While nobody is necessarily throwing around the phrase “three-peat” yet, there’s no question Hayfield is starting to round into form–championship form, that is.
The Hawks’ 75-51 victory over host Edison Saturday was their ninth win in their last ten games. Though Carlos Poindexter’s team doesn’t have any victories over state title contenders–yet–a blowout of a good Edison team was a significant step forward.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” said Coach Poindexter, whose team lost its top six scorers from a year ago. “I love that our guys are starting to gel and starting to click.”
Early on, the rivalry National District game was a defensive struggle. Both teams played good defense, and perhaps nerves played a role in the heated rivalry game. At half, the Hawks led 26-21.
Hayfield (10-0, 12-5) ran away with the game right out of the gate in the second half, however. Junior Alex McFarlane hit a shot, then found senior center Owen Pottenburgh for a bucket on the next possession. After Hawks junior guard Parker Cage drilled a three-pointer, Edison coach Tre Ford called a time out to try and stem the tide.
It didn’t. After an immediate steal, senior guard Andy Ramirez found McFarlane open for a three-pointer. Cage got the ball to Pottenburgh, who converted an old-fashioned three-point play. The run continued, until Edison’s Teddy Morgan hit a layup with 4:32 left in the quarter. That ended a 17-0 Hayfield run, but by then the game was effectively decided.
“In the first half the basketball wasn’t falling,” said Poindexter. “But the second half we had spurts where we looked like a championship-caliber type of team.”
In the victory the Hawks got production from just about everybody who played, reminiscent of the state championship teams of the last two years. Ramirez led the way with a 19-point, 13 rebound performance made all the more impressive by the fact that he guarded the Eagles’ dynamic scorer Morgan for much of the game, and played on a hurt ankle.
“Andy gave us a Player of the Year caliber-type of game today,” Poindexter said. “But what I told them today was…every game we’re getting someone else to step up, and to me that’s the mark of a great team.”
McFarland added 15 points and six assists, while Pottenburgh had nine points, six rebounds, and two blocks. Ten Hawks scored on the night, while only four Eagles got in the scoring column.
Two of those Eagles (8-2, 13-6) scored a lot, Morgan (26 points) and Anthony Saunders (19 points). Against a team of Hayfield’s championship pedigree, however, that wasn’t nearly enough.
–Chris Jollay
That’s not koji in the picture. Koji was wearing 10 on Saturday.