Showdown with Clarke Central is Fri.
Patrick McCrary leads the Madison County boys into a huge subregion contest with Clarke Central Friday. The Red Raiders can win the 8-AAAA North title with two more victories.
MCHS boys back in control of title race
Don’t look for Madison County coach Steve Crouse to kill the buzz surrounding Friday’s game with Clarke Central.
The subregion title-hunting Red Raiders (19-4, 7-1) are back in command of the Region 8-AAAA North race with a huge home game against the Gladiators looming.
“Go enjoy it,” Crouse said of his message to his team. “Let’s focus on what we need to do. Let’s get after it in practice … and then let’s embrace it. It’s a great game. It’s a huge stage. What else would you rather do?”
At 5-2 in 8-AAAA North play, the Gladiators are also in the thick of the subregion title chase. The teams tip-off at approximately 8:30 p.m. in Danielsville Friday.
The Red Raiders temporarily took a back seat in the subregion to Winder-Barrow this past Friday after a 46-39 loss to the Bulldoggs but jumped back in control Tuesday. Madison County beat Apalachee 73-57 and got word that Winder-Barrow had lost to third-place Clarke Central (14-4, 5-2).
“We are back in the driver’s seat,” Crouse said.
These are exciting times for a Red Raider basketball program that had suffered 11 losing seasons in the last 12 years heading into this season.
If Madison County defeats Clarke Central Friday and beats Habersham Central on the road Tuesday, the Red Raiders will win their first subregion crown since the 1996-1997 season.
Given the occasion Friday, Crouse said he’d love to have a full house — wearing Madison County red, of course — at the MCHS gym Friday.
“We’re going to have a great home crowd; I’m not worried about that,” he said. “I’d just like to make the seats for Clarke Central fewer.”
As for Tuesday, Patrick McCrary led Madison County with 19 points and 11 boards as the Red Raiders got back on track against Apalachee. T.J. McGuire added 16 points and had seven rebounds.
Madison County also had offensive contributions from Bradley Raines, who went 6-for-6 from the free throw line and finished with 12 points, and Stan Maxwell, who scored 10 points and had seven assists.
The Red Raiders hit 14-of-18 free throws and 28-of-55 shots from the field. Madison County had 19 assists and just 13 turnovers.
But the night was about defense.
At the players’ suggestion, Madison County came out in a 1-3-1 zone that stifled Apalachee.
“Our players just got after it in the first quarter,” Crouse said.
With the Wildcats in check offensively, Madison County scored the first 13 points of the game and cruised from there. The Red Raiders led by as much as 24 points at one point in the game.
“The guys are doing what we want them to do,” Crouse said. “We got back to playing basketball the way we’re supposed to.”
Now, Madison County goes for the season sweep against Clarke Central. The Red Raiders, who defeated the Gladiators 69-63 earlier this year in Athens, must once again find a way to beat a talented and athletic Clarke Central team that’s led by Babatunde Olumuyiwa, Taylor Layne and Arion Bolds.
Madison County is plenty familiar with the nearby Gladiators, Crouse said.
“My players could probably give you the scouting report just as good as I could,” Crouse said. “Because they know these players … It’s becoming a good rivalry for us. That’s good to say because it hasn’t been that way in a number of years. “
•Winder-Barrow 46, Winder-Barrow 39 (Jan. 29): Winder-Barrow held Madison County to a season-low 39 points in handing the Red Raiders their first subregion loss of the year.
McCrary led Madison County with 16 points but was the only Red Raider in double figures.
The Red Raiders were undone by a prolonged scoring funk that nearly spanned the entire second and third quarters.
Kendrick Butler hit a shot with 7:20 left in the second quarter to put Madison County up 14-8. But the Red Raiders didn’t hit another basket from the field until 1:01 left in the third. By that time, Madison County trailed 30-21 and then by 11 points heading into the fourth.
Stan Maxwell, who finished with nine points, threw down two breakaway dunks in the fourth quarter to revive Madison County temporarily, but Winder-Barrow ran its lead back out to 39-29.
MCHS 73, Apalachee 57 (Feb. 2)
AHS 6 19 13 19 — 57
MCHS 27 14 17 15 — 73
Scorers: McCrary 19, McGuire 16, Raines 12, Maxwell 10, Burton 8, McCrary 2, Thomas 2, Butler 2
Winder-Barrow 46, MCHS 39 (Jan. 29)
MCHS 12 3 6 18 — 39
WBHS 7 17 8 14 — 46
Scorers: McCrary 16, Maxwell 9, Raines 5, Butler 4, McGuire 3, Burton 2
The subregion title-hunting Red Raiders (19-4, 7-1) are back in command of the Region 8-AAAA North race with a huge home game against the Gladiators looming.
