No team is a finished product in its season opener. And the opposition will undoubtedly get tougher as the season progresses.
But it was plain to see Tuesday why new coach Josh Coley has laid out such an ambitious schedule for Christ School varsity basketball in the months to come.
The Greenies have the athleticism, size, and perimeter shooting to be a factor again in the Carolinas Athletic Association and statewide amongst NCISAA 4-A teams if they can continue building off an 80-31 blowout of visiting Haywood Christian Academy.
Dressed in togas, Christ School students showed up in mass for their first in-person game since 2020 (only family members and essential personnel were allowed to attend games throughout the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 safety protocols). The student section had plenty of reasons to be rowdy.
The Greenies (1-0) only trailed once – early in the first quarter at 9-6 –blitzing past the Red Wolves with repeated flurries of dunks, 3-pointers, and lots of points in transition.
Emanuel Richards ’23 scored on a layup less than five seconds in and finished with a game-high 24 points. Bruce White ’24 added 10 points. The rest of Christ School’s scorers were Jozohn Price ’24 (eight points), Johno Pierce ’23 (seven), Anthony Robinson ’23 (six), Cole Boyer ’24 (six), Bryson Cokley ’24 (six), Matthew Pethel ’23 (four), and Donavon Fitzgerald ’23 (two).
Christ School is back home Saturday for a JV-varsity doubleheader versus Gaston Christian, that begins with the JV game at 1:30 p.m.
Middle School Basketball
Greenies 53, Haywood Christian 26
It is ingrained within Stonewall Strickland ‘26 to score, no matter what the sport may be.
The eighth grader from Waynesville, N.C., led the JV soccer team in goals this fall and apparently isn’t slowing down now that he can use his hands. Stonewall powered the Middle School Greenies to an easy win in their inaugural game with a team-high 16 points, followed by James DeYoung ’26 (15 points), and Jayden Alston ’26 (12).
Christ School (1-0) led, 36-9, at halftime. Remaining scorers for the Greenies were Wyatt Campbell ’26 (three points), David Gaines ’26 (three), Myles Murphy (two), and Thomas Cook ’26 (two).