New Kent season comes to close at John Marshall
A scramble on the floor for a loose ball ensues involving New Kent's Kevin Karaffa and John Marshall's Carlton Coleman.Alan Chamberlain photos
John Marshall’s Justices lived up to their billing as one of the best basketball teams in the state. Last year’s Group AAA state runners-up put on a clinic last night (Monday) as they dismantled New Kent 104-42 in the Group 3A East Region tournament in Richmond, thus ending the visiting Trojans’ season.
Afterward, New Kent coach Ronnie Cox could speak only in superlatives concerning the Justices’ performance.
“They’re unbelievable,” he said. “They’re state contenders, and tonight they proved it. They’re in a league of their own. There’s no way you can underestimate just how good they are.”
The Justices opened with a 6-0 run including two baskets off steals. New Kent’s Jason Whitlow got the Trojans on the scoreboard with a basket in the paint, but that was as close as the visitors would get. The hosts reeled off the next 11 points.
With Justice guard Jeremy Sheppard draining five shots from three-point range before missing number six, the hosts bolted to a 37-7 lead after one quarter. By halftime, the margin stood at 59-23, and Cox could do little but urge his squad to finish with pride.
“I told them just to play an honorable half, represent our school, run our offense, and let [John Marshall] know we know how to play basketball. And we did. We ran our offense and got open shots,” he said.
Blake Kelley tossed in 22 points to lead New Kent. Kevin Karaffa finished with eight followed by Micah Scorsone’s four, three each from Whitlow and Joseph Nash, and Christian Hill-Sanders’ two. Sheppard’s 26 points, including eight treys, led John Marshall.
“We have a lot to be thankful for because we accomplished a whole lot more than anybody thought we could,” Cox said.
Last week, the senior-laden Trojans upset Lafayette to advance to the title game in the Colonial 3A Conference. By finishing as conference runners-up, they qualified for the region tourney and right to take on John Marshall.
Monday night, Cox bid farewell to the eight seniors on his 12-man roster. The list includes Kelley, the team’s leading scorer, along with Karaffa, Scorsone, Nash, Hill-Sanders, Christian Block, Mikel Chalmers, and Tommy Hale.
“I thanked each of them for their commitment, their effort, and for playing with a lot of heart,” Cox said. “They represented the school very well, and we’re going to miss them.”
New Kent’s Blake Kelley (left) and Jason Whitlow challenge John Marshall’s Gregory Jones for control of a
rebound.
New Kent’s Mikel Chalmers tries to dislodge the ball from the grasp of John Marshall’s Kyle Scott.