2007-2008 VCCS State Champions

McGill signs to play at PHCC
Thursday, March 27, 2008
By RUSS CARTER - Bulletin Sports Writer

In its first player signing as a junior college program, the Patrick Henry Community College basketball team added Bassett High School standout Josh McGill to its roster on Wednesday.

McGill, a senior at Bassett, averaged 18.2 points and 8.2 rebounds a game this season. He also was named the Piedmont District Player of the Year and voted to the All-Region IV First Team and Virginia Preps AA First Team. He’s a candidate for the all-state team and could play in the VHSL East-West All-Star Game (decisions could come as soon as this weekend).

In his junior year he was named to the All-Piedmont District First Team and was an honorable mention recipient on the All-Region IV Team. “I feel real good about signing,” McGill said. “It feels good just to go to college and to play something that I love.”

PHCC head coach Chuck Moore was excited about adding a local player as his team’s first letter of intent. “To be able to get one of the best players in the area is a huge step for our program, and will be a huge addition to sending it in the right direction,” Moore said. PHCC finished its final season in the Virginia Community College System as conference and state champions, and will compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association this upcoming season.

Moore said McGill has a good chance at seeing the court for the Patriots. “Josh’s athleticism should definitely be an advantage to him,” Moore said. “We’re hoping he can get adjusted to the speed of our game very quickly. He has potential to compete for some serious playing time.”

Bassett Head Coach Tom Hering said he was proud of McGill’s accomplishments. “It feels good to have another player from my program to move to the next level,” Hering said. Hering, who has been coaching at Bassett for six years, saw 2006 graduate Brandon Johnson sign with Guilford College his senior year.

Hering looks forward to watching McGill on the hardwood in years to come. “I think this is going to give him a chance to work on his game, and hopefully in two years he will be able to move on to continue playing at whatever level he’s capable of,” Hering said.

Photo Courtesy Martinsville Bulletin
Patriots Win State Championship

Monday, March 10, 2008
By RUSS CARTER - Bulletin Sports Writer

In its last season in the Virginia Community College System, the Patrick Henry Community College men’s basketball team not only claimed the regular season championship but also the state championship title. The Patriots won the final round of the VCCS tournament, defeating Southside Community College 103-88 on Sunday at Brunswick High School.

Head Coach Chuck Moore was overwhelmed. “I’m on cloud nine,” Moore said. “I’m close to being on heaven if I’m still on earth.” Moore said the win was well-deserved. “They’ve worked hard since August 13,” he said. “When you put that much effort into it and take the prize at the end, then they get it — now they believe.”

The Patriots jumped to an early lead in the first half, forcing Southside turnovers with an up-tempo defense. With 6:19 left on the clock in the first half, PHCC led 38-26 and seemed to have the game under control. But the Force came bounding back, closing the Patriots’ lead to 5 thanks to a pair of consecutive 3-pointers.

PHCC answered with its own pair of shots beyond the arch and went into the locker room with a 57-46 lead. Southside came out after the break looking to upset the Patriots. After a pair of foul shots early in the quarter, the Force hit a 3-pointer to lessen the gap. And after a Patriot miss, Southside hit another 3, making the score 59-54. Regaining their balance, the Patriots stepped up their defense, hitting two quick buckets after Southside pulled within 3 with 16:36 on the clock.

PHCC’s Reggie Cherry added a pair of foul shots on the next possession, and Jay Johnson added a little distance with a pair of steals that resulted in two more baskets. With 14:17 left on the game clock, PHCC took over the game and with time running out on the clock walked off the floor as the state champions. James Vann led Patriot scoring with 21 points. James Robertson, who was named tournament MVP after the game, hit 21. Kevin Perry added 13, and Cherry posted 12.

Cherry was named to the second all-conference tournament team. Vann, Robertson and Jay Johnson all were named to the first team. After the win, Robertson said he couldn’t believe the outcome. “This is awesome,” he said. “I’ve never won a state championship before.”

He added that next year will be a different story because the team will be playing in the National Junior College Athletic Association. “We’ll have to step our game up,” he said. “The teams will be more competitive.” Of course, Robertson didn’t mind winning the state title as a farewell to the VCCS. “We went out like champs,” he said. “That’s a good way of going out.”

Patriots on Top for Tourney

Friday, March 7, 2008
By RUSS CARTER - Bulletin Sports Writer

After capturing the regular season Virginia Community College System title, the Patrick Henry Community College men’s basketball team goes into this weekend’s tournament as the number one seed. However, Patriots Head Coach Chuck Moore isn’t counting on the high seeding to get his team through the tournament. “At this stage, everyone comes to play,” Moore said. “There’s no major advantage to the higher seeding.”

