Area athletes find pick-up games during inclement weather break

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on February 27, 2015 1:48 PM

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aetzler@newsargus.com

Eastern Wayne guard Tianna Christopher had never been more ready.

The team had just come off a tough Monday practice and everyone was excited to try and continue their undefeated streak into the playoffs.

Then the snow came.

Tuesday's first-round playoff game against South Brunswick was postponed. The teams didn't play either Wednesday or Thursday.

"I think I'm starting to hate snow," Christopher said. "We need to go ahead and take care of business."

There is no shortage of ways the local athletes have spent their time during their snow- and ice-filled seven-day break from school during the last two weeks.

But there is one consensus among them all.

They just want to play.

"(We're) just ready to play in state playoffs," Spring Creek guard Trey Hammonds said.

It looks like today area teams will finally get their chance. Some teams, like the Lady Warriors for instance, have not played a game in more than two weeks, because the snow canceled the conference tournament last week.

Spring Creek's boys and Rosewood's girls were able to sneak in a tie-break game for playoff seeding last Friday.

But with the roads causing hazardous travel and practices being canceled, many athletes have been confined to the house with no chance to get to a gym to practice. So rust could potentially be a factor.

"I want to go to the Y(MCA) because I try to go and shoot every day that I don't have a game, but I am not really allowed to get out," Eastern Wayne guard Megan Mozingo said. "So it is kind of difficult these past couple of days. It really bothers me because this is the time that I need to be in the gym the most."

One team that shouldn't be rusty is Goldsboro.

Many of the Cougars have been using their off days walking various distances to get to the W.A. Foster Center. Point guard Rasheen Artis made sure to pick up the ones who lived too far to walk.

"(We've) been doing nothing but getting in the gym the whole time," Cougars guard Myron Carmon said. "It really doesn't matter (how bad the weather is) because (we are) trying to get better."

The Cougars, because of access, have had by far more gym time than any other team in the area. On Thursday, Carmon and a lot of his teammates spent more than five hours in the gym playing pickup games.

Despite the long hours in the gym, Artis insisted the team has also utilized the time to rest up.

"I look (at the time off) as a blessing in disguise because me as well as my team are getting plenty of much needed rest for the upcoming playoff stretch we plan on making," Artis said. "But we make sure to touch the basketball, too."

On the other hand, some players have been utilizing their time to get things off the court taken care of. Rosewood's Krystal Yelverton needed to catch up on her studies. Princeton point guard Charley Cox said she spent time with family and friends.

"I love the snow," Cox said. "I've been sledding and riding four wheelers."

With the long layoff, a lot of players are worried about if they will be able to pick up where they left off beforehand. Some just don't know what to expect.

Christopher, perhaps, summed up the past two weeks the best: "It's more than frustrating." And just like Christopher, most of the players are ready to see what tonight holds.

"I'm chomping at the bit," Hammonds said.