Home > Jessie Nunery > Archives > 2009 > January > 23 > Entry
Nash Central-Northern Nash hoops observations
You can learn a lot by hanging out in the back hallways after a game. You see coaches interacting with each other. Players’ body language and actions after the game. The Nash Central boys changed into their street clothes and departed with coach Michael Mosley wishing them each safe weekends after a 77-54 victory over Northern Nash on Friday. Nothing new there.
The visitor’s lockeroom was not a happy one. The Knights left after somewhat lengthy coach/players post-game meeting. The door opened and Northern Nash’s group strolled out, a few players looking visibly unhappy. Nobody spoke.
The euphoria of the Knights’ buzzer-beating victory over Rocky Mount High two weeks ago is gone. Northern Nash must regroup after losses to two of the NEW 6 Conference’s better teams (Wilson Fike, Nash Central).
I spoke with an area coach while waiting for the Knights to come out of the lockeroom, and he agreed that a season can turn quickly - for the worse or for the better. I’m not saying Northern Nash’s season is going down the drain or that it is time to hit the panic button, but the Knights looked like a different team Friday night than the one that caught fire and won the Nash County Holiday Tournament last month. More than one person I spoke with agreed with me, and I’m sure coach Rick Ruffin would say the same.
There are a pair of personnel changes currently affecting the Knights, but the team has plenty of talent to fair better than it did against the Bulldogs.
Nash Central looks to have another solid team, one that might not have to always rely on its perimeter game if Terrance Copeland (8 points) and Brandon Thomas (6 points) perform the way they did against Northern Nash.
- The Bulldogs are led by Trey Sumler, the can-do-everything guard/forward. Fabian White is as good a shooter as there is in the league, and Dominique Holloway can get hot, too.
There is still a long way to go in the regular season, but we won’t be saying that for long. February is approaching, and after next week the league’s regular season will be at its midway point.
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