Burke County hoops

[FreedomAlum]

Freedom had a nice opening against Draughn tonight. The boys got a running clock win, while the girls pulled out a workmanlike victory. The Lady Pats have some holes to plug, but they get E. Burke next week and that will tell me a lot about what they might look like going forward. As for the boys, they were firing on all cylinders and got nice balance in their scoring in the win. Amore Connelly threw down two nice dunks and Kobe Bryant also got one. Freedom has depth, shooters and plays good defense and they could go a long way if they'll push the tempo and get their opponent's tongues hanging out. I'll know more about them after they face Hickory and A.C. Reynolds in December.

 

[Titanman27]

Freedom had a nice opening against Draughn tonight. The boys got a running clock win, while the girls pulled out a workmanlike victory. The Lady Pats have some holes to plug, but they get E. Burke next week and that will tell me a lot about what they might look like going forward. As for the boys, they were firing on all cylinders and got nice balance in their scoring in the win. Amore Connelly threw down two nice dunks and Kobe Bryant also got one. Freedom has depth, shooters and plays good defense and they could go a long way if they'll push the tempo and get their opponent's tongues hanging out. I'll know more about them after they face Hickory and A.C. Reynolds in December.

I wish McDowell played them twice a year still. Think it would be a great matchup this year boys and girls. McDowell has a pretty easy schedule and the MAC is terrible in basketball. There is a slight chance they could go through the season undefeated. Only South Caldwell or Reynolds should give them trouble and maybe someone in the Christmas Tournament they are in unless the teams in the MAC have improved dramatically.

 

[heelsfan28655]

I miss the old freedom McDowell rivalry. Old very jntense battles back in the old nw4a with gyms so packed people had to be turned away. Kobes dad was a very good player. Him and Chris Moore was one of the best courts I remember

 

[FreedomAlum]

News-Herald recap: https://morganton.com/sports/high-s...3477e733203a6c4a860a794985236cf00c3f785895892

 

[FreedomAlum]

I miss the old freedom McDowell rivalry. Old very jntense battles back in the old nw4a with gyms so packed people had to be turned away. Kobes dad was a very good player. Him and Chris Moore was one of the best courts I remember

In the late 90s when McDowell had Jenis Grindstaff and the big kid who went to Carolina and we had Casey, Cory Largent and Dennis Mims there would be a couple thousand people at the game easily. Those were heady days, with Freedom taking the ‘98 state title.

 

[Titanman27]

This years McDowell team is probably the best since the 2000s with Kincaid, Hausley and the Twitty bros. We will go as far as the guards can develop. Parkins is legit down low. He had 23 and 20 against RS.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Freedom got a measure of revenge from last year's loses to the Patton boys with a pair of running clock wins over the Panthers tonight on Enola Road. The Lady Patriots won 49-9 and the boys took an 87-46 win. In the girl's game a couple of the underclassmen, such as the Bates girl and Cynica Caldwell, showed what they could do with six and eight points respectively. It was never close, but the Lady Pats will get a test next week when they travel to East Burke. The boys got 26 with a pair of dunks from Amore Connelly and Braxton King had 14 with a dunk of his own. For the second straight game the Pats had eleven players in the scorebook and looked like they were firing on all cylinders.

 

[Titanman27]

Freedom got a measure of revenge from last year's loses to the Patton boys with a pair of running clock wins over the Panthers tonight on Enola Road. The Lady Patriots won 49-9 and the boys took an 87-46 win. In the girl's game a couple of the underclassmen, such as the Bates girl and Cynica Caldwell, showed what they could do with six and eight points respectively. It was never close, but the Lady Pats will get a test next week when they travel to East Burke. The boys got 26 with a pair of dunks from Amore Connelly and Braxton King had 14 with a dunk of his own. For the second straight game the Pats had eleven players in the scorebook and looked like they were firing on all cylinders.

Who would you consider the favorite to win that conference? South Caldwell would be my choice. They hammered West Caldwell tonight and have rolled early on.

 

[heelsfan28655]

Looks like the boys are on the right path.im kinda shocked the king kid didn't play football considering his dad was very good.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Who would you consider the favorite to win that conference? South Caldwell would be my choice. They hammered West Caldwell tonight and have rolled early on.

Coach Anderson will have the Spartans right, so they are probably the favorites. I don’t know what Watauga lost off last year’s team, so they could also be good. But I’ll tell you now that no one will have as much depth as FHS and, if Zimmerman can use it right, we can flat out run you to death.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Looks like the boys are on the right path.im kinda shocked the king kid didn't play football considering his dad was very good.

