North Augusta – The Fox Creek High School boys basketball team has just one returning starter from last season, but he is a very good one in senior Connor Cannon. He is rated as one of the top five seniors in AA by the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association.
Cannon has been joined in the starting lineup by juniors Brelan Baskett and Montez Tillman and freshmen Chorsheak White and Kobe Sims. Four other freshmen are making key contributions to the team as they got off to a 17-9 overall start and a 7-0 start in Region 3.
“We started off a bit slow due to our youth and also the caliber of non-region opponents we played,” said veteran Predators head coach Andrew Peckham. “Those early-season games helped prepare us for region play. We set a goal before the season to compete for a region championship.”
Cannon was averaging 17.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals, all team highs.
“He has the ability to score the basketball at all three levels and has improved tremendously on his defense and rebounding,” Peckham said of Cannon, a 4-year starter who recently scored his 1,000th career point. “He is a true combo guard for us that can facilitate as a point guard as well as score in a variety of ways.”
Cannon was the only double-figure scorer, but he was getting help from other spots. White was averaging 8.9 points while Sims was at 7.5. Baskett was averaging 5.6 points and 5.8 rebounds, while Tillman was at 3.3 points and 5.2 rebounds.
The other freshmen making key contributions were Gavin Baskett (3.7 ppg), A’Maree Roberson (3.5), Justin Vining (4.3) and Kaleb Broadwater (3.5). Senior Blake Holloway was averaging 5.7 points off the bench.
FOX CREEK GIRLS START 4-3 IN REGION
The Fox Creek girls only won seven of their first 21 games, but in the games that really count – region contests – FCHS started 4-3.
“Not to make excuses, but this is an extremely young team,” said second-year head coach Anita Clark. “Even with our returning players, this is the second year many of them have played at all. We finished last in the region last year, but with hard work and dedication, we could potentially finish no lower than third and possibly even second.”
The starting lineup is made up of freshmen Jada Jennings and Maya Krystalowych, senior Azelinn Hall and juniors Ariel Smith and Sofia Krystalowych.
Jennings was averaging 10 points, three steals and six assists. Maya Krystalowych was averaging seven points and eight rebounds.
“It will be exciting to witness their growth and dominance in the next three years,” Clark said of the freshmen. “ Both young ladies are driven and challenge themselves daily.”
Sofia Krystalowych was averaging 7.9 rebounds and 3.2 points. Hall was averaging 4.4 points. Smith was averaging 3.7 rebounds.
“With a little more time and experience, this young team will no doubt mature and be a threat to those that take us lightly this year,” said Clark, who doesn’t have a junior varsity team.
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