The Muddy River Counselors left the Cross-State Classic 1-2, with losses to the Little Rock Flames and the Saline County Warriors, and a win over the Faulkner County Falcons. Despite those two losses, the Counselors left Conway, AR with a lot to be excited about.
Going into the Cross-State Classic, the Counselors dropped two tough conference games in a row: to Jackson by two, and to Laurel by seven points. After a great opening night 75-49 rout of the Tupelo Titans, these were disappointing losses for Counselors.
The first matchup for Muddy River was against the Little Rock Flames. The Flames were stocked with height and good outside shooting. The game stayed with Little Rock having a 10-point lead for much of the first half. The Counselors lost 54-83, but the score did not accurately describe the game. The Flames pulled a lead out to 15 points in the third quarter before Coach Willis Williams took out Chris Purnell, King Williams, and Sun Michael Williams for the rest of the game in order to rest for the next game they were to play an hour later. At that point, Little Rock exploded the lead out to nearly beating the Muddy River Counselors by 30 points.
The Counselors then geared up to take on the Faulkner County Falcons later that night. The Counselors started off flat, trailing 18-9 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter though, the Counselors exploded. They scored 33 points in the second quarter, winning the quarter 33-15 and snatching a 42-33 halftime lead. In the third period, the Falcons ate at the lead and brought it back to a tie. At the end of the game, the Counselors were able to get a 10-point cushion and cruise out the game, winning 74-62. Rydell Breakfield led the team in scoring, getting his career-high of 17 points.
The next morning, the Counselors faced off against the Saline County Warriors. Like many of the teams the Counselors play, the Warriors had more height were older but the Counselors started off strong. they took a 17-9 lead early behind 7 early points by King Williams. Saline bounced back though, taking the lead back in the second quarter. At halftime, the Counselors trailed 38-39. The Warriors were then in the driver’s seat in the second half, keeping a 4-6 point lead throughout the second half before finally pushing the lead out to 10 at the end. Despite 23 points from Sun Michael Williams, the Saline County Warriors were able to hold off the Muddy River Counselors 77-67.
The Counselors had bright spots in every game they played in Conway. They also had knobs that need to be tightened. They will need to tighten the knobs in order to win the MSAHA 18UB Championship. The Counselors are young but they have Chris Purnell and King Williams, who are good senior players. Muddy River also has young players with high basketball IQs that don’t play like typical 14 year olds in varsity competition.
Last year, the Counselors lost many of their games by 20 points. This year, the Counselors have made big improvements, competing close with the top teams in the MSAHA. The Counselors then competed well in Arkansas. This confirms the ascent that the Muddy River Counselors believe they have made.
The Muddy River Counselors will host the Meridian Flyers Friday night (Nov. 19) in a big conference matchup.
