Monday, February 08, 2010
High school notebook: 'Cats fashioning dream season
varsity.roanoke.com
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Forget the snow that has played havoc with the high school basketball schedule.
What really has taken the Southern Valley District by storm this year is Rockbridge County's boys team.
Rockbridge owns Timesland's second-longest winning streak this year at 13 games and the Wildcats are on the verge of clinching the school's first regular-season district title.
Despite playing just five home games, Rockbridge is 15-2, 6-0 in the Southern Valley, heading into tonight's scheduled home game in Lexington against Robert E. Lee-Staunton.
The Wildcats already have won road games against Lee (10-4, 5-1) and third-place Fort Defiance (12-5, 5-2), meaning a victory tonight would put them two games clear of the field.
"Obviously, this team is playing well together," Rockbridge coach Jason Buzzard said. "They're doing what it takes to win."
Buzzard wants the district title for reasons other than a championship banner. The Southern Valley's No. 1 seed will be opposite both Northside and Liberty in the Region III Division 3 tournament.
"If you get that No. 1 spot, you're automatically in the regional semifinals and you just have to win one game to get in the state tournament," Buzzard said. "We've never even made the regional tournament before, never gotten out of the district."
Buzzard concedes the road was much tougher when Rockbridge County was a member of the old Valley and Blue Ridge districts, and before Group AA basketball was divided into two divisions.
Nevertheless, this team has earned its position, beating Lee 60-59 in Staunton on Jan. 28 and taking down Fort Defiance 54-50 a week later.
Few visiting coaches ever walk out of Lee's gym a winner, which is named for current Lee coach Paul Hatcher, the state's leader in career victories.
Buzzard has done it twice in four years.
"My first year I didn't know as much about the history of it," he said. "I inherited a lot of talent that year. This year's team is one we've kind of built. It was a sweet win."
Rockbridge point guard Andrew Rowsey is writing his own history.
The 5-foot-10, 150-pound, 15-year-old freshman scored 29 points and had eight assists in the victory at Lee. Rowsey leads the Wildcats in scoring at 15.8 points per game and has handled most of what opponents have thrown at him.
"He's got a lot of talent," Buzzard said. "His ballhandling and vision are superb. He's got the knack for when to make the right pass. Very few teams can force him into a turnover.
"He's learned how to be a point guard with a scorer's mentality. That's a very tough thing to learn."
Rockbridge also features high-leaping 6-foot-3 David Early, the younger brother of former Wildcats star Jeff Early. He is the closest thing Buzzard has to a post player.
"He's not as athletic as his brother, but he's got long arms and can play above the rim," Buzzard said.
Wing men Colby Shorter and Grayson Gunner give Rockbridge two other proven scorers. Blake Coffey and Andrew Bellairs -- the son of former VMI coach Bart Bellairs -- also are cogs in the six-man rotation.
Rowsey, Early and Gunner all play for different teams in AAU in the offseason. Rowsey plays for the Petersburg Elite program which requires considerable travel.
Weather permitting, Rockbridge has its last four regular-season games at home. If the Wildcats board another bus, it means they are heading to a place they've never been -- deep into the postseason.
Around Timesland
Northside's 90-46 victory over Lord Botetourt on Thursday gave the Vikings their first Blue Ridge District title since the 1999-2000 season. The Vikings will play the Southern Valley No. 2 team in the first round of the Region III Division 3 tournament. The winner will play Liberty in the semifinals.
James River improved its four-year won-lost record under Mike Goad to 91-12 in winning its fourth straight Pioneer District title. The Knights are 19-2 this season, somehow managing to play 21 games despite the snow.
