Cross – As the 2023-24 regular season winds down, the boys and girls basketball teams at Cross High are looking forward to competing in the Class A state playoffs.
The Cross boys team enters a Jan. 30 game against Burke with a shot at the region championship. Cross is 15-4 overall and 9-1 in region play with the region loss coming to Burke. The Trojans are secured a top two finish in the region standings.
Cross head coach Chaquain Boone feels his team is peaking towards a strong finish.
“I love the way we are playing right now,” Boone said. “We are playing well together and playing with good intensity. We have been faced with adversity and have responded well. I think with injuries and some sickness, our guys have stepped up.”
Cross finished fourth in the region standings last season. After a quick start, the Trojans limped to the finish line. This season, the focus was to finish strong and this team appears to be headed in that direction.
Anchoring the team this winter are senior guard Jamez Way and sophomore forward Caden Ramsey. Ramsey leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 18.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per contest. Way is averaging 17.4 points, 4.7 steals and 3.4 assists per outing.
“The biggest thing is their leadership,” Boone said. “They are the vocal leaders and they lead by example. Their leadership is really just as important as their play and their stats.”
Senior Dominick Lampkin also averages in double figures at 10.6 points per game. Lampkin scored 22 points in a recent win over Baptist Hill.
Junior Micah Flute is averaging 6.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while junior Preston Fuller adds 8.2 points and 5.3 rebounds. Senior Tyshawn Gavins contributes 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
The Cross girls team is secured a second-place finish in the region. The Trojans are 13-3 overall and 7-2 in region play. The two region losses came to Military Magnet, the top-ranked team in the state among Class A schools.
Junior guard Lauren Middleton continues to set the pace offensively, averaging 17.3 points and 4.3 assists per game. Junior Zhania Fredricks is adding 11.4 points and 3.2 steals while center Ma’Laysia Johnson is averaging 6.9 points and 9.1 rebounds an outing.
Senior Layla Wright is averaging 5.3 rebounds and junior Kierra Wright is averaging 9.4 rebounds per game.
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