Got Your Six: RMA sweeps CIC tournaments
• By Jim Green Sports Editor
HALIFAX – In military terms, the phrase “got your six” means to have one’s back.
For the Rocky Mount Academy basketball teams this past weekend, “got your six” means something different: as in, six championships.
The No. 1 seeded Eagles captured titles in both varsity, junior varsity and middle school divisions to go a perfect 6-0 and earn a clean sweep in the Carolina Independent Conference Tournament on Saturday at Halifax Academy.
VARSITY BOYS RMA 57, Halifax 32
Chandler Cockrell showed he is more than just a scorer for Rocky Mount Academy in the finals.
Cockrell tallied eight rebounds and six assists to go along with his four points in being named the tournament’s most valuable player as the Eagles pulled away in the second quarter to defeat the No. 3 seed Vikings.
Cockrell was joined on the all-tournament team by his teammates Kameron Wright and Miller Rogers, Justin Monk of Faith Christian and Tyler Cotten and Jake Merritt of Halifax Academy.
The Eagles (18-2) got off to a 9-2 start behind Wright, Rogers and Marti McKnight, but Halifax Academy went on a 7-0 run to tie it at 9-all.
McKnight gave RMA the lead back and and Wright added a bucket to make it 13-11 at the end of the first quarter.
Halifax trailed by just two at 15-13 early in the second quarter when a 12-0 spurt (Cockrell, Wright, Rogers and Isaac Lewis) gave the Eagles a 27-13 advantage with 2:44 left in the first half. Cockrell punctuated the run with a block, grabbed the loose ball and went the length of the floor before dishing to Wright with a nifty shovel pass for the layup.
RMA led by 13 (31-18) at the break and added to its margin by the end of the third quarter behind a pair of three-pointers from Rogers off assists from Cockrell and McKnight. McKnight and Wright also contributed as the Eagles took a 45-26 edge into the final eight minutes.
Fourth-quarter highlights for RMA included an alley-oop pass from Cockrell to Wright, a triple by Lewis and a basket by Reggie Branch.
Wright led RMA with 18 points, followed by Rogers with 12 points and five assists, McKnight with 10 points and Lewis with seven points.
In the semifinals, RMA eased past No. 4 seed Epiphany 72-26 as Cockrell led the Eagles with 18 points while Wright had 15, McKnight 10, Reynolds Cobb eight and Marshall Dunn six.
The other semifinal saw Halifax Academy knock off No. 2 seed Faith Christian 63-60 as Cotten led five Vikings in double figures with 17 points.
Faith Christian got 23 points from Cayden Barnhardt, 18 from Monk, eight from Omari Lucas and seven from Jaden Crudup.
VARSITY GIRLS RMA 37, Faith 20
Mary Hanna Bryant proved to be the difference for Rocky Mount Academy in the varsity girls tournament championship game.
Bryant pulled down 11 rebounds and scored eight points while handing out three assists in earning tournament MVP honors as the Eagles (14-5) defeated Faith Christian.
Bryant’s prowess on the boards, particularly the offensive glass where she grabbed eight and gave her teammates more chances to score, was something the Patriots (12-5) could not overcome.
Olivia Pannell’s driving bucket in the opening minute gave Faith its only lead, but RMA’s pressure defense forced numerous turnovers and the Eagles were able to capitalize on several of them to gain an advantage.
Taylor Carmichael, Bryant, Law Kitchen and Isabella Doza sparked RMA to a 14-8 lead after one quarter. The Eagles then doubled up the Patriots 8-4 in the second stanza (Bryant scored on two offensive rebounds while Mackenzie Davis added a bucket as did Doza off an assist from Bryant) to make it 22-10 at halftime.
Faith managed just one basket (Olivia Bowling) in the third quarter as RMA collected 10 points (Carmichael, Bryant, Davis and Doza) to push its advantage to 20 (32-12).
Faith tallied eight points in the final quarter on baskets by Brooke Wiggins and Emma Kate Griffin and free throws from Bowling, Abbie Hooks and Pannell, but it wasn’t enough.
Davis and Carmichael added nine and eight points, respectively, for RMA in the victory.
Bowling led Faith with seven points while Griffin chipped in with six.
Bryant was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Davis, Kitchen and Carmichael, and FCS’s Bowling and Griffin.
In the semifinals, Faith Christian edged Epiphany 46-41 as Bowling tallied 13 points, Griffin and Clair Nicholson collected nine each, Pannell chipped in six and Emma Camp managed five.
The other semifinal saw RMA cruise past Kerr-Vance 71-12 as Davis led the Eagles with 18 points.
