Red Raiders have easy route to fifth straight win
Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times
Coatesville Area High School’s Tyler Burke attacks the bucket from the low post. Burke’s strength drew the defense’s attention and opened up his teammates, helping the Red Raiders coast to an easy 63-33 win over Holy Ghost Prep.
CALN – In some games, one team is flat out better than the other.
Coatesville was simply the better team on Friday night in its 63-33 home victory over Holy Ghost Prep. On both ends of the court, baseline to three-point line, the Red Raiders put in an all-around team effort that showed more skill, more composure, and more physical ability.
Though the score stayed even in the first few minutes, senior Dre Boggs grabbed a defensive rebound, drove the length of the court, and finished with a layup to give his team a 5-3 lead midway through the first quarter. The game never looked close after that.
From early on, Coatesville showed great teamwork and individual ability to control the contest. Even on the drives where a player would pull up and miss, one could see how the Red Raiders’ speed, strength, and ball movement were too much for Holy Ghost.
Coatesville’s Emmett Hunt shoots a three. Domination on offense allowed Coatesville to get all kinds of open shots.
On the other end of the court, Holy Ghost lost its cool when the Coatesville’s defense pressed. Unable to win one-on-one matchups, they would move the ball around the perimeter until an incoming defender forced an errant pass. Defensive pressure earned the Red Raiders four steals in the first quarter and 12 in the game. It was easy to see that the 11-6 first quarter lead would only grow as the game went on.
The introduction of junior Tyler Burke solidified Coatesville’s all-aspect domination in the second quarter. Burke, along with junior Jaquan Hollingshed, provided muscle to dominate the post. Senior point guard Vinny Williams provided finesse. After picking out senior Joey Lewis to allow him to hit an open three, Williams pressed on the defensive end, coming up with a steal, which he turned into two of his own.
Though leading 32-15 at halftime, Coatesville never slowed down. To start the third quarter, senior Emmett Hunt turned a hard drive into a three point play. A few seconds later, he took the ball from Holy Ghost’s guard, drove the down the court, and launched a pass that was only a fraction of a second too early for the alley oop. Ghost continued to struggle on offense with most of their best chances coming from tipped passes that resulted in scrambles for the ball.
Coatesville’s Davon Peoples hits two from close late in the game. With fresh legs off the bench, Holy Ghost could not cope with Peoples’s speed.
Coatesville took a 45-22 lead into the last quarter thanks largely to senior Leroy Hoggard. Blocks, boards, and beyond the arc, Hoggard is a utility man who is hard to account for. The large lead allowed the Red Raiders to rotate their lineup a bit. Senior Davon Peoples showed great speed to open up lanes and cause havoc in the defense as his team coasted to the victory.
Hunt led the team with 13 points, but a full team effort saw Coatesville running their offense with textbook precision. Boggs, Hollingshed, and Hoggart each contributed 11 in the blowout.
Coatesville’s fifth consecutive win puts them at 11-6 on the season. They look to be favorites against Downingtown West who will come into town on Tuesday.
COATESVILLE SCORERS:
Emmett Hunt – 13
Dre Boggs – 11
Jaquan Hollingshed – 11
Leroy Hoggard – 11
Tyler Burke – 6
Vinny Williams – 4
Kevin Crutchfield – 4
Joey Lewis – 3
Davon Peoples – 3