He shoots the ball well, so maybe he just decided that hoops were for him. Some of the other kids on the team play football, but I would say only Kobe Johnson is better in pads than on the hardwood.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Ten Patriots scored tonight, including four in double figures, as Freedom beat North Buncombe 83-57. This was another nice performance and the balance was really good. Not much to say other than I continue to think this could be a fine team, if everything gels going forward.
The Lady Pats only scored eight points in the second half and lost 52-33. They led 25-23 at the break, but couldn't get many baskets after intermission. I'm concerned about the girls and it will only get more difficult Wednesday when they travel to Icard to take on East Burke. I'll report on that tomorrow.

 

[Titanman27]

Ten Patriots scored tonight, including four in double figures, as Freedom beat North Buncombe 83-57. This was another nice performance and the balance was really good. Not much to say other than I continue to think this could be a fine team, if everything gels going forward.
The Lady Pats only scored eight points in the second half and lost 52-33. They led 25-23 at the break, but couldn't get many baskets after intermission. I'm concerned about the girls and it will only get more difficult Wednesday when they travel to Icard to take on East Burke. I'll report on that tomorrow.

East Burke boys will give you more of a battle than the teams you have played so far. McDowell plays them as well.

 

[FreedomAlum]

East Burke boys will give you more of a battle than the teams you have played so far. McDowell plays them as well.

They had a good performance against Patton tonight and I think some of their kids are good athletes. But I'll admit that if we don't beat them by double figures, I'll be disappointed. We shouldn't look past anyone, but if we stick to our strengths, I think we'll be okay.

 

[Titanman27]

They had a good performance against Patton tonight and I think some of their kids are good athletes. But I'll admit that if we don't beat them by double figures, I'll be disappointed. We shouldn't look past anyone, but if we stick to our strengths, I think we'll be okay.

You should definitely win but I don't think it will be a laugher. Connelly dunks are making the rounds on social media. He is impressive.

 

[FreedomAlum]

You should definitely win but I don't think it will be a laugher. Connelly dunks are making the rounds on social media. He is impressive.

He had one tonight and so did Junior KeAndre Davis. I think Connelly has 5 so far, but Kobe Johnson, Braxton King and Davis all have one as well. Connelly is explosive and only needs a seam to throw it down, but we have no shortage of athletes.

 

[Titanman27]

He had one tonight and so did Junior KeAndre Davis. I think Connelly has 5 so far, but Kobe Johnson, Braxton King and Davis all have one as well. Connelly is explosive and only needs a seam to throw it down, but we have no shortage of athletes.

McDowell has young guards and strong post play. East Rutherford hung around for a bit but the Titans won by 27.

 

[beamer24]

King played peewee football. I think he stopped around middle school.

 

[FreedomAlum]

King played peewee football. I think he stopped around middle school.

Apparently, Amore Connelly was a great football player in middle school as well. But if a kid wants to concentrate on one sport, that's their business as far as I'm concerned. I think there are five kids who play football on this team (I think). They all contributed this fall, and they all are doing what the team needs them to do now.

 

[beamer24]

Apparently, Amore Connelly was a great football player in middle school as well. But if a kid wants to concentrate on one sport, that's their business as far as I'm concerned. I think there are five kids who play football on this team (I think). They all contributed this fall, and they all are doing what the team needs them to do now.

I'm against making a kid specialize but if they only want to play 1 sport that's fine.

 

[Big Red RKO]

Patton should have an easy win against Wilkes Central tonight. Multiple Players from WC were ejected forcing their team to forfeit against Newton Conover last night. When their entire team is there they are pretty good but won't match up against Patton down a few players. Good luck to both teams. Not hating on Wilkes Central just stating facts.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Patton should have an easy win against Wilkes Central tonight. Multiple Players from WC were ejected forcing their team to forfeit against Newton Conover last night. When their entire team is there they are pretty good but won't match up against Patton down a few players. Good luck to both teams. Not hating on Wilkes Central just stating facts.

Patton lost most of what they had last year. They’ve got a couple of ballers, but nothing like that team. It would be good for them to pick up a win though, so I hope you’re right.

 

[Titanman27]

Wilkes beat them badly. Patton must be way down. Freedom beat East Burke 80-66. About what I expected. Freedom rules Burke County again

 

[FreedomAlum]

Patriots had a couple of 20-point leads. The game wasn't in doubt from about the midpoint of the second quarter as the Cavs never got the lead back to single digits. Amore Connelly had a nice dunk and KeAndre Davis absolutely hammered one on a breakaway. But Barger Shook rocked the rim for EB a couple of times as well. I would have liked to match the margin of victory SC had over them, but that was in the torture chamber of a gym they have in Sawmills while we were at Icard. Connelly had 24, while King Johnson had a nice game with 17. Braxton King was held scoreless, but Amare Williams picked up the outside shooting slack with a trio of baskets from behind the arc and finished with nine. Kobe Johnson also had 10.