Law Kitchen tallied 16 points for RMA while Carmichael added 11, Bryant eight and Doza and Kate Hudgins, six each.
JV BOYS RMA 70, Faith 58
Jordan Wright poured in 24 points to lead three Rocky Mount Academy players in double figures as the Eagles captured the tournament over Faith Christian.
Wright’s total included five 3-pointers for the Eagles, who finished 14-1 overall.
Thomas Honey and Wyatt Wells added 12 and 11 points, respectively, for RMA while Parker Sherrod chipped in eight and Cooper Epps had seven.
Ashton Lascallette led FC with 19 points (including a pair of threes) while Josh Parker provided 17 points, Holden Haggerty added nine and Arby Bell tallied seven.
Wright was named the tournament’s MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by Sherrod and Wyatt Wells.
Lascallette and Josh Parker were the all-tournament selections from Faith Christian.
RMA cruised past Kerr-Vance 57-27 to reach the tournament finals. The Eagles were led by 13 points from Sherrod, 10 from Epps, nine from Wells and eight from Wright.
JV GIRLS RMA 25, Halifax 22
Kaylee Wright had 10 points to earn tournament MVP honors, while McKenna Rogers chipped in seven points as the Rocky Mount Academy junior varsity girls staved off Halifax Academy in a close final.
Jessica Proctor had four points for the Eagles (14-1) while Landry Miller and Gabbi Ams each added a basket.
Wright, Rogers and Ams were named to the all-tournament team from RMA.
MS GIRLS RMA 18, Epiphany 6
Berkeley Miller’s six points led six RMA players in scoring as the Eagles won the middle school tournament over Epiphany.
Ellen Feagans (four points) and the quartet of Caitlin Achilles, Britt Gaynor, Elizabeth Paszek and E.B. Tinklepaugh (two points each) also scored for RMA.
Miller, Gaynor and Feagans were named to the all-tournament team from RMA.
MS BOYS RMA 58, Epiphany 49
Rocky Mount Academy’s middle school boys team defeated Epiphany behind a 34-point outing from Gehrig Miller, who was named all-tournament MVP.
Miller’s total included seven 3-pointers and seven of eight from the free throw line.
Jack Powers added 10 points for RMA and was also named to the all-tournament team.
• By Jim Green Sports Editor
HALIFAX – In military terms, the phrase “got your six” means to have one’s back.
For the Rocky Mount Academy basketball teams this past weekend, “got your six” means something different: as in, six championships.
The No. 1 seeded Eagles captured titles in both varsity, junior varsity and middle school divisions to go a perfect 6-0 and earn a clean sweep in the Carolina Independent Conference Tournament on Saturday at Halifax Academy.
VARSITY BOYS RMA 57, Halifax 32
Chandler Cockrell showed he is more than just a scorer for Rocky Mount Academy in the finals.
Cockrell tallied eight rebounds and six assists to go along with his four points in being named the tournament’s most valuable player as the Eagles pulled away in the second quarter to defeat the No. 3 seed Vikings.
Cockrell was joined on the all-tournament team by his teammates Kameron Wright and Miller Rogers, Justin Monk of Faith Christian and Tyler Cotten and Jake Merritt of Halifax Academy.
The Eagles (18-2) got off to a 9-2 start behind Wright, Rogers and Marti McKnight, but Halifax Academy went on a 7-0 run to tie it at 9-all.
McKnight gave RMA the lead back and and Wright added a bucket to make it 13-11 at the end of the first quarter.
Halifax trailed by just two at 15-13 early in the second quarter when a 12-0 spurt (Cockrell, Wright, Rogers and Isaac Lewis) gave the Eagles a 27-13 advantage with 2:44 left in the first half. Cockrell punctuated the run with a block, grabbed the loose ball and went the length of the floor before dishing to Wright with a nifty shovel pass for the layup.
RMA led by 13 (31-18) at the break and added to its margin by the end of the third quarter behind a pair of three-pointers from Rogers off assists from Cockrell and McKnight. McKnight and Wright also contributed as the Eagles took a 45-26 edge into the final eight minutes.
Fourth-quarter highlights for RMA included an alley-oop pass from Cockrell to Wright, a triple by Lewis and a basket by Reggie Branch.
Wright led RMA with 18 points, followed by Rogers with 12 points and five assists, McKnight with 10 points and Lewis with seven points.
In the semifinals, RMA eased past No. 4 seed Epiphany 72-26 as Cockrell led the Eagles with 18 points while Wright had 15, McKnight 10, Reynolds Cobb eight and Marshall Dunn six.
