Central Bobcats make it to district finals
Published 8:00 am Friday, February 16, 2024
- A look at the Central Middle boys basketball team. Front row, from left, are Colby Holt, Braylon Hamm, Alex Gee, Brennan Evans, Jon Harvey, Gavin Haskins and Will Rundstrom. On the back row are, Cameron Clark, Hyde Hamlett, Sam Critzer, Jaylan Jones, Jamarius Gray, Joseph James, Savion Street and Jamari Gaines. Not pictured are Coach William Collins, Scorekeeper Brody Jone and Manager Joseph Brown
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For the first time in their history, both the girls and boys teams at Central Middle School made it to the finals of the Southside Conference Tournament. The Lady Bobcats entered the tournament as co-champions for the Western District with the Powhatan Indians at 11-4. The boys, meanwhile, finished all alone atop the district at 14-1.
It was an impressive run for both teams. The Central Middle boys, meanwhile, beat Nottoway Middle 43-37 to advance to their own semi-final matchup. This was against Russell, which they beat in an intense game 55-44 to earn a spot in the championship against defending conference champions Prince Edward Middle. In a closely matched game, the Bobcats fell short in the championship, losing in the final minute 45-40.
This year’s Bobcats team was coached by William Collins, with eighth graders Alex Gee and Sam Critzer leading the team in scoring. Gee put up 247 points on the year, with Critzer adding 181 of his own.
And supporting both teams all year were the Central Middle School cheerleaders, coached by Lillie Goode. Present at all the regular season and tournament games, the cheerleaders kept the players up and the crowd hyped.
LOOKING AT THE GIRLS SIDE
A look at the Central Middle girls basketball team. Front row, from left, includes Kenya Clark, Alivia Manley, Suraiya Simmons, Addison Canada and Adrian Friend. On the back row are Coach Lynell Troxler, Ava Body, Aleea Phelps, McKayla Lockett, Mya Winn and Carrie Jones. Not pictured is Scorekeeper Sophia Perkins.
The Lady Bobcats beat Nottoway Middle School 34-19 on Jan. 31 to move on to the semi-finals. They then beat Mecklenburg Middle 36-35 to take on Powhatan in the finals. It seemed kind of fitting that the two co-champions for the district would battle it out in the conference final. The Lady Bobcats fell short in the championship, which they lost 36-24 in a hard fought competition.
This year’s team was coached by Lynell Troxler, with eighth grader Mya Winn leading the offense. Over the course of the year, she scored 277 points, with 95 rebounds. Fellow eighth grader McKayla Lockett led the defense with 250 rebounds, while adding 151 points of her own on the season.