But advantage or none, Moore added that he likes the team’s chances at coming away with a state championship. “We’ve got as good a chance as anybody,” Moore said. “But everyone knows you’ve got to have a little luck. And we’ve got to play through major adversity while on the road.”

The Patriots finished the season with a 21-10 overall record, and more importantly, a 13-2 conference record, an accomplishment Moore accredits to his team. “To be able to claim a conference championship in my first year as head coach is a testament to the efforts of my players,” Moore said.

He added that his team has had to fight through numerous changes and adjustments in his first year and have done well to claim the title and true to form, the Patriots will have to face one more change during the tournament. Having spent the season watching Moore pace the sidelines, the Patriots will have to undergo a new form of coaching — a coach on crutches. “I definitely can’t jump, bounce, hop and skip and do everything like I usually do,” Moore said. “But that won’t slow my mouth down, I won’t lose my intensity.”

Moore was injured during a drill with his team, and even though he doesn’t enjoy the crutches, he said he is pleased his is the only injury plaguing the team. Moore added that his team has done well overcoming every obstacle this year, and are ready to compete. “This has been an up and down year,” Moore said. “But I feel like we’re mentally ready for this tournament.”

But being mentally ready isn’t the only thing the Patriots will have to do to make it through on top.
“The key is playing with confidence,” Moore said. “And playing solid individual and team defense. We’ve got to get stops. We can score, but can we stop people? That is the key to our winning.”

The Patriots averaged 89 points per game during the regular season while giving up an average of 77 points per game. James Robertson led PHCC with an average of 16.6 points per game. James Vann averaged 14 points/game, Marlin Cribbs averaged 13 points/game and 8.5 rebounds/game and Kevin Perry averaged 11.7 points/game and 7.8 rebounds/game.

With relatively even scoring distribution and four players averaging in double digits, the Patriots hope to continue their solid team play into the tournament. “We’re going to do what we do, and hopefully we’ll do it better than they do.” Moore said

The Patriots face off against Southside Community College — Alberta Campus today at 10 p.m. at Brunswick Senior High.

PHCC Men Win Again

The Patrick Henry Community College basketball team finished its home season, topping Northern Va. Community College 83-63 on Saturday.

James Vann led the Patriots with 17 points and 5 rebounds. Reggie Cherry recorded 14 points, 7 rebounds; James Robertson had 10 points, 4 steals; and Justin Wilson added 10 points, 5 assists.

With the win the Patriots improved their overall record to 20-9 (12-1 in the conference)

Men Fall on the Road

The Patrick Henry Community College men’s basketball team suffered its first VCCS loss at the hands of Thomas Nelson Community College on Saturday in Hampton.

Despite having five players in double digits, the Patriot defense struggled to stop the scoring of Thomas Nelson, losing 97-85.

Marlin Cribbs led the Patriots with 20 points and 19 rebounds. James Vann scored 19, Jay Johnson, 14; Kevin Perry, 11; and James Robertson added 10.

With the loss, the Patriots’ record falls to 15-9 overall and 8-1 in the conference.

Patriots Win at Home

The Patrick Henry Community College men’s basketball team’s game against the Tidewater Community College Storm on Thursday night went from good to bad to ugly.

After a slow start, the Patriots’ offense heated up and jumped to a sizable lead. But poor shot selection and mental mistakes began to plague the starting five of PHCC. Then, after a brief stint on the bench, the Patriot starters returned to dominate Tidewater 96-72. “This was a good test for us,” Head Coach Chuck Moore said. “We played great and horrible all in the same game.”

The Patriots, who are undefeated in conference play, started the night off with a tip-off that landed out of bounds, followed by a Patriot inbound pass that sailed out of play, giving the ball to Tidewater, which failed to convert for points. The two teams turned the ball over or failed to make a basket in the first eight possessions of the game.

Once the Patriot offense finally found the basket, the team went on a scoring spree sparked by the 3-point shooting of James Vann. By the end of the night, five Patriot players were in double digits.
Marlin Cribbs hit the first 2 points for the Patriots with 18:27 on the clock. After a PHCC offensive rebound, Reggie Cherry added 1 more, hitting one of his two foul shots.

Jay Johnson stole the ball at half court on the next possession and converted the turnover into 2 points, making the score 6-2 in favor of the Patriots. Then Vann went into a zone, hitting three straight 3-pointers. Tidewater answered with two 3-pointers of its own, but a still-hot Vann hit two more consecutive shots beyond the arch.

