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By Brian Pitts
Enterprise Record

When the first quarter ended at Canterbury on Nov. 30, the Ellis boys basketball team had a fight on its hands, trailing 14-10.
But the game turned in the second quarter and Ellis won going away, 36-22, as Brady Vallance delivered 16 points. That gives him a team-best 27 in two games.
The Jaguars outscored Canterbury 15-4 in the middle quarters. Ethan Driver and Jake Runge did the scoring in the second, and Vallance was the offense in the third as Ellis opened up a 25-18 lead.
Vallance put the hosts away by hitting 5 of 6 free throws in the fourth.
“We played zone in the first quarter,” said Mike Morgan, the Ellis athletic director who filled in as coach for Ted Boger, who was under the weather. “We switched to man (in the second) and we took off from there.”
Braxton Bowling deserves a mention. He was the defensive stopper who changed the game.
“No. 24 scored seven points in the first four minutes of the game,” Morgan said. “Here’s a big difference in the game: Coach (Daniel) York switched from a zone to a man-to-man the rest of the game with Braxton guarding No. 24. That kid scored six points the rest of the night.”
While Vallance hit 6 of 8 free throws for the game, Driver and Runge finished with six points each. Bowling and Connor Dixson had four apiece as Ellis improved to 2-0.
“Connor battled hard in the paint,” Morgan said. “Jackson Hepler stepped up and gave us a couple of valuable minutes and grabbed some key rebounds after Connor picked up his fourth foul.”
It was Morgan’s first game on the bench since the 1999 state semifinals when he was an assistant at West Forsyth. “This game was just a little more laid-back than that one,” he said with a laugh.
SD 40, ND 13
Two games into the season and South Davie has already surpassed last season’s win total. The visiting Tigers eased past North Davie on Nov. 30, getting a measure of revenge for 25-, 31- and 21-point losses to the Wildcats a season ago.
South’s scorers were Josiah Spillman (11), Jayce Bentley (10), AJ Imes (seven), Dallas Simms (five), Noah Dulin (four) and Jarek Stanley (three).
“We had really good guard play,” coach Germain Mayfield said. “Jayce, Noah, Dallas and Brayden (Kistner) played really well. They couldn’t get many shots to fall, but defensively they were everywhere. They couldn’t handle our guard play, so we really didn’t even go to our bigs (Spillman and Imes).”
For North, Ian Patton and Jackson Sulecki had four each. Edarius Oliver and Ty Greene had two and Wyatt Harwood one.
“We are having a hard time putting the ball in the basket,” coach Trevor Gooch said. “We played better defense, but we must do a better job of boxing out and rebounding.”
Canterbury 48, ND 35
After losing the first two games by 23 and 27, Gooch saw some positives at Canterbury on Dec. 2.
Patton had eight points, Isaac Swisher seven, Oliver six, Sulecki five, Harwood five, Blake French two and Lane Griffin two as North nearly matched its point total from the first two games combined.
“Our team is improving and had some balanced scoring,” Gooch said. “Ian did a good job of driving and making some baskets. Isaac (12 rebounds) is improving in the post.”By Brian Pitts
Enterprise Record

When the first quarter ended at Canterbury on Nov. 30, the Ellis boys basketball team had a fight on its hands, trailing 14-10.
But the game turned in the second quarter and Ellis won going away, 36-22, as Brady Vallance delivered 16 points. That gives him a team-best 27 in two games.
The Jaguars outscored Canterbury 15-4 in the middle quarters. Ethan Driver and Jake Runge did the scoring in the second, and Vallance was the offense in the third as Ellis opened up a 25-18 lead.
Vallance put the hosts away by hitting 5 of 6 free throws in the fourth.
“We played zone in the first quarter,” said Mike Morgan, the Ellis athletic director who filled in as coach for Ted Boger, who was under the weather. “We switched to man (in the second) and we took off from there.”
Braxton Bowling deserves a mention. He was the defensive stopper who changed the game.
“No. 24 scored seven points in the first four minutes of the game,” Morgan said. “Here’s a big difference in the game: Coach (Daniel) York switched from a zone to a man-to-man the rest of the game with Braxton guarding No. 24. That kid scored six points the rest of the night.”
While Vallance hit 6 of 8 free throws for the game, Driver and Runge finished with six points each. Bowling and Connor Dixson had four apiece as Ellis improved to 2-0.
“Connor battled hard in the paint,” Morgan said. “Jackson Hepler stepped up and gave us a couple of valuable minutes and grabbed some key rebounds after Connor picked up his fourth foul.”
It was Morgan’s first game on the bench since the 1999 state semifinals when he was an assistant at West Forsyth. “This game was just a little more laid-back than that one,” he said with a laugh.
SD 40, ND 13
Two games into the season and South Davie has already surpassed last season’s win total. The visiting Tigers eased past North Davie on Nov. 30, getting a measure of revenge for 25-, 31- and 21-point losses to the Wildcats a season ago.
South’s scorers were Josiah Spillman (11), Jayce Bentley (10), AJ Imes (seven), Dallas Simms (five), Noah Dulin (four) and Jarek Stanley (three).
“We had really good guard play,” coach Germain Mayfield said. “Jayce, Noah, Dallas and Brayden (Kistner) played really well. They couldn’t get many shots to fall, but defensively they were everywhere. They couldn’t handle our guard play, so we really didn’t even go to our bigs (Spillman and Imes).”
For North, Ian Patton and Jackson Sulecki had four each. Edarius Oliver and Ty Greene had two and Wyatt Harwood one.
“We are having a hard time putting the ball in the basket,” coach Trevor Gooch said. “We played better defense, but we must do a better job of boxing out and rebounding.”
Canterbury 48, ND 35
After losing the first two games by 23 and 27, Gooch saw some positives at Canterbury on Dec. 2.
Patton had eight points, Isaac Swisher seven, Oliver six, Sulecki five, Harwood five, Blake French two and Lane Griffin two as North nearly matched its point total from the first two games combined.
“Our team is improving and had some balanced scoring,” Gooch said. “Ian did a good job of driving and making some baskets. Isaac (12 rebounds) is improving in the post.”