For the third year in a row, the Crown Knights High School teams competed in the East Coast Homeschool Basketball Championships, which were held on the Liberty University campus in Lynchburg, VA.  86 teams from 10 states participated in this year’s event, which made it the largest in the seven year history of the tournament.

VARSITY BOYS:

The Varsity Boys’ came into the tournament with a 26-4 record and a legitimate shot to make it to Class 8A.  During pool play, the Knights won all three of their games - defeating Lighthouse Christian (NC), St. John’s (VA) and the Upstate Eagles (SC) by substantial margins.  These wins earned the Knights a spot in Class 8A - which is reserved for the top 4 teams after pool play.  In the semi-finals, the Knights were beaten by eventual tournament champion Flower Mound (TX), which is considered one of the best homeschool teams in the country.  The third place game against last year’s champion Central Virginia was a competitive and close contest.  With less than three minutes to play the Knights were only down by two - 57 to 55; however, Central Virginia hit a big 3 point shot and a contested 2 point shot to put the game away.  Even with the two losses, the Knights finished the tournament in 4th place out of 30 teams.  Corey Turner (10.4 ppg), Brett Camp (9.8 ppg), and Nathan Hirsh (9.0 ppg) were the team’s leading scorers during the tournament.

The Knights ended the season with 29 wins and only 6 losses.  Six seniors will graduate from this year’s squad.  They have been an integral part of a special team which recorded 63 wins over the last two years.

VARISTY GIRLS:

Entering this year’s tournament the girls’ knew they had a good chance of reaching the top varsity girls’ bracket - Class 6A.  During pool play, the team played well as they defeated St. John’s (VA), Surry County (NC), and Bristol (TN).  Their performance earned them a spot in Class 6A and a semi-final round match-up with Durham (NC).  Durham is one of the top girls’ teams in North Carolina and they proved their mettle with a 64-46 win over the Lady Knights.  In the third-place game the Lady Knights took on Fairfax County (VA) and fell behind by double-digits in the first half.  The girls’ fought back and eventually got the lead down to 2 halfway through the fourth quarter.  However, Fairfax hit some clutch shots down the stretch and put the Lady Knights away.  

The girls’ 4th place finish (out of 24 teams) capped a fantastic year.  Their 26-3 record is the highest winning percentage by a Varsity Girls’ team in Crown’s history.  Three seniors are graduating but there is a solid core of players returning who will be working hard to improve on this year’s performance.

JV Boys:

The JV Boys’ finished 2nd in each of the last two East Coast Championships and this year’s team was looking to finally bring home the championship trophy.  The boys’ started pool play strong as they defeated Albemarle (VA) and Lighthouse Christian (NC).  In the last pool play game they ran into a strong Front Royal (VA) team and lost 46-33.  With a 2-1 pool play record, the JV Knights were placed in Class 3A - the second highest bracket of the JV Boys’ division.  In the semi-finals the Knights defeated Bristol (TN) 49-40.  The win put them in the 3A finals against Kingsport Area (TN).  During the finals, the Knights fell behind early and stayed behind for most of the game.  However, with time running out, Elijah Hirsh hit a lay-up off of a great pass to secure a hard fought 30-29 victory.  With the win the JV Boys’ finished in 5th place.

The JV Knights ended the year with an impressive 26-5 record which is the fourth 20+ win season in a row under Coach Brad Cundiff.  Even though they are losing four starters to the varsity squad, the JV Boys’ should be very tough next year with seven returning players and a number of guys moving up from this year’s Middle School team which won the NAML championship.

