By BRIAN WOODSON
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
NARROWS, Va. — When the Narrows boys basketball team lost two players to season-ending injuries in the past month, the Green Wave cut to the Chase.
As in talented 6-foot-3 senior Chase Lawson, who knew what he had to do.
“Everybody has had to step up, especially the seniors because we are the leaders of the team,” Lawson said. “We have just got to step up and just play like leaders out there.”
He has done just fine.
“His rebounding has been big, his leadership and his defense,” Narrows first year head coach Greg Robertson said. “We have got a young squad, mostly juniors, we have got two sophomores and I just pulled a freshman up. His attitude, he has one of the best attitudes you could ask out of a kid.”
Lawson has led a team that many felt might not win three games this season to a 10-9 mark with a realistic chance to reach the region playoffs.
“We are really pleased, at the beginning of the season we weren’t really predicted to win many games at all,” Lawson said. “I have heard a lot of predictions and people were saying we weren’t even going to win three games so we are doing pretty good and we are looking to shock everybody.”
They already have.
“At the beginning of the year I had a lot of people when I took the coaching position, they said, ‘Hey, you are going to have a struggle year,’’ said Robertson, who replaced Chris Gautier after last season. “I had one lady tell me that we would be lucky to win a ball game. I had a lot of coaches and a lot of people who said, ‘Hey, you win four games that is good, you win more than that it is successful.’
“Here we are sitting at 10-9. There is a lot of talent, a lot of hidden talent that I felt like we needed to bring out from these boys.”
One of those was Lawson, who has thrived on the gridiron for Narrows, but his basketball skills aren’t bad either. He scored 53 points in three games last week, reaching 20 and 22 in two of those for the Green Wave.
The points are fine, but Lawson just wants wins, and the Green Wave got two of those last week.
“I am way more interested in getting the win,” Lawson said. “I couldn’t care less if I score zero and everybody else on the team gets 60, as long as we get that win I am fine with it.”
That performance earned Lawson the Pocahontas Coal Association/Bluefield Daily Telegraph Player of the Week award.
“This is new to me, it is a really humbling experience,” Lawson said. “I found out this morning. My coach told my mom and my mom told me. I was just shell-shocked, I didn’t know what to do.”
Just don’t expect it to go to his head.
“He gives a lot of credit to the guys around him,” Robertson said. “He knows it is not a one-on-one game, he knows there are five guys on the court, four other guys besides him.
“He is a good kid, he is a confident kid, he is a very motivated kid. He is one of those kids that if he sees somebody acting up I don’t have to say anything, he can nip it quick. He is a good leader,”
Lawson has enjoyed a stellar season, currently averaging 12 points and nine rebounds a game, while moving around on the court from his customary spot in the lane, trying to help to compensate for the loss of Cole Blaker (knee) and Austin Evans (shoulder), both of whom have been lost to inseason surgeries.
“Before I was playing strictly center, but now since Austin has had his surgery I have been playing a little bit of guard too,” Lawson said. “Everybody is pretty much interchangeable which means wherever we need somebody we move them there and we can just execute out there.
“I played guard a little bit last year and the year before so I am pretty used to it.”
Those injuries forced the Green Wave to step up. Lawson led the way.
“He definitely recognizes what he needs to do offensively and defensively, he knows he needed to step up, especially the rebounding part,” Robertson said. “Cole was our leading scorer at the time. Ever since then Chase has picked up his scoring, his defense, his leadership has just been huge, huge.”
Lawson, whose Wave will host Rural Retreat tonight, had 11 points to start last week in a road win over those same Indians. He added 20 in a close loss to Grayson County and followed that up with 22 points last Thursday at Montcalm.
He quickly shifts the credit to his teammates. After all, they realize when he wants the ball and he definitely knows what to do with it.
“We like to get the ball to whoever is feeling it,” he said. “I give all the credit to my teammates too for giving me the opportunity to score as many points as I do when I am feeling it...
“They have a lot of confidence in me, but it is mutual. If I have confidence in them then they will have confidence in me. We just share the ball with whoever needs to score that particular moment and we get it done.”
Narrows hasn’t played since that win over the Generals, but the Green Wave have still been working, ready to get back on the court.
“We have just had practice,” said Lawson, whose future plans include a degree in environmental science from Radford University. “Even though we have had snow days the guys have been getting together for open gym just to make sure we don’t lose anything and we stay conditioned.”
