Cavalier boys surge past Governors

Jefferson Forest wanted to control the lane and keep the Nelson County Governors from penetrating to the hoop for points in the paint.

By halftime, it appeared that plan had backfired.

The Governors thwarted the Cavaliers defense in the first half by moving the ball well around the perimeter, putting on a 3-point show, and driving with determination to the lane.

But then the Cavaliers flipped the switch.

Juniors Andrew Woodall and Jake Johnston led the attack for the Cavaliers and finished with 14 points apiece as Jefferson Forest (2-0) came from behind to defeat Nelson County, 49-41, in the third game of the 2011 Beacon Classic at E.C. Glass.

"It seemed like the first half we just couldn’t score," Jefferson Forest coach Paul Smith said. "We just couldn’t get any offense going. It just didn’t seem like anything was going for us. Then in the second half we got some easy buckets off the break. I think, as much as anything, we got some confidence."

As quickly as the Cavaliers gained that self-assurance, Nelson County appeared to lose it. The Governors balanced out their scoring in the first half, backed by sophomore guard Adam Pickett (10 points, 5 rebounds) and junior guard Thomas Napper (7 points, 5 rebounds). But in the third quarter, that intensity disappeared. JF didn’t go on an impressive scoring run or completely shut down the Governors. Instead, the Cavaliers turned up the heat on defense and got into their transition game.

"We just kept playing hard," Woodall said. "We played better defense (in the second half) and closed out the lane."

Woodall, who also added six rebounds in the win, was one of the driving forces behind JF’s comeback. He broke to the basket for a layup, was fouled and converted his free throw to start off the third quarter. Seconds later, he caught a pass from Johnston on a fast break and scored again. After two straight Nelson County turnovers, Woodall’s next layup tied the score at 28. On JF’s next possession, he battled for an offensive rebound and his putback gave the Cavaliers the lead.

"Woodall is that guy who is so solid," Smith said. "He’s not flashy at all. He’s one of the best offensive rebounders I’ve ever seen for a kid his size. He’s just always around the ball, always around the basket. That stretch we came back, he had a lot to do with it."

Once the Cavaliers were able to get going in their transition offense, the Governors (1-2) had few answers. They tied the score at 32 at the end of the third, but they wouldn’t lead again.

Nelson County — while showcasing players who can produce offensive results by shooting well from outside – is nevertheless a young team, having lost five seniors from last year. Coach Brandon Garrett said that his team is in a rebuilding process and hasn’t learned to close out games yet. The Governors have relied on Pickett so far this year as their leading scorer.

"He (Pickett) is pretty big for us," Garrett said. "He went out with three fouls early in the third quarter and that’s when JF made that run on us. We really couldn’t get into our offense and they did a good job of applying pressure on us. They were also getting out and running in transition off of rebounds, too."

With the 3-pointers not falling, the Governors began to panic in the fourth quarter. They committed several turnovers before regrouping and cutting the JF lead to two. But the Cavaliers answered back and went 8-for-10 from the free-throw line in the final two minutes of regulation.

The Beacon Classic, a one-day event at E.C. Glass that packs in nine games — five boys’ and four girls’ — benefits the Children’s Miracle Network.

In other boys’ games Saturday, Liberty slid by Tunstall, 60-53, in the opening game, despite committing 17 turnovers. The Minutemen received a mammoth outing from senior guard Darius McCoy, who finished with 38 points.

LCA dominated a smaller Staunton River team in the second match, backed by sophomore guard B.J. Farrow, whose 17 points led the Bulldogs to a 58-32 win.

Fluvanna County’s Ya-Ya Anderson — the 2011 Virginia AA, Division 3, Co-Player of the Year who has signed with Radford for next season — put on a clinic against Brookville, finishing with 21 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists as the Flying Flucos rolled to an easy 71-48 victory.

Saturday’s final contest featured a matchup between E.C. Glass and Halifax County, in which the Hilltoppers, last season’s Seminole District Champs, cruised to a 79-63 victory. Glass was powered by senior guard Jordan Anderson (24 points), Daniel Bowling (15 points) and Najee Culver, who posted a double-double with 11 points, 10 assists, and 7 steals.

The Beacon Classic gives area teams a chance to face teams they sometimes don’t get to play during the regular season. LCA coach Jeff Platt said he is always pleased to compete in the event.

"We always look forward to the Beacon Classic," Platt said. "It’s a great event. It gives us an opportunity to play against public schools in our area. They did a great job of putting it together this year."