JV Girls: 

This is the first year the JV Girls have competed in Virginia so no one really knew what to expect.  The girls’ started pool play against an undefeated Easley (SC) squad and lost 42-20.  In the second game they lost to another good team - Front Royal (VA).  The girls’ handily defeated Albemarle (VA) in the last pool play game to finish with a 1-2 record in pool play.  The Lady Knights’ were placed in the Class 1A bracket, giving the team a chance to play for a solid, 5th place finish.  In the semi-finals they defeated Lighthouse Christian (NC) 40-28, which earned them a birth to the Class 1A finals.  Playing a talented Central Virginia team, the girls’ played well and with the clock winding down, they led by one point.  However, a last second 3 point shot by Central Virginia swished through the nets and the JV Girls’ had to settle for 6th place in their first East Coast Tournament appearance.  The team really came together after the first two games and played well down the stretch.

The JV Girls’ finished the season with a 14-11 record - a great accomplishment for such a young team.

GO KNIGHTS!

Recently, two Crown Athletics high school coaches reached the 100 career win mark. 

On Saturday, February 9, Varsity Boys’ coach Jeff Warford hit the 100 win mark when the Varsity Boys’ defeated Cross Athletics.  Coach Jeff was given a commemorative ball at the end of the game.  During Jeff’s four years at the helm of the Varsity Boys’ he currently has a career record of 103 wins and 31 losses.  Over the last two years his teams have a combined 60-5 record.  Coach Jeff works his players hard and expects them to give their best every game.

On Tuesday, February 12, JV Boys’ Coach Brad Cundiff recorded his 100th win against Greater Atlanta Adventist.  Coach Brad was also given a game ball to commemorate this event.  Brad had been the JV Boys’ coach for 5 years and prior to that he coached at the middle school level for 2 years.  During his 5 years as the JV Boys’ coach his teams have amassed 100 wins and only 36 losses.  Coach Brad is a great example for his players - both on and off the court.

Congratulations to both Jeff Warford and Brad Cundiff - we look forward to many more successful seasons.

GO KNIGHTS!

For the first time since 2008 a Crown Athletics middle school boys’ team won the NAML basketball championship.  The 8th Grade Boys’ had a specatular season and capped it off with an exciting 54-49 win over previously unbeaten Eastside Christian School.  The win was particularly rewarding because Eastside had beaten the Knights twice during the regular season.

The Knights finished the regular season with a 15-6 record and the #2 seed in the post-season tournament.  The boys’ started the tournament with a convincing 57-37 win over North Cobb Christian.  Then, in the semi-finals they edged out Mt. Bethel Christian, 31-29. 

The finals were played at Eastside and a large and noisy crowd showed up to watch.  Eastside always plays physical and the Knights did not back down once, dominating the boards and playing tough man-to-man defense.  On offense, the Knights took the ball right at Eastside and did not allow them to get into their normal defensive set.  When the final horn sounded the Knights had secured a well deserved five point victory.

Congratulations and GO KNIGHTS!

We will be recognizing all of our senior basketball players on Saturday, February 9th.  The Senior Recognition Program will begin at the conclusion of the Varsity Girls’ game (approximately 6:45pm). 

There are four games scheduled for the 9th: JV Girls’ - 3pm, JV Boys’ - 4:15pm, Varsity Girls’ - 5:30pm and the Varsity Boys at 7:00pm.  So please join us as we say “thank you” to a great group of seniors who have helped make Crown one of of the premier homeschool programs in the southeast.

Varsity Boys:

The boys’ started the year strong with tournament victories at the Killian Hill Tip-Off Classic and GRIT.  Entering the Christmas break the team’s record is 13-1, with their lone loss coming on the road to Dominion Christian.  On January 26, Dominion will be coming to TKA - so mark your calendar folks as the Knights will be looking to knock them off and even the season series. 

The Knights are playing well on both ends of the court as they have multiple offensive and defensive options.  Offensively they can score from the perimeter, drive to the basket, or work it inside to their post players.  This has caused considerable problems for their competition as most teams are not used to playing against teams that can score from all areas of the court.  Defensively, the boys’ play both a “2-3″ zone and man-to-man depending on the situation.

