Story on ther Connally game against Crockett

[hawkfan]

Hope this serves as a scouting report for Coach Sutherland and the Boys!!!!

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

By Brice Cherry

Tribune-Herald youth sports editor

COLLEGE STATION — It’s roughly a 2 1/2-hour drive from Waco to Huntsville.

For the Connally Cadets, that trip just got a whole lot shorter.

Connally punched its ticket to the regional tournament in Huntsville by fending off Crockett, 48-45, in the Class 3A Region III boys’ basketball quarterfinals here Tuesday night at A&M Consolidated’s Tiger Gym.

With the win, the Cadets (30-4) move on to face Hardin-Jefferson in the regional semifinals Friday at Sam Houston State University.

“All season long, our goal has been to get to Huntsville,†Connally coach Quinton Snell said. “If we could just get to Huntsville, then we’d let the chips fall where they may. I’m just so proud of these guys, I don’t know what to say. I’m elated.â€

Late in the fourth quarter against Crockett (23-10), Snell loudly implored his team to “be smart with the basketball!â€

The Cadets listened. Connally played with savvy wisdom throughout the game but especially in the final 90 seconds.

Connally broke a 45-all tie with 1:20 left when senior guard Henry Golightly drew a foul driving to the hoop and connected on one of his two free throws.

After a time-out, Crockett tried to set up a play for a go-ahead score, but Connally’s Nate Ward skied high to pick off a Bulldog pass. The Cadets played keep-away with the ball until Crockett finally managed to foul sophomore post D’Andre Simmons with 25.2 seconds left. Simmons hit one of his two free throws to put the Cadets up 47-45, and, on the ensuing trip down, Crockett’s long-range sniper Cannon Earp came up short on a forced three-point attempt from the corner. Connally’s Chris Cobb tracked down the long rebound and drew a foul with 3.9 seconds showing, and the Cadets were on their way to Huntsville.

“This feels real good,†Ward said. “We’ve been trying to get to this point since my sophomore year, and to finally get here is pretty sweet.â€

Connally fell behind by a 15-8 score early in the second quarter after Earp picked up a loose ball and drained a trey from the top of the key. But the Cadets didn’t allow Earp to get off, shadowing the shooter on every Crockett possession, and often sending a second defender over to harrass him.

Connally got back in the game thanks to its bench, specifically junior forward Rafael Walker. Walker entered the game in the second quarter and immediately scored on a follow shot and a three-pointer from the corner on his way to a team-high 13 points.

“Rafael Walker really hit some big shots,†Snell said. “He’s got a nice stroke, and I’m proud of the way he came in and delivered.â€

Crockett took a 23-22 lead into the halftime break after Tracy Cooper knocked down a 15-foot jumper at the buzzer.

At the end of the third quarter, however, it was Connally’s turn to play “Beat the Clock,†as Golightly made a falling-out-of-bounds scoop pass to Walker, who connected for a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded, putting the Cadets up, 37-36.

Down the stretch, Connally made all the big plays, despite suiting up only nine players.

“We played smart and did what we had to do,†Snell said. “That’s what this team has done all season long. Whenever we’ve faced any kind of adversity, we’ve pulled together. We had a lot of guys really step up big.â€

That included Simmons, who despite being saddled with four fouls for much of the second half finished with eight rebounds and eight blocked shots.

“That’s something I like to do is try to block shots,†Simmons said. “I try to be a presence back there.â€

“D’Andre’s a great one, and he’s just a sophomore,†Snell said. “He may help me keep my job a couple more years.â€

Ward chipped in nine points, 11 rebounds and two steals for Connally, while Golightly picked up eight points.

For Crockett, Michael Collins tallied 15 points and Earp hit for nine.

Adding a bit of intrigue to the Connally-Crockett matchup was several Central Texas connections on the Crockett end. Crockett’s athletic director is Steve Burrow, a Connally graduate and formerly the athletic director and head football coach for the Cadets.

But for the Cadets, it didn’t matter who was standing on the sidelines after the game, as they were mugged at center court by adoring fans, friends and relatives. They were just glad to have at least one more road trip.

“This feels so good, I don’t even know what to say,†Simmons said. “I’m just really happy.â€