Ashe County Boys Take Conference Lead with Win

By Joel Frady

The Ashe County Huskies remained undefeated in the Mountain Valley Conference by taking out the rival

North Surry Greyhounds, on Friday, Jan. 2.

The Huskies opened the game strong, as five players scored in the first quarter to give the team a 13-5 lead. But Ashe County struggled in the second period, managing only 10 points while allowing the Greyhounds to mount a comeback and tie the game at 23 going into the halftime break.

The entire second half, however, was a back-and-forth match that featured three ties during a three-minute stretch in the third quarter. North Surry was aided by guard Tanner Easter, who knocked down eight three pointers in the game - six in the second half - to keep the Greyhounds alive.

Ashe County took a 41-38 lead into the final quarter, where they found themselves at the foul line frequently. Senior Tommy Spagnola helped cement the win at the line, where he shot six-for-eight in the fourth quarter.

With the win, Ashe County (3-0, 8-2) moved into first place in the Mountain Valley Conference.

For Ashe County Head Coach Marc Payne, it was another big win over a conference powerhouse. They previously defeated defending Mountain Valley conference champion Starmount on Friday, Dec. 19.

"North Surry - they've been one of the nemesis for us throughout the years. We finished third in the conference last year, and a loss here to them is what dropped us from second to third. But they're a very well coached team and they're playing well. They've got some good kids that are playing well, so we beat a very good basketball team tonight.

"The game was an interesting game for us," he added. "I thought defensively we were very good, and other than Easter getting hot and shooting very well - he didn't get a whole lot of open looks. Once we adjusted he still made some shots, but we made them a lot tougher. Sometimes somebody gets in the zone like that and you have to persevere, play and try to keep them from getting the basket."

Payne said it was a good win after the Huskies had lost their final two games in the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic in Winston-Salem. During the tournament, which was held the weekend after Christmas, the team defeated North Forsyth 59-56 before dropping 64-50 to defending tournament champion Mount Tabor and 38-37 to R.J. Reynolds High School.

"We played against three quality teams," said Payne. "It gave us the opportunity to evaluate ourselves against good opponents. When you play teams like North Forsyth, Mount Tabor and R.J. Reynolds, you improve yourself just by playing that kind of competition."

Friday's win against North Surry gave Payne his 499th win in 34 years as a head coach. He can pick up win 500 on January 7, against Avery County High School in West Jefferson. The teams met in early December in Newland, a game Ashe County won 71-54.

Payne said that his team "just has to play, continue to work and improve on the things we do. Our game up there was their first game, so they've got some games under their belt. They've got some good shooters too, so we'll have to adapt."

After Wednesday's game, the Huskies will travel to North Wilkes in Hays on Friday, Jan. 9. They will travel to Alleghany High School in Sparta on Monday, Jan. 12, a game that was originally scheduled for the following Tuesday.