13-game win streak has Saints marching into playoffs
By C.R. Cumbee
Staff Writer
St. Matthews—Every year Calhoun County is one of the favorites to win a state championship and this season is no exception. After struggling early, the Saints have won 13 consecutive games and sit at 17-3 overall. Their 11-1 conference record has them in first place with four games remaining in the season.
“We’re on a roll right now. We’re winning convincingly and everybody is contributing. We don’t count on just one guy to do it all, a couple guys come out strong every night. Everybody is on the same page and playing the way we like to play. We just need to stay healthy and stay focused,” head coach Zam Fredrick said.
The Saints are known for their defensive pressure, which wears opponents down. Fredrick rotates as many as 12 players in each game, keeping everybody fresh even with an up-tempo style.
“Being a deep team is definitely an advantage. Everybody knows they have to play their role and if they’re not working hard, then they won’t be in the game. Our game is predicated on giving maximum effort so if they don’t do that, they’ll be switched out. It does put a lot of pressure on the guys on the floor to perform, but everybody understands that,” Fredrick said.
Tamaj Charley starts at the point with Terrance Whitmore at shooting guard. Richard Hart and freshman A.J. Mack are the wings with Jevonte Brown at center. Mark Irick has also seen time in the starting lineup, but is trying to work his way back from a shoulder injury.
Seeing action off the bench is guards Roscoe Mitchell and Corey Zeigler, forwards Aaron Isom and Dekembre Brown, and centers Jermaine Michael and Jarrett Williams. Roquan Fredrick and Fred Coulter are also on the roster.
Calhoun County rounds out the regular season with games against Fox Creek, Williston-Elko, Ridge Spring-Monetta and Hunter-Kinard-Tyler. Those contests should help the Saints iron out any problems before heading into the playoffs.
“We’re a little loose with the ball sometimes and make unforced errors. I don’t know if we just get anxious or what, but we’ve had some issues with turnovers. We’ve been getting better at that, we just had some younger players that had to get seasoned as the year has gone along,” Fredrick said.
Contact C.R. at crcumbee2007@hotmail.com.
