Greenfield earns shot at CPIC title
By Tom Ham
Special to the Times
The Greenfield School varsity boys basketball team, at tournament time in the 2022-23 season, offers no pretense about its top priority – preparing for the postseason, which is a little over a week away.
“Of course, winning the tournament would be nice,” commented veteran head coach Rob Salter. “That goes right along with preparing for the (NCISAA 2-A) playoffs. Winning the tournament will help get us prepared.”
In Thursday night’s 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference tournament semifinals, the Knights showed they have apt focus left for the tournament, thrashing fourth-seeded Wayne Christian, 71-25, in the Greenfield gym.
The third win of the season against 2-A Wayne Christian upped the top-seeded 2-A Knights’ record to 26-9, while the Eagles departed 10-15. In Friday night’s championship game at Greenfield, the Knights oppose second-seeded archrival 3-A Wayne County Day, which defeated 2-A Parrott Academy 90-49 in Thursday night’s final game.
“Just coming in, we were strong-minded about getting ready for the playoffs. We really want to execute the plan to prepare for the playoffs,” expressed senior Greenfield guard Kryshon Atkinson.
“Tonight, we played really well. We were really good as a team. We shot the ball well and everybody was into it.”
“We get into the lane, get penetration and kick it out,” Atkinson said of the formula for success.
The Knights took command with a spectacular 18-0 tear in the second quarter. Working the ball inside, Greenfield scored at will against flat-footed Eagles defenders. Wayne Christian was scoreless in the quarter until freshman Jack Fox converted a four-point play with 2:38 left in the period. The Knights owned a 33-12 cushion.
“That has been a focus of our guards,” Salter explained. “Get a foot into the paint and, when gettng into the paint, the defense breaks down. We have focused on that.”
Greenfield jogged into halftime with a 38-16 cushion.
The Knights, who had lost two of their previous three games, opened the third quarter with a pair of 3-pointers from junior Matt Kirby and one from Atkinson. The margin expanded and the running clock went into force when senior Bryson Wall buried a 3-point shot for a 64-23 (41-point) advantage with 9.8 seconds left in period No. 3.
The major accomplishment in the quickly-played final quarter was making certain all 10 Greenfield players scored. Mission accomplished.
“We are getting better at doing the little things,” said the pleased Salter. “If we continue doing the little things more and play fundamentally sound, we will advance.
“The defense was really good; we rebounded well; and we hit some shots.”
The Eagles of head coach Tommy Fox were paced by Jack Fox with nine points.
The balanced Greenfield attack featured 14 points from Kirby, 10 from Atkinson and nine each from senior Jack Adair and junior Cole Evans.
“I could have played better,” Atkinson assessed his performance. “ But I am never satisfied. I am harder on myself than anybody else. But as long as we play well and get the win, I am happy with it.”
And Atkinson and teammates were delighted to learn that star inside player, 6-5 junior
Hampton Evans, who has been sidelined with a concussion, will return for the championship game.
“We are very excited,” Atkinson assured. “He is a big piece of us.”
WAYNE CHRISTIAN (25)
Casey 2, Brown Fox 9, Crawford 7, Easom 2, Bass 4, Thomas 1.
GREENFIELD (71)
Kirby 14, Atkinson 10, N. Edwards 8, K. Edwards 5, Sherrod 5, Adair 9, Wall 5, Evans 9, Baptiste 5, Tewes 1.
Score by quarters:
WC 8 8 7 2 — 23
GFS 15 23 26 7 — 71
By Tom Ham
Special to the Times
The Greenfield School varsity boys basketball team, at tournament time in the 2022-23 season, offers no pretense about its top priority – preparing for the postseason, which is a little over a week away.
“Of course, winning the tournament would be nice,” commented veteran head coach Rob Salter. “That goes right along with preparing for the (NCISAA 2-A) playoffs. Winning the tournament will help get us prepared.”
In Thursday night’s 2-A/3-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference tournament semifinals, the Knights showed they have apt focus left for the tournament, thrashing fourth-seeded Wayne Christian, 71-25, in the Greenfield gym.
The third win of the season against 2-A Wayne Christian upped the top-seeded 2-A Knights’ record to 26-9, while the Eagles departed 10-15. In Friday night’s championship game at Greenfield, the Knights oppose second-seeded archrival 3-A Wayne County Day, which defeated 2-A Parrott Academy 90-49 in Thursday night’s final game.
“Just coming in, we were strong-minded about getting ready for the playoffs. We really want to execute the plan to prepare for the playoffs,” expressed senior Greenfield guard Kryshon Atkinson.
“Tonight, we played really well. We were really good as a team. We shot the ball well and everybody was into it.”
“We get into the lane, get penetration and kick it out,” Atkinson said of the formula for success.
The Knights took command with a spectacular 18-0 tear in the second quarter. Working the ball inside, Greenfield scored at will against flat-footed Eagles defenders. Wayne Christian was scoreless in the quarter until freshman Jack Fox converted a four-point play with 2:38 left in the period. The Knights owned a 33-12 cushion.
“That has been a focus of our guards,” Salter explained. “Get a foot into the paint and, when gettng into the paint, the defense breaks down. We have focused on that.”
Greenfield jogged into halftime with a 38-16 cushion.
The Knights, who had lost two of their previous three games, opened the third quarter with a pair of 3-pointers from junior Matt Kirby and one from Atkinson. The margin expanded and the running clock went into force when senior Bryson Wall buried a 3-point shot for a 64-23 (41-point) advantage with 9.8 seconds left in period No. 3.
The major accomplishment in the quickly-played final quarter was making certain all 10 Greenfield players scored. Mission accomplished.
“We are getting better at doing the little things,” said the pleased Salter. “If we continue doing the little things more and play fundamentally sound, we will advance.
“The defense was really good; we rebounded well; and we hit some shots.”
The Eagles of head coach Tommy Fox were paced by Jack Fox with nine points.
The balanced Greenfield attack featured 14 points from Kirby, 10 from Atkinson and nine each from senior Jack Adair and junior Cole Evans.
“I could have played better,” Atkinson assessed his performance. “ But I am never satisfied. I am harder on myself than anybody else. But as long as we play well and get the win, I am happy with it.”
And Atkinson and teammates were delighted to learn that star inside player, 6-5 junior
Hampton Evans, who has been sidelined with a concussion, will return for the championship game.
“We are very excited,” Atkinson assured. “He is a big piece of us.”
WAYNE CHRISTIAN (25)
Casey 2, Brown Fox 9, Crawford 7, Easom 2, Bass 4, Thomas 1.
GREENFIELD (71)
Kirby 14, Atkinson 10, N. Edwards 8, K. Edwards 5, Sherrod 5, Adair 9, Wall 5, Evans 9, Baptiste 5, Tewes 1.
Score by quarters:
WC 8 8 7 2 — 23
GFS 15 23 26 7 — 71