It pays to have a coach on the floor when you’re building to win a championship.
That’s why Columbus High School boys basketball first-year head coach Luther Riley had to smile when told senior point guard Javontae McDavid talked first about what the team needs to work on rather than the assists and the flurry of dunks that were a part of an 88-50 season-opening victory against Shannon.
“In the short period of time we have had with Javontae, he understands that he is an extension of me,” said Riley, who won four state titles and a Grand Slam title as head coach at Provine High in Jackson. “Once he realizes — and I use this phrase all of the time — to think like me all of the time, and he is getting that way, (we are going to get even better).
“The guys respect him. I just want him to be more demanding as a leader on the court. He is doing a great job. We just have to keep plugging and keep plugging. I think the guys are up to the task, and they are hungry for a championship.”
Cameron Douglas led the Falcons with 25 points and nine rebounds, while McDavid had 21 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Demetrice Clopton added 16 points and nine rebounds, Robert Woodard II had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Jartavius Dobbs had eight points and five rebounds.
McDavid said the Falcons did “pretty good.” He said the team has a lot to fix, “like defense, rebounding, and, most importantly, aggressiveness.”
Columbus had seven assists and five dunks in the first quarter as it sprinted to a 22-7 lead. It was never challenged after that.
Still, McDavid didn’t think the Falcons’ level of intensity was where it needs to be. He feels that mind-set will come as the Falcons learn to communicate better and they see how Riley’s pressing system can reap rewards.
“He is coming at us hard,” McDavid said of
Riley. “He is a five-time champion, so he knows what it takes. We can only look up to him and listen because he knows what is going on. All we have to do is practice and get better at it.”
The victory was part of a sweep by Columbus. Kayla Rogers had 26 points, while Kyla Temple had 13 and
Jasmine Johnson had nine in the Columbus girls team’s 70-50 victory against
Shannon.
Coach Yvonne Hairston’s team had 10 players score despite early foul trouble.
“Kyla Temple came off the bench and gave us a big game,” Hairston said. “We do look to be balanced all of the way across the board.
“I thought we would do a little bit better on defense, but we didn’t. We still ended up winning by 20, but we have to play better defense.”
The Columbus girls will be back in action at 4:30 p.m. Saturday against Newton County in the Choctaw Central tournament. The Columbus boys will play Tuesday at West Lowndes.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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