After hosting Rural Retreat tonight and visiting Bland County on Saturday, the Green Wave will host Parry McCluer or Bath County as a probable third seed in a Western Gate Conference (45) tournament opener on Monday.
“You play the game for a reason, you never know what happens,” said Robertson, whose Green Wave will be seeded below 1A state tourney favorite Radford and Auburn, which has beaten Narrows twice this season. “These kids have got some fire in them, they are very confident right now, we are going to ride that train as long as we can.”
Don’t count them out. Lawson won’t allow it.
“Our confidence level is really up right now.” he said. “We are just looking to keep it up and try to get some wins in there.”
bwoodson@bdtonline.com
/ Twitter @bdtwoodson
Honorable Mention
Boys - Week 9
Ballard Christian: Blake Bowles scored 28 in win over Mercer Christian. Wesley Hedrick scored 16 that night.
Bland County: Jacob Watters scored 17 points vs. Tazewell; Ty Ritter scored 13 that game.
Bluefield: Jeremy Thompson scored 26 points over two double-digit outings. Donta Hopkins (17 points), Dyon Wright (16 points) and Mookie Collier (13 points) all had big single-game showings for the Beavers.
Council: David D. Boyd scored 16 points in loss to Hurley.
Graham: Roman Workman scored 64 points over four games, including a 29-point explosion versus Grundy. Thomas Clarke had 25 points over two double-figure outings, contributing all over the scoresheet in a third. Nick Morgan had 20 points over two double-figure nights. Darrin Martin (17 points), Emil Curto (12 points), Cameron Allen (11 points) and Garrett Dalton (11 points) each had big single-game contributions for the G-Men.
Grundy: Ethan Duty scored 35 points over two games split by the Golden Wave. Dylan Wohlford scored 27 over the same stretch. Christian Jackson (25 points) stepped up big against Hurley.
Hurley: Zack Lester scored 53 points over three games and Brady Justice scored 43 over the same stretch. Taylor Justice had 23 points over two double-figure outings and Alex Pack (15 points) had a good night against Grundy.
Mercer Christian: Danel Boothe scored 47 points over two games for the Cavliers. Chandler Scott (19 points) had a big night against Seneca Trail.
James Monroe: Caleb Spencer scored 30 points over two games for the Mavericks. Clay Havens (11 points) hit double-figures against PikeView.
Montcalm: Zack Coeburn scored 12 against Narrows.
Mount View: K.J. Brown scored 27 points over two games for the Golden Knights. Joe Hayes had 23 over the same span. De’Moni Edwards scored 17 against Summers County.
Narrows: Austin Evans scored 14 points against Grayson County and had 12 rebounds in win at Montcalm. Steven Dunford (17 points) and Gavin Pruett (11 points) had nice single-game outings for the Green Wave.
PikeView: Wayne Brookman and Hunter Hill scored 37 points each over two double-figure outings. Seth Meadows had 31 points over the same span.
Princeton: Colton Fix scored 32 points over two double figure outings in an 0-2 week. Jacob Whittington (10 points) had a solid single-game performance.
Richlands: Scottie Ball scored 57 points over three double-figure outings, including 25 points versus Union. Luke Phillips scored 58 over four double-figure nights. Cody Fuller scored 53 points over three double-figure outings, including 28 versus Tazewell. Grant Herndon was good for 14 points against Chilhowie.
River View: Tyree Baker scored 21, Brian Mitchell scored 19 and Ronnie Morgan and Jonah Baker had 10 apiece against Van.
Summers County: Matt Ryan scored 26 points and dished out nine assists, and Andrew Richmond added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Bobcats in an overtime thriller against Mount View.
Tazewell: Dakota Griffith scored 29 points over two double-figure nights. Hunter Mullins (16 points) and Ben Samaniego (10-points) both had strong single-game showings.
Twin Valley: Tanner Wagner (39 points) and Tayten Sykes (34 points) both put together back-to-back double-figure outings. Steven Mullins scored 12 versus Richlands.
Wyoming East: David Carte scored 50 points over two games, including 30 in a win over Robert C. Byrd for Big Atlantic AA title.
• • •
2015-16 Boys Basketball Winners
Week 1: Daniel Boothe, Mercer Christian
Week 2: Hunter Hill, PikeView
Week 3: Jeremy Thompson, Bluefield
Week 4: Tanner Robinette, Honaker
Week 5: Roman Workman, Graham
Week 6: Luke Phillips, Richlands
Week 7: Tyree Baker, River View
Week 8: Seth Meadows, PikeView
Week 9: Chase Lawson, Narrows