Charles City hangs tough in first half, but ultimately bounced by Northampton in playoffs
Charles City’s Gavin Stewart (left) tries to keep up with Northampton’s speedy guard Quayshawn Washington (right).Andre' Jones photo
During Charles City’s regular season encounter with the Northampton Yellow Jackets, the Panthers found themselves shocked by the speed of the guards and the present of 6’8” center Braden Justice. But in the Feb. 20 1A Region A quarterfinal matchup, the Panthers were much more prepared to handle the atmosphere.
But despite the preparation and ability to hang in with the eighth-ranked Group A squad Northampton, Charles City fell 86-63 on the road Monday night, ending their season at 10-14.
Northampton jumped out to two quick scores thanks to lay-ups by Ron Rico Bugg and Ronyell Coston. But instead of folding under the pressure, the Panthers not only bounced back, but applied pressure to the hosting Yellow Jackets. Taequan Williams’ lay-in brought the Panthers within two (10-8). On the next trip down the court, teammate Mitchell Whitehead would drain a wing three-pointer, providing the visitors their first lead of the night. But a Quayshaun Washington plus a Justice putback launched a 14-4 run for Northampton, who took a 24-15 lead after one.
The Panthers battled back, with a corner three-pointer from Sherod Barnes and another long-distance connection from Whitehead. Bryan Lewis Jr. drove to the basket for the Panthers, drawing a foul on Justice, who was forced to the bench with his third. Charles City, however, could not slow down Coston, as he scored all 11 points in the second quarter for Northampton, allowing them to hold a 35-30 advantage at the halftime intermission.
Coston and Washington teamed up to do damage after the break for the Yellow Jackets, pumping in 10 points as part of a 10-1 run that forced Charles City to call a timeout. And even though the Panthers were able to send Justice back to the bench with foul number four, the guard duo of Coston and Washington provided enough firepower for the hosts, scoring 19 of the team’s 29 points in the third and providing Northampton a 64-48 lead after three quarters of play. From there, Charles City couldn’t cut any further into the lead as they concluded their season with a loss.
After the contest, Charles City Head Coach De’Quantae Mason spoke about his team’s performance, saying how proud he was of the effort.
“The first time we played them, they had their way with us,” he said. “That game, we played scared.
“But tonight, we battled with them for most of the game,” Mason added. “In the end though, we were just gassed and when you are gassed, we run out of energy and it hurt us on the defensive end.”
After a winless campaign last year, Charles City put together 10 wins in Mason’s first year. Now, Mason will have to figure out where to find offensive output as he will lose five seniors to graduation, including Tidewater All-District selections Lewis and Williams.
“I’m so proud of these seniors and what they brought to the table,” Mason said. “To come and take over a program with this good group of guys, I am fortunate to be in this position and I’m grateful for not only their contributions, but this team’s contributions as well.”
Lewis’ 21 points led the Panthers in scoring, while Whitehead and Jonlei Coles also finished in double figures with 13 and 11, respectively. Williams tossed in seven, Barnes pumped in three, and the quartet of Gavin Stewart, Messiyah Greene, Aidan Stewart, and Randy Brown Jr. all chipped in with two apiece.
Coston led all scorers in the game with 28 points.