“Go enjoy it,” Crouse said of his message to his team. “Let’s focus on what we need to do. Let’s get after it in practice … and then let’s embrace it. It’s a great game. It’s a huge stage. What else would you rather do?”
At 5-2 in 8-AAAA North play, the Gladiators are also in the thick of the subregion title chase. The teams tip-off at approximately 8:30 p.m. in Danielsville Friday.
The Red Raiders temporarily took a back seat in the subregion to Winder-Barrow this past Friday after a 46-39 loss to the Bulldoggs but jumped back in control Tuesday. Madison County beat Apalachee 73-57 and got word that Winder-Barrow had lost to third-place Clarke Central (14-4, 5-2).
“We are back in the driver’s seat,” Crouse said.
These are exciting times for a Red Raider basketball program that had suffered 11 losing seasons in the last 12 years heading into this season.
If Madison County defeats Clarke Central Friday and beats Habersham Central on the road Tuesday, the Red Raiders will win their first subregion crown since the 1996-1997 season.
Given the occasion Friday, Crouse said he’d love to have a full house — wearing Madison County red, of course — at the MCHS gym Friday.
“We’re going to have a great home crowd; I’m not worried about that,” he said. “I’d just like to make the seats for Clarke Central fewer.”
As for Tuesday, Patrick McCrary led Madison County with 19 points and 11 boards as the Red Raiders got back on track against Apalachee. T.J. McGuire added 16 points and had seven rebounds.
Madison County also had offensive contributions from Bradley Raines, who went 6-for-6 from the free throw line and finished with 12 points, and Stan Maxwell, who scored 10 points and had seven assists.
The Red Raiders hit 14-of-18 free throws and 28-of-55 shots from the field. Madison County had 19 assists and just 13 turnovers.
But the night was about defense.
At the players’ suggestion, Madison County came out in a 1-3-1 zone that stifled Apalachee.
“Our players just got after it in the first quarter,” Crouse said.
With the Wildcats in check offensively, Madison County scored the first 13 points of the game and cruised from there. The Red Raiders led by as much as 24 points at one point in the game.
“The guys are doing what we want them to do,” Crouse said. “We got back to playing basketball the way we’re supposed to.”
Now, Madison County goes for the season sweep against Clarke Central. The Red Raiders, who defeated the Gladiators 69-63 earlier this year in Athens, must once again find a way to beat a talented and athletic Clarke Central team that’s led by Babatunde Olumuyiwa, Taylor Layne and Arion Bolds.
Madison County is plenty familiar with the nearby Gladiators, Crouse said.
“My players could probably give you the scouting report just as good as I could,” Crouse said. “Because they know these players … It’s becoming a good rivalry for us. That’s good to say because it hasn’t been that way in a number of years. “
•Winder-Barrow 46, Winder-Barrow 39 (Jan. 29): Winder-Barrow held Madison County to a season-low 39 points in handing the Red Raiders their first subregion loss of the year.
McCrary led Madison County with 16 points but was the only Red Raider in double figures.
The Red Raiders were undone by a prolonged scoring funk that nearly spanned the entire second and third quarters.
Kendrick Butler hit a shot with 7:20 left in the second quarter to put Madison County up 14-8. But the Red Raiders didn’t hit another basket from the field until 1:01 left in the third. By that time, Madison County trailed 30-21 and then by 11 points heading into the fourth.
Stan Maxwell, who finished with nine points, threw down two breakaway dunks in the fourth quarter to revive Madison County temporarily, but Winder-Barrow ran its lead back out to 39-29.
MCHS 73, Apalachee 57 (Feb. 2)
AHS 6 19 13 19 — 57
MCHS 27 14 17 15 — 73
Scorers: McCrary 19, McGuire 16, Raines 12, Maxwell 10, Burton 8, McCrary 2, Thomas 2, Butler 2
Winder-Barrow 46, MCHS 39 (Jan. 29)
MCHS 12 3 6 18 — 39
WBHS 7 17 8 14 — 46
Scorers: McCrary 16, Maxwell 9, Raines 5, Butler 4, McGuire 3, Burton 2
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