Here are the stat leaders for the Knights through mid-season:

Scoring- Josh Jernigan (12.6 ppg), Brett Camp (12.1 ppg), and Corey Turner (9.6 ppg)

Rebounding- Corey Turner (8.6 rpg), Josh Jernigan (6.5 rpg), and TD Comer (5.9rpg)

Assists- Brett Camp (4.9 apg), Corey Turner (3.7 apg), and Ben McCleskey (3.2 apg)

The Knights open the second half of the season on Jan 5th against Evangel Family Christian before traveling to perennial power Greater Atlanta Adventist on Jan 8th.  Other key contests include games with Macon Area, Knoxville Homeschool, Dominion Christian, a home contest vs Greater Atlanta Adventist, and two games against homeschool rival Greater Gwinnett.

Varsity Girls:

The girls’ team has been perfect so far this year - sporting a 12-0 record at the year’s half-way point.  The key to their success is the team’s unselfish attitude which has created a balanced offensive and defensive attack. 

Four girls’ are averaging in double figures (Jordan Gray, Elizabeth Pratt, Anna Davenport & Kenzie Pye) so teams are not able to key on just one or two players.  Defensively, Jordan Gray leads the team in steals and Jordan, Anna Davenport, and Elizabeth Pratt are getting the bulk of the rebounds.  The girls’ are only giving up 31 points per game which is a very good number.

Coach Ron Pratt commented that he is very proud of the team’s effort - he also mentioned that the girls’ do not care who scores the most or makes the best play - they just want to win.

The Lady Knights open the second half of the season on January 5th at home against Evangel Family Christian.  Their biggest game is on January 19th when they travel to Tennessee to take on the Knoxville Ambassadors, who are ranked as the 11th best girls’ homeschool team in the country by the National Homeschool Basketball Association.  Other games of note include contests against Killian Hill, Holy Spirit Prep and Macon Area. 

GO KNIGHTS!

JV BOYS:

The boys finished the first half of the season with an 11-2 record.  They are being led in scoring by Danny Johnston (9.4 ppg), Elijah Hirsh (8.8ppg), and Grant Esasky (7.0 ppg).  The Knights have out-rebounded all but one of their opponents thanks to a strong effort by Grant Esasky (9.5 rpg) and Elijah Hirsh (6.6 rpg).  Jake Ganster, Danny Johnston and Porter Wilbanks are leading the team in steals which has helped create many easy transition baskets for the team.

The Knights’ bench has played an important role during the first half of the season.  Their consistent play and effort has been a key factor during a number of the team’s victories.  Brady Watkins, Hamilton Armour, Cam Cundiff and Nate Weinberg have led the way and provided valuable minutes off the bench.

Per Coach Cundiff, in order for the JV Boys’ finish the year strong they need to become more consistent in their half-court offensive execution and they need to reduce the number of careless turnovers.  If the boys’ can continue to improve and work hard it is likely that they will be the fourth straight JV Boys’ team to win 20 or more games in a season.

The Knights open the second half of the season on Jan. 5th at home versus Evangel Family Christian.  On January 14, they will try to avenge one of their losses when they take on homeschool rival North Atlanta Flight.

JV GIRLS:

Entering the Christmas break the JV Girls have a 4-5 record.  Two of these losses came against varsity competition - so they have a winning record against other JV teams.  Even though many new faces fill out the team’s roster, the girls’ have performed well in most games and have continued to improve under Coach Don Ware’s guidance.

In their next to last game before the break, the girls’ lost an exciting overtime contest to Collegedale Academy 57-52.  On January 17, the girls’ will get a chance to knock off Collegedale when they visit our gym for a Thursday night contest.  Other key games remaining for the Lady Knights are contests against Macon Area, Greater Gwinnett and Holy Spirit Prep. 

GO KNIGHTS!

6th/7th Boys:

Heading into the Christmas break the 6th/7th boys have a 4-7 overall record, which includes a 1-2 mark in conference play.  After starting out the year 0-3 they have bounced back to win 4 of their last 8 games.  Their biggest win is a 24-18 victory over conference rival Eastside Christian.

