KRHS boys blow out Eastern View, 75-35

Friday, Dec. 28 | By Joe Rummel

It wasn't really a comeback.

But what do you call a game where Kettle Run trailed 10-9 after the first quarter and scored only six points in the fourth and still won by a landslide?

The Cougars (3-4) really only needed two quarters to post an overwhelming 75-35 victory over struggling Eastern View on the opening night of its own Christmas Classic tournament on Thursday.

Elsewhere on Thursday, both Liberty and Fauquier lost on the opening night of the Scenic America Tournament, setting up their first meeting of the year in Friday's consolation game. North Stafford dispatched the Eagles, 72-54, despite the return of Xavier Colbert from strep throat. Colbert scored a team-high 25 points.

Fauquier lost to Millbrook 66-50; Falcon Caleb Lantz tallied 15.

Kettle Run's triumph Thursday was its second reassuring effort in a row, coming after a 68-66 upset victory in overtime over previously undefeated Skyline (9-1) on Dec. 21, and set up a showdown with Stafford in the Kettle Run Winter Classic final Friday.

Cougar junior Brendan Deliee said defense was responsible for his team’s dominance.

“That was the game, pretty much. Causing turnovers, getting layups. It’s all about the easy buckets,” Deliee said.

After Kettle Run's slow start, Deliee sparked a 16-4 run that helped the Cougars seize command and take a 39-20 halftime lead.

Deliee dropped the guillotine from the get-go of the second half with a basket off a nifty move and score in the lane. The rest of the third quarter could be described as finger roll practice, as the Cougars amassed basket after basket on layups.

When the starters came out it was 69-25.

"We like to think that our defensive intensity and defensive pressure hopefully gets us going offensively," said coach Troy Washington, who has seen his team improve after three lopsided losses in a row to Freedom, Culpeper and Tuscarora from Dec. 14-19.

With a guard-oriented team, Washington wants to play pressure defense and run. "We like to play that up-tempo style on both ends of the floor…trying to build some consistency…and hopefully build momentum,” he said.

Rashawn Latimer led the Cougars with 19, followed by Deliee with 15, and Danny Mattson with 10 and Travis Williams with nine.

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