PH Ends PM’s Run

Blues Fall 84-60 In State Quarterfinals

An outstanding season came to an end for the Parry McCluer High School boys basketball team with an 84-60 loss to Patrick Henry-Glade Spring in the Class 1 state quarterfinals on Tuesday of last week at Virginia High School in Bristol.

Patrick Henry, the Region 1D champion, got out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter over the Fighting Blues and stayed ahead the rest of the game, as the Blues ended their season at 20-6 overall. The Rebels concluded their season at 26-4 on Friday with an 82-54 loss to Region 1C champion George Wythe (254) in the state semifinals at Pulaski County High School in Dublin. GW, which will face Franklin in the state championship game on Friday in Richmond, had beaten PM 75-57 in the Region 1C championship game on March 1 in Roanoke.

In the state quarterfinal game against PM, the Rebels used their size, shooting ability and athleticism to take control of the game early. PH led 20-7 after the first quarter and took a 36-17 halftime lead. The Rebels stayed comfortably ahead in the second half, taking a 65-43 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Blues went on some scoring runs at various points in the game, but struggled against PH’s duo of big men, 6-foot-7-inch Cole and 6-4 Cade Caywood. The Caywood brothers each scored 30 points, with Cole pulling down 16 rebounds and Cade grabbing eight boards. Jeb Stewart added 10 points for the Rebels, and Carson Street chipped in eight points, hitting two 3-pointers.

Sophomore guard Langston Cook led PM with 21 points and six assists while adding nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Braedyn Houck scored 12 points for the Blues, sinking two 3-pointers, and had two steals and a block. Freshman Quentin Rosser added nine points, two assists and a steal and took two charges. Rosser hit three 3-pointers, including one at the buzzer at the end of the third quarter. Nathan Glass contributed eight points, nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals.

Reviewing the game, PM head coach Tyler Kerr said the Rebels were a tough opponent because they’re “pretty big and physical. I thought that early, we were just kind of shell-shocked a little bit. The moment was pretty big, even though I thought our guys were prepared. We had a great look before the game, but we weren’t ball faking against the zone. Their deflections led to some steals and got them out in transition.

“We got down early, and in a state game, that’s tough to come back from,” added Kerr, concluding his third season as PM’s head coach. “But with that being said, I thought we fought, but every time we would go on a little run, it seemed like, hey, all right, here we go. They would slam the door on us, and that’s what good teams do at this level. So, again, tip of the hat and complete respect for their team. Patrick Henry’s got a good ball club.”

Cook, who was named Pioneer District player of the year last week, said, “The defense and intensity weren’t there, but I know overall this season, we were there.”

Reviewing the season, Cook said the Blues accomplished a lot, but added, “Like Coach said, we’re never satisfied with what we did. We started with the main goal going into the season – we wanted to win it all. That’s always gonna be the main goal, but looking back, we’re proud of what we did.”

Individually, Cook was a leader for the Blues throughout the season, averaging 24 points per game, along with 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.2 blocks. He missed three games due to an ankle injury in January, but he came back strong to lead the Blues on their postseason run.

As a team against PH, the Blues shot 35.9 percent (23-of-65) from the floor and 26.7 percent (8-of-30) from 3-point range. They hit 75 percent (6-of-8) of their free throw attempts, but PH went to the foul line much more often, shooting 68.2 percent (15-of-22). PH knocked down five 3-pointers, with three coming from the Caywood brothers.

The Blues committed 13 turnovers, while PH had 10. It was an impressive season for the Blues, who won the Pioneer District regular-season and tournament titles, going undefeated in district play, before becoming Region 1C runners-up.

PM’s last state tournament appearance was four years ago, when the Blues won their first state title in program history. The Blues were a win shy of advancing to the state tournament the last three years, falling in the Region 1C semifinals all three years.

“We hold our program to a very high standard,” said Kerr, the Pioneer District coach of the year for the second straight year. “It’s been like that forever.”

Highlighting legendary coaches Nelson Fox and Mike Cartolaro for leading the Blues over the years, Kerr said, “Putting that Blues jersey on means a lot, and it means a lot to those 12 kids. They play that way. They give you everything they have on a constant and daily basis, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

The Blues will miss their four seniors: Houck, Ellis Hill, Brayden Holdren and Peyton Montgomery. Houck was PM’s second-leading scorer this season, averaging 12.7 points per game and shooting 34.2 percent (51-of-149) from 3-point range.

Moving forward, Kerr and the Blues have high hopes for the future, with Cook, Glass, Rosser and Jamier Jordan leading the players set to return. Glass missed much of the first half of the season due to a knee injury suffered in late October during football season, but he was a strong contributor when he returned, averaging 10.1 points per game and 5.4 rebounds.

Praising his seniors for all they’ve done for the program, Kerr said, “They’re gonna be completely missed. They’ve given me everything they have, given everything to the program, and I can’t wait to celebrate their future successes because the brotherhood that we have in our program, it doesn’t stop here. I can’t wait till they’re a little bit older and celebrate with them and their families that they’re gonna have. It doesn’t stop here. It’s life. I love them like my own kids, and I always will.”