James Wood rallies to knock off Sherando

STEPHENS CITY — James Wood’s starters were struggling in the third quarter as Sherando built a nine-point lead in Friday’s Class 4 Northwestern District boys’ basketball clash.

So midway through the period, James Wood coach Tim Wygant looked down his bench and brought in a new five and even a couple more.

Led by Elijah Boggs, the Colonels’ reserves would eventually make up the deficit and set the table for the starters to clean up in the fourth quarter.

Boggs had eight points in the third quarter and Jerome McCarthy netted nine of his team-high 15 in the fourth as James Wood pulled away to a 48-41 victory over the Warriors.

Wygant has a roster of 15 players and he used all 14 that were dressed against Sherando (1-4, 0-2), which would play just nine players in the contest.

The Warriors, behind the scoring of Cole Armel and Keli Lawson built a 29-20 lead with a 6-0 run to start the third quarter and were up 31-23 when Boggs triggered a rally by swishing a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

“It was something I had to do,” Boggs said of nailing his first shot. “I felt confident after that.”

Boggs’ second 3-pointer would cap a 10-0 run that gave the Colonels (2-2, 1-1) their first lead at 33-31 since they were ahead 10-8 in the first quarter.

Lawson’s 3-pointer would put the Warriors back on top to end the period, but John Ballantine’s layup after a turnover to start the fourth would put the Colonels back ahead 35-34.

The James Wood starters returned with the score tied at 35-35, but the reserves had set the tone.

“It was the effort and the confidence,” said Wygant, who played seven players off the bench in the third period. “They came in there and they knew they could do something to spark us. It wasn’t that the guys that we had on [the court] weren’t executing, It just wasn’t us, yet. That’s why you’ve got those guys on the bench.

“The guys on the bench tonight were amazing,” he added. “And to even take that one step farther, the five guys that came off in the third quarter they couldn’t have been more excited to get subbed out and to root for their teammates. That’s the type of basketball that we can play. That’s what is going to make us a good team and make us win games that we wouldn’t normally win, beat teams that are maybe better than us.”

“It was the best thing,” McCarthy said of watching the reserves perform. “I can’t explain it. They did their thing and I’m happy for them. … They pumped us up.”

McCarthy’s 3-pointer would give the Colonels the lead for good at 38-35. He’d have nine points in a 13-2 run that would put the Colonels ahead 48-37 with 26 seconds left.

Sherando coach Garland Williams said the James Wood bench wore down his team. “He was able to rest [the starters] a good four or five minutes,” Williams said. “That was a difference-maker at the end. … Going against fresh guys, they can bang and track down that loose ball quicker than those guys who have been in there the whole game.”

The Colonels’ fresh legs also contributed to the Warriors’ turnover woes. Sherando, with two point guards missing the game, had 23 turnovers.

 “That’s the type of team that we are,” Wygant said. “We’re not going be the fastest, the greatest offensive team. If we play defense soundly for four quarters, we’re going to win.”

“We have to work on taking care of the basketball,” Williams said. “We’re not going to win when you throw the ball away or get it taken from you 20-plus times. It’s tough for anyone to win the game.”

James Cornwell added 12 points for James Wood, including two in the fourth quarter on a crossover dribble that caused a defender to stumble and fall to the floor. A total of nine Colonels scored in the contest. Lavaughan Freeman grabbed seven rebounds and added four steals, while McCarthy had five steals.

Meanwhile, the Warriors had just three players score. Armel finished with a game-high 17, including 10 in the first quarter. Lawson, who played the entire game, had 16 points and Adrian Myers netted eight.

“You’ve got to have three or four other guys chip in with three, four or five points,” Williams said. “If you’re not getting that, you’re in for a rough night.”

James Wood, 1-22 last season, won its first regular-season district game since the 2018 season, and surpassed last season’s win total with the victory.

“They all feel awesome,” Wygant said of the win. “They all feel terrific, but to come over here and win in a tough place against a well-coached team, it feels that much better.”

“It means a lot because we put in a lot of work this offseason,” Boggs added. “Obviously, it’s working right now. It’s paying off. It’s just crazy how you can go from 1-22 to competing with everybody no matter what.”

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