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.”