varsity.roanoke.com

BLACKSBURG - Dissatisfied with constantly crushing their Christian school basketball counterparts, Dayspring Christian Academy sophomores John Thomas and Joey Mock like to take on competition from larger public school teams even it means getting beat up a little themselves.

"The games seem bigger," said Mock, who is averaging 25 points a game versus public schools. "It's a lot more fun because they're better." The Lions haven't lost a Virginia Association of Christian Athletics regular season game in five years. Their closest league game this season was 22 points.

"It's a big challenge when we're the underdog," Thomas said. "I like playing [the public schools] and comparing their program with ours."

According to Coach Dug Hampton, Dayspring has a winning record against public schools in its nine years of organized basketball at the school. This is notable considering Dayspring's enrollment is 40 in grades 9-12.

This season the Lions have been struggling, losing five of the six games they played against Group A high schools Auburn, Giles and Eastern Montgomery.

In those and all games, the two sophomores have played leading roles.

"There's five seniors on the team who are good players and they have no resentment for Joey and John's talent," Hampton said. "And they've really allowed them to take on a larger role."

It helps that Mock and Thomas are humble and well-spoken. Both are honor roll students. They can also play. Thomas, a 5-foot-7 point guard, has 42 3-pointers and 82 assists, both of which lead the team. The 6-foot Mock, a forward, has 64 steals and 144 free-throw points - also team highs. Mock leads the team with 381 points. Thomas is second with 234 .

These are all varsity numbers. Unlike their public school counterparts, younger Dayspring players are eligible for both varsity and junior varsity competition. Thomas and Mock routinely play both games of JV-varsity double-headers.

"It's pretty tough," Mock said. "I get a good night's rest the night afterward because I'm so tired."

Mock and Thomas also were members of a Dayspring JV team that won the National Association of Christian Athletics championship in 2003 in Dayton, Tenn. The Lions were runner-ups in the same tournament last year.

Hampton has coached both players since they were in the fourth grade.

"Coach encouraged me to be more aggressive with my shot," Thomas said. "And he taught me dribbling drills using two balls at once, eventually crossing them over and taking them through my legs."

Thomas' 42.6 percent average from the 3-point line complements his remarkable ball-handling skills and unselfish passing. "He's a great passer," Mock said. "Sometimes he hurts me in practice with a quick pass when I'm not paying attention."

Hampton elaborated.

"He's the best ball handler I've ever coached. At the national tournament we saw a professional ball juggler, and I've seen John do half of the stuff that guy was doing."

Along with being a solid rebounder, Mock is a good free throw shooter.

"To say that Joey draws contact while driving to the hoop would be an understatement," said Dayspring statistician Rex Card. "But he somehow finds a way to get a controlled shot off and draw the foul."

Mock shoots 73.8 percent from the free throw line.

"He shot free throws poorly in first game of the season, even though we won by 40," Hampton said. "We had a game the next day and I saw him shooting free throws on the street in front of his house in the drizzle. He wanted to shoot better free throws, and he did."

One more day's work well done. That's what the two sophomores are about.

Said Card: "I'm looking forward to watching them play together for the next two years."