FCD wins game despite having to finish with just 3 players
By Jay Spivey Winston-Salem Journal
LEWISVILLE — Coach Howard West witnessed something Friday night against Westchester Country Day of High Point that he had never seen in his long coaching career.
Forsyth Country Day beat Westchester 92-87, but that’s not it. The Furies won despite finishing with just three players on the court because the other five dressed for the game were on the bench after fouling out. It was just Tripp Greene, Jalan Singleton and Chase Walter when the game buzzer sounded.
Even having coached more than 1,100 games, West and his team were in a situation new to everyone.
“I told my coaching staff, as confusing as it might look like for us, (the Wildcats) were more confused,” West said. “Because they had five kids against three at the end, and they were trying out how to figure out how to guard that. You don’t practice it. I’ve never practiced it. I don’t know anybody that does.”
To make matters worse for the Furies, the three players had four fouls each when the game ended. Westchester shot 23 free throws in the fourth quarter and finished the game 33 for 45.
Ivan Milicevic fouled out first, followed by Matty Edwards, Grant Cain, Brandon Mayhan and Bruno Solomun.
“I just trusted in my teammates,” Mayhan said of fouling out to give the Furies just four players.
“Our chemistry is so good, so that’s where four or five players, three players, two players, we could get the job done,” he said.
West agreed with that sentiment.
“They held it together and stayed in there and fought,” he said. “And again, if they’re not a good team, good teammates then we probably don’t pull it off.”
Solomun fouled out with eight seconds left, and he said he hoped that Westchester would miss both free throws.
“There was only eight seconds left, but he hit them both,” Solomun said of the Wildcat player. “I think I shouldn’t have done that. It was a risk that I did, and I thought at the moment it was the smartest thing to do.”
FCD led by as many as 20, but foul trouble started to create problems. Up three points, Greene was bear-hugged by two defenders to send him to the free-throw line. He made both free throws for the five-point margin of victory.
“It was definitely a great experience for me,” Greene said. “All I could do was, when they fouled me, was just to make sure to hit these free throws to make it a two-possession ballgame.”
FCD got the ball back with 2.9 seconds left. West instructed Walter to throw it high and long since there was such a short time remaining.
For the players, it was tough to not only deal with being short-handed on the court, but they also had to contend with the home crowd at Westchester.
“It was definitely crazy with the atmosphere and everything, with the student section yelling at you,” Walter said.
“We had taken the ball out, and Coach trusted me. And I had to throw it somewhere, but they eventually ended up fouling Tripp, so it ended up working out for the better.”
West gave his players full credit for hanging in to the end.
“They didn’t panic,” he said.
“I’m sure they had some trepidations and some fears about the thing getting away from them, but they went out there and did what they were instructed to do. And they even had some ideas of their own.”
Forsyth Country Day is now 9-1 and will play host to Cary Academy at 7:30 tonight.
By Jay Spivey Winston-Salem Journal
LEWISVILLE — Coach Howard West witnessed something Friday night against Westchester Country Day of High Point that he had never seen in his long coaching career.
Forsyth Country Day beat Westchester 92-87, but that’s not it. The Furies won despite finishing with just three players on the court because the other five dressed for the game were on the bench after fouling out. It was just Tripp Greene, Jalan Singleton and Chase Walter when the game buzzer sounded.
Even having coached more than 1,100 games, West and his team were in a situation new to everyone.
“I told my coaching staff, as confusing as it might look like for us, (the Wildcats) were more confused,” West said. “Because they had five kids against three at the end, and they were trying out how to figure out how to guard that. You don’t practice it. I’ve never practiced it. I don’t know anybody that does.”
To make matters worse for the Furies, the three players had four fouls each when the game ended. Westchester shot 23 free throws in the fourth quarter and finished the game 33 for 45.
Ivan Milicevic fouled out first, followed by Matty Edwards, Grant Cain, Brandon Mayhan and Bruno Solomun.
“I just trusted in my teammates,” Mayhan said of fouling out to give the Furies just four players.
“Our chemistry is so good, so that’s where four or five players, three players, two players, we could get the job done,” he said.
West agreed with that sentiment.
“They held it together and stayed in there and fought,” he said. “And again, if they’re not a good team, good teammates then we probably don’t pull it off.”
Solomun fouled out with eight seconds left, and he said he hoped that Westchester would miss both free throws.
“There was only eight seconds left, but he hit them both,” Solomun said of the Wildcat player. “I think I shouldn’t have done that. It was a risk that I did, and I thought at the moment it was the smartest thing to do.”
FCD led by as many as 20, but foul trouble started to create problems. Up three points, Greene was bear-hugged by two defenders to send him to the free-throw line. He made both free throws for the five-point margin of victory.
“It was definitely a great experience for me,” Greene said. “All I could do was, when they fouled me, was just to make sure to hit these free throws to make it a two-possession ballgame.”
FCD got the ball back with 2.9 seconds left. West instructed Walter to throw it high and long since there was such a short time remaining.
For the players, it was tough to not only deal with being short-handed on the court, but they also had to contend with the home crowd at Westchester.
“It was definitely crazy with the atmosphere and everything, with the student section yelling at you,” Walter said.
“We had taken the ball out, and Coach trusted me. And I had to throw it somewhere, but they eventually ended up fouling Tripp, so it ended up working out for the better.”
West gave his players full credit for hanging in to the end.
“They didn’t panic,” he said.
“I’m sure they had some trepidations and some fears about the thing getting away from them, but they went out there and did what they were instructed to do. And they even had some ideas of their own.”
Forsyth Country Day is now 9-1 and will play host to Cary Academy at 7:30 tonight.