The other semifinal saw Halifax Academy knock off No. 2 seed Faith Christian 63-60 as Cotten led five Vikings in double figures with 17 points.
Faith Christian got 23 points from Cayden Barnhardt, 18 from Monk, eight from Omari Lucas and seven from Jaden Crudup.
VARSITY GIRLS RMA 37, Faith 20
Mary Hanna Bryant proved to be the difference for Rocky Mount Academy in the varsity girls tournament championship game.
Bryant pulled down 11 rebounds and scored eight points while handing out three assists in earning tournament MVP honors as the Eagles (14-5) defeated Faith Christian.
Bryant’s prowess on the boards, particularly the offensive glass where she grabbed eight and gave her teammates more chances to score, was something the Patriots (12-5) could not overcome.
Olivia Pannell’s driving bucket in the opening minute gave Faith its only lead, but RMA’s pressure defense forced numerous turnovers and the Eagles were able to capitalize on several of them to gain an advantage.
Taylor Carmichael, Bryant, Law Kitchen and Isabella Doza sparked RMA to a 14-8 lead after one quarter. The Eagles then doubled up the Patriots 8-4 in the second stanza (Bryant scored on two offensive rebounds while Mackenzie Davis added a bucket as did Doza off an assist from Bryant) to make it 22-10 at halftime.
Faith managed just one basket (Olivia Bowling) in the third quarter as RMA collected 10 points (Carmichael, Bryant, Davis and Doza) to push its advantage to 20 (32-12).
Faith tallied eight points in the final quarter on baskets by Brooke Wiggins and Emma Kate Griffin and free throws from Bowling, Abbie Hooks and Pannell, but it wasn’t enough.
Davis and Carmichael added nine and eight points, respectively, for RMA in the victory.
Bowling led Faith with seven points while Griffin chipped in with six.
Bryant was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Davis, Kitchen and Carmichael, and FCS’s Bowling and Griffin.
In the semifinals, Faith Christian edged Epiphany 46-41 as Bowling tallied 13 points, Griffin and Clair Nicholson collected nine each, Pannell chipped in six and Emma Camp managed five.
The other semifinal saw RMA cruise past Kerr-Vance 71-12 as Davis led the Eagles with 18 points.
Law Kitchen tallied 16 points for RMA while Carmichael added 11, Bryant eight and Doza and Kate Hudgins, six each.
JV BOYS RMA 70, Faith 58
Jordan Wright poured in 24 points to lead three Rocky Mount Academy players in double figures as the Eagles captured the tournament over Faith Christian.
Wright’s total included five 3-pointers for the Eagles, who finished 14-1 overall.
Thomas Honey and Wyatt Wells added 12 and 11 points, respectively, for RMA while Parker Sherrod chipped in eight and Cooper Epps had seven.
Ashton Lascallette led FC with 19 points (including a pair of threes) while Josh Parker provided 17 points, Holden Haggerty added nine and Arby Bell tallied seven.
Wright was named the tournament’s MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by Sherrod and Wyatt Wells.
Lascallette and Josh Parker were the all-tournament selections from Faith Christian.
RMA cruised past Kerr-Vance 57-27 to reach the tournament finals. The Eagles were led by 13 points from Sherrod, 10 from Epps, nine from Wells and eight from Wright.
JV GIRLS RMA 25, Halifax 22
Kaylee Wright had 10 points to earn tournament MVP honors, while McKenna Rogers chipped in seven points as the Rocky Mount Academy junior varsity girls staved off Halifax Academy in a close final.
Jessica Proctor had four points for the Eagles (14-1) while Landry Miller and Gabbi Ams each added a basket.
Wright, Rogers and Ams were named to the all-tournament team from RMA.
MS GIRLS RMA 18, Epiphany 6
Berkeley Miller’s six points led six RMA players in scoring as the Eagles won the middle school tournament over Epiphany.
Ellen Feagans (four points) and the quartet of Caitlin Achilles, Britt Gaynor, Elizabeth Paszek and E.B. Tinklepaugh (two points each) also scored for RMA.
Miller, Gaynor and Feagans were named to the all-tournament team from RMA.
MS BOYS RMA 58, Epiphany 49
Rocky Mount Academy’s middle school boys team defeated Epiphany behind a 34-point outing from Gehrig Miller, who was named all-tournament MVP.
Miller’s total included seven 3-pointers and seven of eight from the free throw line.
Jack Powers added 10 points for RMA and was also named to the all-tournament team.