Vann managed to knock down six 3-pointers before finally missing from beyond the arch, and the Patriot offense continued to dominate an undersized Tidewater back-court. After jumping to a 35-8 lead early in the first half, however, the Patriots began making mental mistakes.

“We lost our focus,” Moore said. “We have a tendency to lose focus once we have a comfortable lead.” By half time, the Patriots were up 50-31, and the Storm appeared to be hinting at a comeback.

Closing the gap on PHCC, Tidewater worked the score to 54-40 around the 17 minute mark, and Moore pulled four of his five starters out of the game. Five minutes later, the four returned and scored 4 points in less than a minute as the Storm began to lose its control. The Patriots finished the game with the ball in their hands, up 96-72.

After the game, Moore said the win was a team effort, but pulling out his starters helped get the entire team refocused. “We regroup when we need to regroup,” he added.

Vann finished the night with 21 points and five assists. Robertson, who also had 5 assists, added 19 points. Cribbs had 15 points and 8 rebounds. Kevin Perry recorded 14 points and 6 rebounds, and Jay Johnson added 14 points and 6 rebounds. With the win, the Patriots improve their conference record to 6-0 while Tidewater falls to 3-3.

Moore said his team continues to improve, and with eight conference games left, he hopes the team will be in a good place by the end of the season. “We should finish (the conference) strong,” he said. “We’re trying to put ourselves in a position to be playing great basketball at the state tournament.”

The Patriots travel to Hampton to play Thomas Nelson Community College on Saturday. Their next home game will be Feb. 21 against Danville Community College. That game starts at 8 p.m.

Patriots Top VA Western

The Patrick Henry Community College Men's basketball team topped Virginia Western Community College 96-61 Wednesday night at home.

The win gives the Patriots a 15-8 overall record and a 7-0 record in the Virginia Community College standings.

Leading the Patriots was Kenny Fletcher with 18 points, four of which were 3-pointers. Also scoring in double figures were James Vann with 18 points, three of which were 3-pointers, Kevin Perry with 14 points and Marlin Cribbs with 10 points and 6 rebounds.

The Patriots return to action tonight against Tidewater Community College at 4 p.m. at home.

PHCC Improves to 14-8

The Patrick Henry Community College men’s basketball team defeated Dabney Lancaster 131-54 on Tuesday Night in Clifton Forge. The win improved the Patriots overall record to 14-8 and they remain a perfect 6-0 in the VCCS.

James Robertson led PHCC with 24 points. Five other players finished in double figures with Kevin Perry (21), Reggie Cherry (16), James Vann (11), Jay Johnson (10), and Marlin Cribbs (10) all playing big roles in the win.

The Patriots return to action on Wednesday Night at PHCC against Virginia Western at 7:30 PM.

PHCC Men Dominate

The Patrick Henry Community College men’s basketball team defeated Dabney Lancaster 128-61 Saturday at PHCC.
Up 65-31 at the break, the Patriots went on a 63-30 second-half scoring run.

Eight players finished the game in double digits. Reggie Cherry led PHCC with 24 points. Kevin Perry also added 20 points. Andrew York and Leroy Ellington (career high) both had 11. James Robertson, Jay Johnson, Marlin Cribbs and Barry Brown each added 10 points.

With the win, the Patriots improved their record to 12-8 overall and 4-0 in the conference. PHCC plays again at 1 p.m. today against Southside Community College at PHCC’s Stone Hall.

Men Take Down TNCC

The Patrick Henry Men's Basketball team continued it's winning ways in the VCCS posting a 96-80 win over Thomas Nelson C.C. on Sunday at Stone Hall. Kevin Perry led the offensive attack with 22 points and 14 rebounds. James Robertson added 20 points while James Vann and Reggie Cherry reached double figures with 15 and 12 respectively. The Patriots return to action on Saturday against Dabney S. Lancaster C.C. at 2:00 PM at Stone Hall.

Hargrave Prevails over Patriots
By RUSS CARTER - Martinsville Bulletin Sports Writer

For the first few minutes of play, the Patrick Henry Community College men’s basketball team had Hargrave knocked off balance. But, a flurry of 3-pointers allowed the Hargrave Tigers to regain the lead and eventually finish off the Patriots 115-74. At the turn of the game, Hargrave’s Damier Pitts already had recorded 26 points, four of which were from beyond the arch.

