans jumped in the stands and cheered with excitement as the team rejoiced in the 53-52 non-conference win over Carroll Academy.
"Because the ball took such a high bounce, it was able to be rebounded by Parks," said Coach Iles. "To his credit, he knew how much time he had. He got his balance, he took one power dribble, got his footing, and went up and shot. The buzzer went off as the ball went through the rim, so he still had time to spare, I credit him for knowing exactly the time in which he had to get off the shot."
Parks Poe led the offense by scoring 20 points in the game, followed by Upton Hitt with nine points, Hayes Bardwell with eight, Jon Riley Poe with seven, Dylan Dendy with six, and Ty Kilpatrick with three. Jon Riley Poe led the defense with nine rebounds, followed by Hayes Bardwell with seven, Parks Poe with five. Upton Hitt and Ty Kilpatrick had three rebounds each, Dylan Dendy had two, and Will Peeler and Tyler Bardwell also had one rebound each.
"It was a good win and it was exciting for the crowd," Iles said. "I could do without the close calls, but what this does is give us experience with close games so the next time we end up in the exact situation, its more familiar to us. A win is a win and we will take it and move on and we will get ready for district play."
