Chargers derail Eagles

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on December 16, 2008 1:46 PM

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Wayne Country Day released the hounds from the opening tip Monday evening.

Rosewood couldn't cage them.

The Chargers forced quick turnovers out of its aggressive and stifling full-court pressure, and grabbed a 6-0 lead just 42 seconds into the non-conference affair. That early surge provided the springboard to a 66-38 victory and regular-season sweep of the Eagles.

"They came out with a lot of intensity and pressure, and we weren't ready for it at all," said Rosewood coach Daniel Mitchell. "I thought once we got settled, we played a little bit better in spells. But, we were shell-shocked to start with."

Reco McCarter and Tim Hobbs provided highlight-reel, two-handed dunks as the Chargers built a 30-6 lead after eight minutes of action. Senior guard Floronta Wynn dished out three assists, picked the Eagles for two steals and scored seven points during the opening quarter.

"One of the points of emphasis (for us) has been getting off to a good start ... coming out with intensity and our last two games have been spectacular," said Chargers head coach Terry Jones. "Now that we've made that a focal point, I guess we need to learn to be persistent with it throughout the rest of the game.

"They did exactly what I asked so I might need to be more careful with my instructions."

The teams played nearly even the remaining 24 minutes.

Wayne Country Day (10-5 overall) outscored Rosewood 36-32, which drew praise from Mitchell.

"We did some things well tonight, we really did," said Mitchell, who had to replace his entire starting lineup lost to graduation last June. "Our effort was good for the most part. We executed well at times, but we have to get more consistent. We just need a little time (to grow up more)."

The Chargers led 44-22 at halftime and 59-34 after three quarters.

Wynn led all scorers with 20 points, while McCarter finished with 18. Josh Gregory supplied nine points and Hobbs ended up with eight points. As a team, Wayne Country Day collected 16 assists on 28 made field goals.

James Harris emerged the Eagles' top scorer with 13 points -- all in the first half. Cody Harris came off the bench to tally seven points, while Ahkeem Simms and junior center Will Beasley chipped in six points apiece.

Wayne Country Day returns to action Dec. 26 in the inaugural Charger Christmas Classic. Rosewood (3-5) looks to end a two-game skid Thursday at home against county rival Charles B. Aycock.