The girl's game was kind of a surprise. The Lady Pats stayed close until EB went on a 17-0 run to end the first quarter. I'm sure they had a 25-point lead at one point, but it may have been as much as 30. The Lady Pats made it respectable at the end though and only lost 69-62. The Stillwell girl fouled out for the Lady Cavs, which helped, but I think if we get the kind of effort we got tonight when they come to Morganton, we can make a game of it. Payton Caldwell had 26 for Freedom while Cynica Caldwell had 14 and Haven Gladden added 12.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Wilkes beat them badly. Patton must be way down. Freedom beat East Burke 80-66. About what I expected. Freedom rules Burke County again

Looks like the Patton girls got the win though, which is great for them, given how they've been struggling.
Edit-there are different outcomes for the Patton girls' game on MaxPreps and on Facebook and I don't know which is correct. Facebook reports that Patton won 30-26, while MaxPreps has Wilkes Central winning 51-17. I'll find out the real score from the newspaper and post it.
Edited again-now MaxPreps shows the same score as Facebook and a Patton win.

 

[Titanman27]

Saw that Reynolds beat Freedom boys and girls. Girls I expected. Boys, I'm a little surprised. Reynolds has a solid team no doubt but I expected a win in Morganton for Freedom.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Saw that Reynolds beat Freedom boys and girls. Girls I expected. Boys, I'm a little surprised. Reynolds has a solid team no doubt but I expected a win in Morganton for Freedom.

We opened up a 15-0 lead and then stopped doing the things that gave us that lead. We were pressuring the ball and pushing the tempo and I'm not sure if ACR adjusted or we just went away from it. 17-3 at the end of the first quarter and then 32-31 at halftime. After that it was back and forth with Freedom having maybe a six-point lead. Amore Connelly had a bad game, but King Johnson played great. I feel like we let one get away, but that's about all I can say. You have to know how to put someone away when you get a big lead.

 

[Titanman27]

How did the big guy for Reynolds do? He is one of the few bigs that can match up with ours.

 

[FreedomAlum]

How did the big guy for Reynolds do? He is one of the few bigs that can match up with ours.

He had a good game. Our regular post, Elijah Davidson, was out injured so we had a sub in against him. That's really no excuse because depth is one of our strengths (we have another sub who plays down in the post who didn't get into the game at all). If we're going to run an up-tempo game, we need to use as many players as we can during a game, and I think we didn't get the most out of our depth last night.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Lady Patriots travelled to Hickory tonight without the boys and came away with a 59-48 victory, snapping a three-game losing streak and even their record at 3-3. Freedom had nice balance tonight with three players in double figures and three others with more than six. Freedom will host Patton tomorrow and then travel to Draughn Tuesday. Then they will go to North Buncombe and host East Burke before the Christmas tournament. Conference play starts in the new year, so they need to pick up some wins over the holidays to prepare for that.

 

[beamer24]

Lady Patriots travelled to Hickory tonight without the boys and came away with a 59-48 victory, snapping a three-game losing streak and even their record at 3-3. Freedom had nice balance tonight with three players in double figures and three others with more than six. Freedom will host Patton tomorrow and then travel to Draughn Tuesday. Then they will go to North Buncombe and host East Burke before the Christmas tournament. Conference play starts in the new year, so they need to pick up some wins over the holidays to prepare for that.

Is that conference going to be as tough as it has been the past few years?

 

[FreedomAlum]

Is that conference going to be as tough as it has been the past few years?

I think so and SC may be improved and not be the “easy victory” of the last couple of years.

 

[FreedomAlum]

A couple of big wins for Freedom tonight over Patton. In the girls game the Lady Panthers kept it pretty close thru the first quarter, but Freedom had a comfortable lead by halftime and cruised to a running clock win 66-18. Ava Cooke had a big game for the Lady Patriots with 16, but Peyton Caldwell led all scorers with 25 and Cynica Caldwell put in 11.
In the boys game Freedom was without two starters but still had 63 by halftime and won 84-44, only scoring a single basket in the final quarter.
Amore Connelly had 24 and a couple of nice dunks, King Johnson put in 17 with the first two jams of his high school career (he has huge upside) and Kobe Johnson had 10 with a slam of his own. Amare Williams had five treys to account for his 15 points. Freedom travels to Draughn on Tuesday.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Freedom travelled to Draughn and picked up two wins on Tuesday. In the girl's game the Lady Wildcats were making three early and that kept them in it until the half. But Freedom got good balance with Peyton Caldwell leading the way with 23 points but every Lady Patriot who got into the game scored three other players were in double figures. Freedom won 79-58.
The boys game was never in doubt and Draughn was without DeAndre Moore, who has been their best player for the past two seasons. Braxton King hit five threes and his only two point basket was a breakaway dunk, so he finished with 17. King Johnson had 15 while Kobe Johnson and Amore Connelly each had 12 and both also had a dunk. Freedom got the running clock and won 80-40.
The Patriots and Lady Patriots will head up to Weaverville to play North Buncombe Friday. I've been there before, but it was probably 30 years ago, so I'm excited to return.