“We really shot the ball well tonight,” Hargrave Head Coach Kevin Keatss said after the game. “You can’t always do that every game, but the shots just fell tonight.” Hargrave finished the game with a 20/41 3-pointer ratio, eclipsing PHCC’s 9/19 night.

After the game, Patriot Head Coach Chuck Moore said his team played well, but a team that shoots so well is hard to beat. “We learned to play at a higher level tonight and that’s what this game was for,” he added. “We have to get mentally tougher.”

The Patriots started the game playing patiently and waiting for the easy shot, but as Pitts started to heat up from 3-point land, PHCC began to rush its shots and was plagued by poor ball-control. In the first half alone, the Patriots committed 17 turnovers.

PHCC jumped to an early first-half lead with a Marlin Cribbs tip-in to start the scoring, followed by a James Vann dish to Reggie Cherry for two more. Pitts, who is committed to Marshall University, hit his first two of the night from the free-throw line but a 5-0 run by the Patriots worked the score to 9-2. Hargrave’s Dexter Moore added another 3 but Patriot James Robertson answered with his own 3-point play, working the score to 12-7 with the Patriots on top.

But Pitts began to find his range, sinking two 3-pointers to take the lead 16-14. PHCC’s Kevin Perry managed to tie the game at 16, but after a 10-0 run the Tigers went up by 10. At the end of the first half, the Patriots were down 56-33.

Hargrave came into the second firing on all cylinders, shooting 3/3 from beyond the arch for a quick 9 points. The Patriots earned their first points in the second half with 17:17 left on the clock, but Hargrave’s shooting onslaught did not slow up as they hit four more 3-pointers in the next three minutes. With 10:00 left on the clock, the Tigers already had matched their first-quarter 3-point performance with eight buckets.

Pitts finished the game with seven 3-pointers and 37 points. Moore added seven 3-pointers of his own and 27 points. For the Patriots, Kevin Perry recorded 17 points and James Robertson added 10.

Moore said his team was feeling pretty low after the game. “We’ll be fine,” he added. “These guys don’t like to lose. They’re players but they are learning. They will learn from (tonight) and bounce back.”

Although the game was a lopsided victory for Hargrave, Keatss was complimentary of PHCC’s program. “You really have to play when you come to (PHCC) now,” he said. “The division they will be going into next year is a tough one, but they are going to fit in.” He added that Moore and Athletic Director Chris Parker were doing a good job in building a strong athletic program in the area.

Saturday will mark the beginning of VCCS conference play for the Patriots as they take on Tidewater Community College at 5 p.m. at Stone Hall.

PHCC Men Pick Up Victory

The Patrick Henry Community College men avenged their Nov. 28 loss to Lenoir Community College, beating the Lancers 89-82 at PHCC on Saturday. After losing the first match up 79-66 on the road, Head Coach Chuck Moore said he knew Saturday’s game was going to be tough.

Neither team could pull away from the other, and the largest lead of the night only reached to 7 points. After multiple lead changes in the first half, the Patriots went into the break down 47-45. But with 15:00 left in the game, PHCC grabbed the lead and maintained it until the end. Five Patriots ended the game in double digits.

James Robertson had 18 points, 7 assists and six rebounds. James Vann had 15 points and eight rebounds. Kenny Fletcher had 11 points, 6 of them coming in the last 3:00 of the ball game in the form of two clutch 3-pointers. Reggie Cherry recorded 12 points and 6 rebounds. And Jay Johnson netted 10 points and five assists.

The Patriots play again at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at PHCC’s Stone Hall against Hargrave Military Academy.

Patriots Romp Knights
Friday, December 7, 2007

By IAN MELMOOD - Martinsville Bulletin Sports Writer

Forward Marlin Cribbs’ 14 first-half points helped lead the Patrick Henry Community College men’s basketball team to a 93-70 victory over Surry Community (N.C.) College on Thursday at PHCC’s Stone Hall.

It was the second time this season that PHCC (7-5) defeated the Knights, a Division One junior college that will be in the Patriots’ division next year when PHCC becomes a junior college. The score of the first game was 101-89. “It (beating Surry) shows us that we’re on the level that we need to be at already,” PHCC Head Coach Chuck Moore said. The Patriots’ overall level of competition in its division will increase next year when they become a junior college.

Cribbs was the leading scorer for the Patriots with 19 points overall. The Knights played tighter defense on him in the second half, which opened up shots for other players.
“When Marlin can get on, it creates inside, it helps,” Moore said. “We knew they were going to key in on him in the second half.”

