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Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Dunbar vs. Jefferson just another game?
DAYTON - Jefferson said all the right things after losing 72-63 at Dunbar in Tuesday’s boys non-league basketball game.
And so did Dunbar’s players and coaches.
But just another game? C’mon, man.
“It was just another regular game,” insisted Wolverines coach Pete Pullen after Dunbar improved to 6-1 with a clutch second-half defensive clampdown.
“Just another game. We’ve got plenty to play.”
That’s a given, but this was the game that both teams were looking forward to since last season, when the Broncos hung a stunning 74-72 loss on the Wolverines. Dunbar wouldn’t lose again and won the state Division II title, it’s third in five years.
And Jefferson was just as good, snapping a two-game losing skid and also winning out, including the D-IV state championship.
Just another game?
“It was fun,” Jefferson coach Art Winston said. “We look at it like it was a test.
“We knew it was going to be an emotional, physical good game. They didn’t have no give in them and we didn’t have no give in us. We got to gauge where we’re at.”
There’s no doubting where Dunbar’s Deontae Hawkins and Joby Jackson of Jefferson are at: On top of their games.
Hawkins, the highly sought-after 6-7 junior forward with the silky smooth shooting touch, put a career-high 32 points on the Broncos. He also made shooting life miserable for Bronco muscleman Cody Latimer, blocking at least three of his shots, altering as many more and being the main reason why he scored just one field goal.
“It feels good to have 32 (points) because we had to get them back for last year,” said Hawkins.
Dunbar never did solve Jackson, who was good for 24 points. Juan Gay added 16 points.
Toss in another great floor game by Dwight Johnson and “to me, they’re three of the best players in the state in any division,” Winston gushed. “They’re really going to take off.”
Jefferson is independent this season, meaning there is only the postseason - and a defending state title - to shoot for.
“We’re playing for something at the end,” Winston said. “We’re not in the City League. Playing Dunbar is a treat.
“It’s like Louisville back when Denny Crum would play all the tough teams and what Tom Izzo is doing right now at Michigan State. We’re trying to prepare our kids for the tournament and we’re getting there.”
Javior Rice added 18 points for Dunbar and Keontae Brown 12.
Dunbar is off until next Saturday when state D-I power Canton McKinley visits. Jefferson (4-1) off until Jan. 4 against Ponitz Tech.
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TweetAlter’s Thuney chooses ACC school over other BCS offers
Joe Thuney, the 6-foot-5, 245-pound lineman from Alter High School, has pledged to play in college at North Carolina State.
A senior, Thuney joined the defense this season for two-way duty as Alter went 11-3 and advanced to the Division IV state semifinals after winning the previous two state titles. Thuney said he visited N.C. State in Raleigh, N.C., a few weeks ago and also considered West Virginia, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt.
“You could see the passion the staff has for individual players on and off the field,” said Thuney, also Alter’s basketball center. “It’s a good fit for me.”
Thuney said the N.C. State coaches told him they’re open to him playing either offensive or defensive line.
“They said whichever works best when I get down there,” he said.
Thuney became the second Greater Catholic League North Division lineman to commit to N.C. State in the past two seasons. Andy Jomantas, a 6-7, 260-pound Chaminade Julienne product, is a freshman there this season.
“It’s a weight lifted off my shoulders,” Thuney said of finishing the recruiting process. “It’s right before the holidays and Christmas, so I can enjoy that with my family. The whole process is stressful, so it was time to make a final decision.”
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