As of Wednesday, January 30, 2013
© Copyright 2013
Albany Herald
Led by Herald Super 6er Ramello Carter, the Deerfield boys basketball team has won 11 straight.
ALBANY — When readers open Tuesday’s sports section of The Albany Herald, they might just find something they haven’t seen for years.
A GISA team in The Herald’s Fab 5 Poll.
Deerfield’s boys, who are the only GISA team to ever crack the Fab 5 since the inception of the poll five years ago, likely locked up its spot back among Southwest Georgia’s elite following Tuesday’s 107-40 rout of Terrell Academy — a fellow GISA program that had been playing well as of late.
That is, until the Eagles ran into the fast-paced, run-and-gun Knights, who have won 11 straight and are averaging 81.4 points a game during that stretch.
“We’re just shooting the ball better, playing good pressure defense and I finally figured out that I’d be foolish not to take advantage of the number of athletes we have on this team. So we’re running, running, running,” DWS longtime boys coach Gordy Gruhl said. “Some teams can stay with us for awhile, but eventually they can’t keep up with that pace. I think the game against Terrell (was indicative) of that. Terrell had been playing well, but they’re just not used to that style of play.”
Tuesday’s game was 57-24 at the half, and Deerfield had 89 points by the end of the third quarter before calling off the dogs — a trait that seems to be happening a lot lately. In reality, DWS’s 81-point average during its last 11 games could be more like 101.
“We’ve got eight or nine guys who could start on this team” Gruhl said. “It’s not a bad problem to have at all.”
It also doesn’t hurt that Gruhl has Ramello Carter on his team, a Herald Super 6er who is averaging 18.5 points a game and tied a school record with 41 against Calvary Christian two weeks ago. Again, if Carter — or any of the usual suspects who got into double figures Tuesday, like Jason Battle (16 points), Christian Wallace (15), Pete Langstaff (10) or Weston King (10) — was still playing in the fourth, those averages could be a lot higher.
“We’re rolling pretty good right now,” Gruhl said.
The Knights nailed eight 3s in Tuesday’s win and broke the school record earlier this year with 13 in a game. They’re 16-3 overall and 5-0 in region, and if the Knights beat Calvary on Friday in Macon, the No. 1 seed for the upcoming region tournament is all theirs.
The next Herald Fab 5 Poll comes out Tuesday.
Stay tuned ...
More like this story
- PREP PEEK: DWS, Pelham boys crack Fab 5 Poll ( February 4, 2013 )
- LATE SATURDAY: Deerfield upset in AAA championship, 19-game win streak snapped (UPDATED) ( March 3, 2013 )
- Deerfield smokes Sherwood behind Carter’s 2nd straight monster game ( January 19, 2013 )
- DWS hoops off and running just days after football state title ( December 5, 2012 )
- SHERWOOD VS. DEERFIELD: Deerfield girls sneak by rival Sherwood, 42-31; Knights stomp Eagles in opener ( December 4, 2012 )
Comments
TRUTH101 3 months, 2 weeks ago
That is a lot like having Sun-Belt/C-USA teams near or at the top of the football polls....Who has DW played? Although their record is impressive, it is against sub -par competition....... Put them on the court with the 3rd tier public schools (let alone the better ones) and watch the results
ObjectiveEyes 3 months, 2 weeks ago
We'll never know the answer to this decades old argument since the GHSA (public schools) will not let their members play GISA (private) schools.
Sister_Ruby 3 months, 2 weeks ago
And in football, the whiney baby GHSA Class A Public School coaches demanded their own separate playoff tournament since they could never beat the Private Schools at the end of the year. These arguments are such crap.
Sherwood_Eagle_Alum 3 months, 2 weeks ago
There are public and private schools in the GHSA.
djblake 3 months, 2 weeks ago
ObjectiveEyes I think you have it backwards. The GISA (private) schools won't let their members play the GHSA (public) schools. The GHSA welcomes all competition.
Sister_Ruby 3 months, 2 weeks ago
blake you are an idiot and don't know what the heck you're talking about. Other than that you are a fine fellow. See my comment above about the GHSA Class A whiney baby coaches.
Sherwood_Eagle_Alum 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Might be time for DWS to follow FPD, George Walton, North Cobb Christian, and others to the GHSA and out of the dying GISA.
dmyers80 3 months, 2 weeks ago
I would like to see all of the GISA and GHSA consolidated... If your school wants to play ball, here is your region, here's your schedule now lets play ball!! Now that being said I think that the private schools have the advantage now in Class A because they are not bound by the rules of the GHSA such as the transferring and recruiting so if you are already in a small town/ county the private school can get the best players and let them go to school basically on a scholarship.
Sherwood_Eagle_Alum 3 months, 2 weeks ago
I think that the smaller GISA schools are good where they are at. Westwood, Terrell Academy, Tift Area, Sherwood...etc would not be able to compete with those single A GHSA schools.
DWS, Stratford, and Tatnall Square have the best chances of doing well with a move in my opinion.
AuntieDee 3 months, 2 weeks ago
I concur here. Let the GHSA and the GISA consolidate and let the chips fall where they may!
Jacob 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Radium Springs Jr. High 9th grade team would humiliate ANY local private high school team, even with the cherry picked black kids that are fast and relatively articulate that the private schools get on scholarship. Good on the kids, though. Football machismo tribalism winds up giving a few kids a shot at a decent education and life.
Sister_Ruby 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Idiot
Jacob 3 months, 2 weeks ago
NIce cogent, well articulated response. Thanks for playing.
Sister_Ruby 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Still an idiot
Sister_Ruby 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Jacob, my Shi Tzu can whip your Pit Bull. How's that for stupid??? About the same as your statement.
TRUTH101 3 months, 1 week ago
Shi Tzu = DWS.......Pit Bul= The worst DCSS team Dougherty
Sherwood_Eagle_Alum 3 months, 1 week ago
I think you are selling the kids at DWS short, Jake. Believe it or not there is some decent talent in the GISA.
Jacob 3 months, 1 week ago
I have no doubt that there is "some" talent at DWS. My point is that the local private schools cherry pick the talent, in order to make the rich, white kids and their daddies feel like champions. Good for the talented, athletic kids from south and east Albany who manage to leverage a decent education and headstart to college out of the insecurities from the bankers and lawyers. It is working, so don't break it. Now a real Albany city championship football game that included DWS would turn out pretty lopsided, wouldn't you agree?
Sherwood_Eagle_Alum 3 months, 1 week ago
Your point, while correct, was buried behind the 9th grader comment, which devalued your entire argument. I agree with your last post, but can you blame the coaches for recruiting? Gordy and Allen need job security, and there is nothing better for that than a little hardware for the trophy case.
DWS is one of the highest performing schools in the GISA especially here of late. Do you not feel they should make the move to the GHSA?
FryarTuk 3 months, 1 week ago
Jacob wrote: " . . . even with the cherry picked black kids that are fast and relatively articulate that the private schools get on scholarship. Good on the kids, though. " It's called South Georgia Affirmative Action. I agree with everything you've written on the thread. My one concern is that it perpetuates assignment of an ethnic role for blacks in Southern (perhaps American) culture and impacts self-esteem for all of the students. However, your point that it gives them a chance at a better school opportunity rings loud and clear.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID