By Chris Wilson

High school basketball teams are getting ready to face the all-important second half of the season, which will go along way towards determining District tournament seeding and postseason positioning. Both the Newberry High Panthers and the Buchholz High Bobcats are looking forward to becoming a postseason presence.

Panthers vs. Bobcats

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The Panthers visited the Bobcats’ gym in mid-December and Newberry posted an impressive come-from-behind victory.

The Bobcats jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first four minutes of the game, thanks to hot shooting and solid defense. However, Newberry outscored the home team 5-3 through the rest of the quarter. The Panthers had a 20-17 advantage by halftime. Newberry forward Matt Robinson scored nine points in the second quarter alone on his way to a game-high 21 points.

The Panthers never looked back on their way to a convincing 68-52 victory. The Panthers also got 20 points from center Xavier Woods.

“I give them a lot of credit,” said Buchholz coach Bob Horodyski. “They got hot and hit a lot of shots. We didn’t play well defensively, but they get all the credit.”

Newberry coach Chris Baker said he was pleased with the way his team played. “That was a good game against a good team that is well-coached,” he said. “My guys are picking things up quickly, so I’m really happy about that.”

Panthers From Gridiron to Hardwood

The Panthers got off to a slow start this season. After the win over Buchholz, Newberry had a 2-2 record. However, Newberry was forced to play its first two games with mostly JV and reserve players because nine of the eleven players on the Panthers’ varsity hoops roster also were on the football team that played for the state title on December 8.

“We played the first couple games and practiced the first few weeks with just our young kids,” Baker explains. “The (varsity) guys did not practice any basketball (during football season). I spent those weeks hoping that the work we did during the summer was going to be enough to have them ready for basketball once football ended. Right now, we’re just doing the basics and trying to execute.”

Baker says getting his players into basketball game shape is the biggest challenge heading into January. “We need to get into better basketball shape,” he says. “We’re a good shooting team — at times.”

Nevertheless, Baker says the goal is to get to the postseason. “We want to get back to the playoffs and win one this time,”?he declares. “We want to take the next step. We need to win our District games and get in a good position for the District Tournament.”

While Newberry may not have the size to stand next to some of the other squads it will face, the Panthers do have the athleticism to compete with any team. “We’re not a big team, but we can play big,” says Baker.

Baker says Robinson continues to impress on the basketball court. “He’s one of the most improved seniors that we have,”?says the coach. “He’s matured quite a bit.”

Newberry varsity roster: Guy Brown, Ryan Brown, Antonio Brown, Matt Robinson, Xavier Woods, Antwan Ivey, D’Angelo Thompson, Nytrell Greenlee, Jake Rhoden, Chris White, Jon Waters

Buchholz Features Young Roster

The Buchholz Bobcats are focused on improving throughout the rest of the season, with hopes of finding their way to the postseason. Heading into the holiday tournament schedule, Buchholz had a 3-6 record.

The Bobcats’ varsity roster features three freshmen, four sophomores and three juniors in the lineup. “They’re getting better with each game,”?says coach Horodyski. “We’ve been struggling with free throws and easy shots.”

Among the ‘Cats’ veteran leaders are Jonathan Dennison, Bobby Horodyski and Josh Boyd, who is averaging double digits in scoring.

Buchholz varsity roster: Jonathan Dennison, Bobby Horodyski, Josh Boyd, Frank Gainey, Bobb Clark, Zach Schmidt, Henry Hill, Jamie Calabreso, Kenny Harper, Keon Thomas, Treal Scott.