[RAYMOND, MS] The Muddy River Counselors dropped the much anticipated matchup against the PCA Paladins at home. The game stayed within single digit difference the entire game, but the Counselors never led as the Paladins kept their head above water.
This was the rematch of last year’s 16U championship game. This matchup was taken by the PCA Paladins, who won the game 63-52. This year, the Paladins came through with a new-look ball club. They added the Waldmann brothers, Titus and Collier, from Northlake Christian School as senior transfers. They also added back Frank St. Philip, a junior who had taken a year off last year but had previously been with the Paladins. They still had Drew Boggs, who is a senior this season and finished off the Counselors Saturday afternoon with three 3-pointers late in the game.
The Counselors lost a few players but kept sophomore Caleb Sanders, freshman Sun Michael Williams, 8th grader Luke Sanders, and junior Rydell Breakfield, which gives Muddy River an unbelievable “four-headed monster”. Breakfield finished the game with 15 points. Junior William Leach is an original Muddy River Counselor and he got a few key blocks in the ball game. Justin Bickham is a junior newcomer who sat out a year on his transfer to the Counselors. He has proven to be an asset for the Counselors so far this season.
Through three quarters, the game remained close. Collier Waldmann started off hot with 10 first half points. Sun Michael Williams was real hot with 13 first half points on three NBA-range 3-pointers. At the half, PCA held onto a narrow 32-29 lead.
The third quarter remained close until the very end when PCA capitalized on a few Counselors turnovers for buckets on the other end, finishing three with a 47-39 lead.
The Counselors started off the last period in a full-court press. They were able to cut the lead to 47-45. Then that’s where Drew Boggs stepped in. Three shots from the beyond the arc went down and Boggs once again proved to be a problem for the Counselors. PCA was able to hold on at the end to take the 63-56 win.
Sun Michael Williams finished with a game high 19 points for the Counselors while Drew Boggs led the Paladins with 17 points.
This was the first matchup of the season for these two teams but it is widely expected that these may be the top teams in the league and may be a preview of MSAHA Championship Saturday. The two teams will match up again on December 17th in LaComb, LA.
The Muddy River Counselors (1-1)[1-1] will host the Hillcrest Christian Cougars Thursday night in the first matchup between the two teams. The PCA Paladins (3-1)[3-0] will head down to Milton, FL to participate in a West Florida tournament on Nov. 17.
