For the first time in at least 15 years, the Patriots of Winston Academy beat Starkville Academy and they left no doubt on Friday.
In a perfect example of just wanting the ball game more than the other team, the Patriots poured it on in the second half taking a 28-22 halftime lead and running the Volunteers out of their own gym in a 70-47 victory.
“I think we were as prepared for that game as we were any game all year,” head coach Justin Childs said. “We had a script of what we were going to run and we knew how they were going to defend it. They were locked in preparation wise and we executed what we did in practice.”
The Patriots used two huge games from their top scorers as Blake Peterson and Collin Mills got to the rim and finished for 27 and 21 points respectively. The Vols had no answer for the transition offense that Winston put together as the Patriots used their defense to give them the most momentum in the win.
After a back and forth first half, the Patriots came out of the locker room and went on a 9-2 run to take their largest lead of the day at the 4:48 mark with a 39-27 advantage. They ultimately went up 50-37 in the third quarter and they used that momentum to bury the Vols in the fourth.
It was the first win for Winston in district play for the senior class who haven’t won a game in conference for three years.
That big win came with a hangover on Saturday as they dropped their game on the road to Oak Hill. Winston trailed 25-17 after the first half but the floodgates opened in the second half and they lost 62-30. The 30 points were the lowest output of the season for the Patriots.
“It was just a frustrating game and hard to play with the same energy as the night before. We came out flat and we just didn’t play well.”
Rebounding from that tough loss is going to be key for the Patriots (13-7, 1-1) who are about to go through the ringer this week in conference play.
WA starts with a Tuesday matchup with Leake Academy who they also haven’t beaten since the mid 2000’s, similarly to Starkville Academy.
“They’re on a mission as far as district play is concerned. I don’t think it’s going to dampen their spirits," Child said. "It’s a big opportunity. Our seniors have a minimum of four weeks left in their careers so we’ve told them to cherish it.”
