Spartans conquer Crusaders, get crunched by Gators
By Diana Royal Staff Writer

Jim Sandeford hustles down the court.

GISA AA giant Trinity Christian School had a long ride back to Dublin last Tuesday.

The Crusaders, who ended last season as the Region 2-AA runner up, were dealt a 9-point loss by Edmund Burke Academy.

Spartan head coach Todd Layton said the boys (11-6, 1-4) were excited to capture their first region win. "It's nice to beat Trinity in any sport," he commented, adding that it has been a long time.

The two teams battled it out in the first half, and the Crusaders had just a 3-point advantage at intermission. An 18-3 run in the third turned that deficit into a 12- point lead, and the Spartans never looked back.

Sophomore Boyd Lively was "a monster in the paint and on the boards," Layton said, while also commenting that junior starters Jim Sandeford and Jeremy Hayes played well, and Jamie Smith "brought energy and rebounding as he returned from an injury."

Point leaders were Sandeford, 14, Hayes, 13, and Lively, 8. Lively grabbed a total of 19 rebounds, while Smith had 10. The boys were 8-15 from the freethrow line, with Hayes and Sandeford both going 2-2.

The win over Trinity was much needed after a poor performance the previous night against John Hancock, who beat Edmund Burke 54-37.

Layton said the Spartans didn't play well - there was no energy, no intensity and they did not make their shots.

"We have too much talent to score just thirty-seven points in a varsity basketball game," he said.

Freshman Alex Sturkie was the front man for the Spartans, bringing in 9 points, while Sandeford and Lively each had 7, and Hayes and Nathan Kittrell had 6 each. Lively led on the boards with 12 rebounds, and Sandeford had 11. Senior Bernie Smith snatched 2 steals, and the boys were 13-19 in free throws.

On Friday, Jan. 25, in Statesboro, Bulloch Academy's Gators dominated the Spartans through all four quarters for an 81-54 region blowout.

EBA's boys started out great, Layton said, but after a few calls that didn't go their way, the Gators' lead swelled.

"The boys played hard, but we have to hit more shots against a good team like Bulloch," he said. "The young Spartans are a great group to coach and keep improving every game as a team."

Leading scorers against Bulloch were Hayes with 17, Sandeford, 16, and Lively, 11.

Lively had 11 rebounds, Sandeford, 7, and Smith, 6.