Zack Sease (2) goes up and under a Keenan defender. (Photo/Joe Seibles)
WINNSBORO (Dec. 13, 2016) – The fall schedule has been brutal for the Fairfield Central boys.
Losses came to 5A’s Dutch Fork twice, Westwood and 4A power Lower Richland, and on Monday night the Griffins fell 53-41 to 3A Keenan at the Fairfield Central gym.
Defeats never go down easily, but for head coach Brian Sanders, the tough early schedule should pay big dividends when the Griffins open Region IV-3A play after the holidays.
“All this is just practice for the region,” Sanders said. “We’ve had a very tough schedule and we play Newberry Friday. All these games are preparing us for the region. I’ve looked at the region teams and I don’t think any team’s falling into the type of teams we’re playing right now. I think we’re going to be OK.”
Keenan, which went deep into the playoffs last year and won the 2A state championship in 2014, gave the Griffins (0-5) a workout.
Fairfield Central did its best to start off strong against the Raiders, with Tazz Armstrong and Darryl Camack making baskets to take a 4-0 lead. That was all the Griffins could score.
Keenan scored 13 points in the final five minutes.
Both teams struggled for possession in the second half, but the Raiders built a 22-9 lead with two minutes to go in the second quarter, and went into the locker room with a 27-14 advantage.
Keenan kept that cushion in the second half as well.
“What we can say is that we played to the end, we fought with heart,” Sanders said. “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
While Fairfield Central made some good moves to the basket and got some points in transition, Keenan proved too strong, whether with inside baskets and rebounding from Ervin Stone, or from 3-pointers from Tariq Simmons, Latrell Taylor, Q’Darrius Sanders or Darius Wyche.
Stone led the way with 12 points and nine rebounds. Simmons and Sanders had 10 points apiece.
Armstrong led the way for the Griffins with 12 points. Chandon Davis added 10.
“I’m trying to put more of a system into these guys,” Sanders said. “Last year we ran them up and down the floor. These guys are coming along. They’ve been working really hard.”
Keenan 53, Fairfield Central 41
KHS: 13-14-17-9 – 53
FC: 4-10-13-14 – 41
Keenan
Ervin Stone 12, Tariq Simmons 10, Q’Darrius Sanders 10, Taylor 7, Sligh-Rogers 5, Jones 4, Wyche 3, Flager 2.
Fairfield Central
Tazz Armstrong 12, Chandon Davis 10, Glenn 5, Camack 4, McBride 4, Barber 4, Sease 2.
