Although seniors K.J. Beck, Austin Strubbe and Evan Bell will be key contributors, the 2023-2024 edition of the Triopia-Meredosia-Virginia varsity boys basketball team is counting heavily on a talented collection of juniors and sophomores.
With last year’s head mentor, Colin Arthalony, deciding to ride out on the coattails of his departing senior son (and who can blame him) and all stater Gavin, the PORTA-AC Central boys’ basketball will enter a new era. Steven Price, a 2017 Buffalo Tri-City graduate, will take over as head coach, comfortable in the fact that a winning environment is already in place at PORTA-AC, stating “if you have a culture, you can do some great things and I’m lucky I don’t really have to reinvent the culture,” Price said. “I just hope to add to it.”
It was a tough go for the Virginia Junior High boys’ basketball team with both the seventh and eighth grade going 1-3 in a busy last week. There was some consolation in the fact that the victory did come over Cass County rival Beardstown on Tuesday.
The Beardstown seventh and eighth grade boys’ basketball teams each picked up their first win of the season in an exciting night of basketball at home against AC-Central.
The younger boys jumped out to an early lead and cruised to the win. The Tigers led 10 to 3 after one an
Ashley Gil launches a three-pointer in front of an excited Tiger bench. | Kylynn Maltby pressures the inbounds pass while Brandy Mendoza breaks to make the steal for the Tigers.
The Virginia-Triopia Junior High girls basketball teams wrapped up their regular seasons with three games last week. The season ended entirely for the seventh graders when they lost in the opening round of the Class 2A regional 25 to 14 to Mendon Unity at Mt. Sterling.
It was off to Scott County for four days of basketball in the Junior High School version of the Winchester Tournament for the Triopia Trojan junior high boys’ basketball team last week. When the smoke cleared, both the seventh and the eighth-grade teams had won two games and lost two games. Both teams handled Carrollton and North Greene rather easily and lost to West Central and Brown County with the seventh graders dropping two thrillers.
A busy week of basketball did not produce the results the Virginia Junior High boys’ basketball team was hoping for last week as both the 7th and 8th grade teams lost two out of three games. There was some solace in the fact that the only win for each squad came against Cass County rival AC-Central.
The Beardstown girls’ seventh grade basketball team’s season ended in the first round of the 3A regional at Camp Point last Saturday at the hands of Quincy St. Peter by a score of 31-10. Rounding out the regular season, the young Lady Tigers lost to Liberty 42-12 and to Rushville-Industry 21-10.
The Virginia Junior High School boys’ basketball teams opened their season last week with the 7th grade team winning both games and the 8th graders winning one out of two. On the road at Kincaid, the seventh graders jumped out to an early lead and held on for the win over the South Fork Ponies. Virginia led 9-2 after a quarter and 17-6 at the half on their way to a 25-14 victory. T. Cooper and P. Petefish were both in double figures with 12 and 11 respectively. C. Lane had the final two points in the Redbirds win.