 

[Titanman27]

North Buncombe is bad, it should be an easy win

 

[FreedomAlum]

North Buncombe is bad, it should be an easy win

Our boys beat them already, but our girls fell apart in the second half against them in Morganton and I'd like to see them get some payback. They've gotten some of the other girls besides the returning starters from last season to really up their game over the last two weeks and I am hopeful they'll continue to progress against better competition.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Freedom travelled to Weaverville to take on North Buncombe tonight in a pair of exciting games. I would have sworn that I'd been to North Buncombe before, but going up there disabused me of that, so it was a new place to see for me. In the girls' game the Lady Blackhawks got an early 16-4 lead and things looked bad for Freedom, but the Lady Patriots clawed back and had a one-point lead on two occasions in the second half. North Buncombe started hitting threes again in the final quarter and pulled out a 51-45 win, but Freedom's girls played okay and are now 5-4 on the year.
The boy's game was a slobber knocker. Freedom would pull out to a nice lead and then North Buncombe would fight back. At one point the Patriots led by nine, but the Blackhawks hit a 30-foot prayer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Despite Amore Connelly fouling out, Freedom was able to take the 97-95 overtime win, but they really had to work for it. I'll be glad when Isaiah Davidson can return from his ankle injury to help with defense in the paint and rebounding. Connelly had 25 for Freedom, and Kobe Johnson added 23. King Johnson put in 17 while KeAndre Davis had 12. Connelly, Kobe Johnson and Jonah Griggs all had a dunk apiece for Freedom as the Patriots move to 7-1 on the season. Six different Patriots have thrown it down on the year now.
Freedom will host East Burke on Tuesday.

 

[Titanman27]

Freedom travelled to Weaverville to take on North Buncombe tonight in a pair of exciting games. I would have sworn that I'd been to North Buncombe before, but going up there disabused me of that, so it was a new place to see for me. In the girls' game the Lady Blackhawks got an early 16-4 lead and things looked bad for Freedom, but the Lady Patriots clawed back and had a one-point lead on two occasions in the second half. North Buncombe started hitting threes again in the final quarter and pulled out a 51-45 win, but Freedom's girls played okay and are now 5-4 on the year.
The boy's game was a slobber knocker. Freedom would pull out to a nice lead and then North Buncombe would fight back. At one point the Patriots led by nine, but the Blackhawks hit a 30-foot prayer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Despite Amore Connelly fouling out, Freedom was able to take the 97-95 overtime win, but they really had to work for it. I'll be glad when Isaiah Davidson can return from his ankle injury to help with defense in the paint and rebounding. Connelly had 25 for Freedom, and Kobe Johnson added 23. King Johnson put in 17 while KeAndre Davis had 12. Connelly, Kobe Johnson and Jonah Griggs all had a dunk apiece for Freedom as the Patriots move to 7-1 on the season. Six different Patriots have thrown it down on the year now.
Freedom will host East Burke on Tuesday.

Surprised it was that close. Sounds like McDowell and Freedom are a lot alike this year. McDowell only beat East Rutherford by 1 and Alexander Central by 2 and I thought they would both be 10 point + victories. Titans are young at guard and relying too much on Parkins. I think I can say they were better last season now without a doubt. The young guys should get better as the season continues and they should win a lot of games but they could easily drop a game to Reynolds or maybe even North Buncombe by the sound of it.

 

[FreedomAlum]

Surprised it was that close. Sounds like McDowell and Freedom are a lot alike this year. McDowell only beat East Rutherford by 1 and Alexander Central by 2 and I thought they would both be 10 point + victories. Titans are young at guard and relying too much on Parkins. I think I can say they were better last season now without a doubt. The young guys should get better as the season continues and they should win a lot of games but they could easily drop a game to Reynolds or maybe even North Buncombe by the sound of it.

They have one kid who goes to the basket real well and another who shoots the three. None of the rest made much of an impression on me, but they ran with us so our depth didn’t really help. I still think we could be really good this year, but we need to fix our interior defense and rebounding.

 

[heelsfan28655]

Who all is in the Christmas tournament this year? I hope freedom girls can give eb a game and possibly pull it off. I'm happy for east burkes being successful but for fans there to say last year's team was the best in burke county history. No disrespect but Idk about that being the case.