By Donald Heath
Special for the Effingham Herald
SPRINGFIELD – After playing one of their worst games of the season, the Effingham County boys made a 180-degree turn to beat visiting Richmond Hill 64-44 Dec. 15 to snap a five-game losing skid.
The Rebels (3-5) avenged a 10-point loss to the Wildcats just two weeks earlier. ECHS was coming off a 20-point setback to Burke County three days earlier.
“Every game we lost, we were playing the same way and when they start seeing the “Ls” piling up, it’s hard to feel things are working,” Rebels first-year coach Tramaine Aaron said. “It feels good to come off the slide, but it feels even better to see (the player) trust what we’re telling them.”
Working inside out was a winning message against Richmond Hill. The Rebels used their size advantage to get easy looks at the basket and build a 15-3 lead about six minutes into the game.
The Wildcats closed within four by halftime, 30-26.
But ECHS pulled away with a stifling defensive effort. The Rebels held RHHS to one field goal during a nine-minute stretch and a 37-31 lead ballooned to 62-36 with 3:56 to go.
The Wildcats had only 13 field goals in the game; ECHS had 29.
Senior forwards Jameaz Cope and Christian Waldburg were active on the glass and produced all 18 Rebel points during a 6:19 stretch of the third quarter.
Cope and Waldburg tied for team-high scoring honors with 18 points. Forward Jordan Goldwire, who had been fighting the flu, added 11 points in limited playing time – seven in the first quarter during ECHS’ early surge.
Aaron said it was a much-needed effort for the team. Against Burke, the Rebels surrendered 26 consecutive points while falling behind 28-5 en route to a 74-54 defeat.
“These kids just need confidence poured in them,” Aaron said. “Early on, I was expecting to see hiccups, but they’re starting to respond. We’ve been preaching “work our way out” because we’re not a great shooting team. You have to be honest about that. We just have to see the ball go through the net and take it from there.”
SEHS boys lose two; girls top Johnson
South Effingham saw its season-opening losing streak reach seven games with losses to Camden County, 74-17 on Friday, and Bryan County, 76-60 on Saturday.
Corbin McGuire led the Mustangs with seven points against Camden. Jaylen Price and Chase Seyler had 14 and 13 points respectively against Bryan County.
South Effingham girls received season-high scoring performances from Tyra Guyton, Kailyn Chapman and Hayden Johanson in a 57-47 win over Johnson Dec. 12.
Guyton and Chapman each had 17 points and Johanson added 10.
The Mustangs (3-8) lost twice during the weekend to highly regarded Camden County (now 10-1) 60-19 and Bryan County (8-0) 44-34.
