Canes Travel to Spartanburg, S.C.

The Jasper County High School (JCHS) varsity boys basketball team competed in the Spartanburg Christian Academy (SCA) Impact Sports Invitational Basketball Tournament in Spartanburg, S.C. last week.

The Thanksgiving-week tournament was hosted by SCA where JCHS alumni and former Hurricane basketball player, Chris Arp (Class of 1993), is head boys basketball coach. The varsity Canes competed against SCA, Laurens High School, and Dorman High School as two of those teams are equivalent to 4A and 7A teams in Georgia.

The team arrived in Spartanburg last Monday and stayed at the downtown Marriott for the length of the tournament. According to senior C.J. Adams, “It was a great tournament and team bonding experience. It was good exposure for the Monticello basketball program. The tournament brought out the best in our team.”

Junior Ashton Bonner earned a position on the All-Tournament Team and was presented with a plaque at the conclusion of the Hurricanes’ final game.

The squad opened the tournament against the Dorman Cavaliers last Monday losing 86-57. Bonner had 20 points; Adams had 13; Matthew Lawson, 12; Jakier Stone, 6; Malik Crawford, 4; and Kordell Farrar, 2. The squad was 90 percent in free throws.

Crawford had six rebounds, three defensive and three offensive, while also earning three blocks. Bonner had five rebounds, four offensive and one defensive, with four assists. Adams had four defensive rebounds, four assists, and six steals. Stone added three offensive rebounds, one assist, and one block.

“Dorman is a HUGE school with 3,400 students. We weren’t supposed to be in that game and were only down 10 at the half, but their size became too much with two players over 6’8” and a 6’5” point guard,” noted Coach Thomas. “The guys played very hard and earned compliments from multiple fans on their effort. The game was much closer than the final score indicates.”

The Canes played SCA on Tuesday falling by one point in a 60-59 finish. Bonner led with 24 points; Adams, 15; Crawford, 7; Lawson, 6; Farrar, 5; and Richard Whitlock, 2.

Crawford had eight rebounds and two blocks; Whitlock had six rebounds; Adams had six rebounds and two assists; Bonner had four rebounds, four assists, and two steals; Lawson had three rebounds and four assists; and Stone had two rebounds.

On the final day of the tourney, the Canes soundly defeated the Laurens Raiders 79-45 scoring 35 points in the first quarter. Lawson led with 18 points; Bonner, 13; Adams, 12; Crawford, 8; Stone, 7; Cameron Jordan, Braden Lynch and Whitlock, 4 each; Gavin Sands, 3; and Jay Fleetwood, Marquis Reese, Devin Robinson, 2 each.

Whitlock, Crawford, Adams, and Bonner led in rebounds earning five each with Adams and Bonner leading in assists with seven. Lawson led in steals with six.

“SCA was a game we feel we should have had, but it happens. Laurens is another school that is much bigger than Monticello. The guys got better as a team, bonded and just had a great time overall.”

Those making the trip included Mrs. Alicia Moore, JCHS Assistant Principal, players Gaven Sands, Jay Fleetwood, De’Eric Driskell, Ashton Bonner, Kordell Farrar, CJ Adams, Shakur Sands, Coach William Thomas, (back row) Braden Lynch, Marquis Reese, Jakier Stone, Malik Crawford, Cameron Jordan, Richard Whitlock, and Devin Robinson.

The Canes will resume action this Friday and Saturday, Dec. 2-3 hosting the Jackson Red Devils and the Greene Tigers. Both days begin with the junior varsity boys squad at 4:30 p.m. and the varsity squads starting 6 p.m.