Forward Kevin Perry had a big game for the Patriots underneath the basket, recording a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Perry scored most of his points in the paint. “When our guys in the middle get double-doubles, it makes it a lot easier for our guys on the perimeter,” Moore said.

Defensively, the Patriots kept the pressure on the Knights throughout the game. PHCC would press defensively on almost every Surry possession. “Coach said if we hold anybody to 70 points or lower, we’ll be in a great position to win,” guard Jay Johnson said. “I felt like their ball handlers were suspect, and they’re probably not in as good of shape as we were,” Moore said. “That pressure was working and creating easy baskets, so we stayed in it.”

Five Patriots players scored in double digits. Along with Cribbs and Perry, James Robertson contributed 18 points, James Vann had 15 points, and Justin had 11 points off the bench. Many of the Patriots points scored after Surry missed shots. “We just try to get out and convert in transition,” Vann said.

Although the Patriots dominated most of the game, they came out of the gate flat. They fell behind 4-0 early on and committed a couple of turnovers. Moore took a time-out to try and stem the tide. The Patriots never looked back. By the end of the first half, they had opened up a 44-29 lead over the Knights.

The Patriots coasted to the win in the second half. With the defenders clamping down on Cribbs, it opened the way for other players to boost their point totals. Robertson led all second-half scorers with 13 points. The Knights were never closer than nine points behind the Patriots in the period. “I feel like we controlled the game for about 75 percent of the game,” Moore said.

Next up for the Patriots is a rematch with Guilford Tech on Saturday at home at 4 p.m. Guilford beat the Patriots 87-76 in their first meeting, but the game wasn’t even close, according to Moore. “Guilford beat us pretty solidly last time,” he said. “We know what they’re going to run, but if we play sound defense, it makes life a lot easier.”

Patriots Drop Road Game
The Patrick Henry Community College men’s basketball team lost to Davidson County Community College Monday night by a score of 100-92. Head Coach Chuck Moore said the major difference in the score was due to Davidson’s 17/26 three point shooting.

The Patriots were led by Kevin Perry with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Jason Moore added 19 points and James Vann contributed 14 of his own.

The Patriots play at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Patrick Henry against Surry Community College.

Patriots Top Southside C.C.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
By DREW EARY - Martinsville Bulletin Sports Writer

The Patrick Henry Community College men’s basketball team defeated Southside Community College Saturday night, 87-66. The win earned the Patriots their second conference victory and improved their record to 2-0 in the Virginia Community College Conference and 6-4 overall.

Even though the Patriots put together a solid win over the Southside Force, Patrick Henry Head Coach Chuck Moore said that he felt the game could have been better for his team. “At times we played well,” he said. “But we still need to put together a full 40-minute game. We are yet to do that this season.”

The biggest problem the Patriots faced was putting together a proper defensive stand against the Force, which he said was due to a mental block. “We could have put the dagger in the game there in the first half,” he said. “But they were offensively out rebounding us, and (one of their players) got hot and closed it up on us there in the first half.”

The Force’s hot streak brought them within eight points of the Patriots during the first half of the game, but the Patriots were able to stretch their lead after Moore called a time out about halfway through the first half. Moore said the time-out helped his team focus on winning the game. “They (the Patriots) got in a defensive slump and (the Force) went on a run,” he said. “At about 11 minutes to go, I called a time out there and talked with them about it. From there we managed to step the game up.”

Another problem Moore said the Patriots faced was adjusting to having all of their players able to play. “This was also our first game at full strength,” he said. “We haven’t gotten that chemistry with us all together yet. Once we adjust to that, we’ll see what the team is capable of offensively.”

Many of the Patriots also noticed their defensive slump. “The reason we played slow was because we played sloppy on D,” guard Kenny Fletcher said, referring to defense. “We had to step up and play when (the score) got down to single digits.”

Fletcher said that the more the Patriots play together, the less sloppy they will play. “It just comes down to us playing together,” he said. “Pretty much all of us are in our first year here. Playing better comes from experience, and that will come more and more every game.”

Even though the Patriots struggled at times with stopping the Force’s offensive drives, the Patriots had little trouble running the score up as well, especially in the second half.
Guard Leroy Ellington said that a lot of the Patriots early offensive struggles came from the guards overextending themselves. “We were gambling,” he said. “We were reaching in to get the ball; basically we were fouling.”

Getting caught is what allowed the Force to keep up with the Patriots, Ellington said.
“We took over and came back in the second half,” he said. “We were able to play our game: Patriot basketball. We got to do well in transitioning the ball, running it up the court and making smart decisions.”