Balanced scoring has Central boys in second place in Region 4-AA
Coker College commitment Cade Edmond averaging double-double
Pageland – The Central High School boys basketball team returned three starters, including its two leading scorers, from last year. However, the Eagles went just 9-16.
Those top two scorers, senior Caden Edmonds and junior Tazhir Webber, are still the top two scorers, but now they have a lot more help. After being the only double-figure scorers a year ago, they have been joined by junior Demtrius Myers and junior Jordan Crowder.
Because of that scoring balance, CHS is now 14-8 overall and 7-1 in Region 4-AA.
“Last year that was one of our bigger issues,” Central head coach Desmond Sowell said of being able to find scoring frum multiple sources. “We had one or two guys last year to carry the load. This year we made a commitment as a group to go out and get better.”
Webber si the leading scorer with a 14.9 ppoints-per-game average to go with a team high 4.1 assists and 2.7 steals along with a 3.7 rebouindg avergage.
Edmond is averaging 14.4 points, down a little bit from last year’s 16.0 average. However, he is averaging a double-double with a team high 10.1 rebounds.
“He made a commitment to improve his rebounding and had a really good summer,” Sowell said of Edmond, who recently committed to Coker College. “He was able to get stronger in the weight room and has really done a great job rebounding.”
Edmond is also averaging 2.8 assists.
Myers is just behind Webber and Edmond with a 14.0 scoring average while grabbing 3.9 rebounds and handing out 3.1 assists. Crowder is averaging 10.2 points and 7.2 rebounds.
The other starter is sophomore Dwayne Louallen, who also started last season. He is averaging 7.0 points and 7.0 rebounds to go with 2.8 assists.
Junior Aiden Short is averaging 7.4 points and 4.1 rebounds. The rest of the roster includes senior Xa Sowell, senior Keeland Miller, senior Clint Mills and junior Coop Blakeney. They all play meaningful minutes.
Coach Sowell believes his team is steadily improving.
“We had to learn how to compete the right way,” he said. “We played a tough non-region schedule to push us. I think we’re at a spor where we can make a deep playoff run.
“We’re about where I thought we'd be. We’ll need those guys to continue to keep that balanced approach to the game, being team players."
Central is in second place in the region, a game behind 8-0 Andrew Jackson. However, the Eagles can pretty much wrap up second place with a win over third place Cheraw on Tuesday. A first-round home game in the state playoffs goes to the second-place team.
CENTRAL GIRLS 3-5 IN REGION
The Central girls basketball team is only 3-16 on the season. However, those three victories all came in region play, meaning the Eagles are 3-5. That puts them in position to earn a berth in the state playoffs with four region contests remaining.
CHS has no double-figure scorers, but is led by Jordyn Griffin at 9.0 along with a team high in rebounds at 5.8 and steals at 3.8. Junior Jariyah Sowell is averaging 8.7 points and a team high 2.1 assists to go with 3.0 rebounds, while junior Tashia Quick is averaging 6.6 points, and Shalessshia Walls is averaging 5.1 rebounds to go with 2.7 points.
Other members of the team are juniors Nalaysia Newman and Rielyn Chambers, sophomores Ashariya Myers and Dioreya Smith and freshmen Parris Maddox, Morgan McManus, Mariy6ah McManus, Tyerra Parks and Janiah Williamson.