As is normally the case with this age level, the majority of the team came into the year with no experience playing at the interscholastic level.  Coach Brett Hereth has worked diligently with them and the boys’ have improved as the year has progressed.

The Knights open the second half of the season with an important conference match-up at home against Mt Bethel - a win will give them a good chance to qualify for the post-season conference tournament.

8th Boys:

Heading into the season, expectations were high for this team and they have not disappointed.  Even after playing a very tough non-conference schedule the 8th grade boys’ have a 6-4 overall record.  In conference games they stand at 4-1 which puts them near the top of the NAML Class 2A standings.

Caleb Pfaller is leading the team in scoring and Brian Andrews is the defensive leader through the midway point in the season.

The second half of the season opens with three straight conference games (Killian Hill, Providence & Mt Bethel) so it will be important for the boys’ to come out of the Christmas break playing at a high level.  Eastside Christian comes to our gym on January 18th for a re-match as the Knights try to avenge their only conference loss of the season.  This team has a legitimate chance to win the NAML championship and become only the second Crown boys’ team to win this title.  The only boys’ conference title that Crown has won came in 2008 so a win this year would break a 5 year drought.

Recently. coach Jason Gibson has announced that January 11 will be “Black-Out Night” - all fans will be given free black t-shirts and the boys’ will be wearing special black uniforms - so do not miss this special event.

GO KNIGHTS!

For the second year in a row the Crown Knights high school basketball teams went undefeated and won all of the titles at the Georgia Regional Invitational Tournament, which is held in Cumming, GA. Twenty-four teams from the Metro-Atlanta area competed this year in three brackets - Varsity Boys, Varsity Girls & JV Boys.  Since there was no JV Girls bracket this year our JV Girls competed in the Varsity Girls Bracket.  Even though the JV Girls lost both of their games to varsity competition, Coach Ware was glad that they participated in the tournament as it will help prepare the team for the long season ahead.

The varsity boys’ team finished 4-0 and overwhelmed Wilson Academy in the finals 71-38.  Brett Camp, Josh Jernigan, and Ben McCleskey made the All-Tournament Team.  This is the second tournament title of the season for the varsity boys’ as they won the Killian Hill Tip-Off Tournament last week, taking care of Grace Christian in the finals 91-71.  Corey Turner was named MVP of the Killian Hill Tournament.

For the fifth year in a row the varsity girls’ took home the championship at GRIT.  In the finals they beat North Georgia Christian 52-38.  Kenzie Pye, Anna Davenport and Elizabeth Pratt made the All-Tournament Team and Jordan Gray was named Co-MVP.  

The JV boys’ were led into the championship game by Tournament MVP Danny Johnston where they beat Cherokee Christian 50-33.  Elijah Hirsh and Porter Wilbanks made the All-Tournament Team for their contributions during the tournament.

Congratulations on a great weekend and GO KNIGHTS!

The 2012/2013 high school basketball season starts this week with two JV games on Monday, November 5th at Trinity Chapel Academy in Powder Springs.  On Thursday the varsity boys’ team begins their season at the Killian Hill Tip-Off Tournament against Community Christian.  And finally, the varsity girls’ open play next week with a home game on November 13th versus Atlanta Girls’ School.  All four teams will then be defending their championship titles at the GRIT Tournament in Cumming on November 16 and 17.  Here is a preview of each team.

VARSITY BOYS:

Head Coach Jeff Warford is returning two starters (Brett Camp & Corey Turner) from last year’s 34-2 squad.  Also returning are seniors Josh Jernigan and Ben McCleskey who contributed significant minutes last year as the team’s first two guys off of the bench.  Juniors Nathan Hirsh and TD Comer, both starters for the JV team last year, are expected to step in and have an immediate impact this year.  Several other new players will be counted on to contribute key minutes during the year.  Overall, this team has the potential to be just as strong as last year’s team so it will be exciting to see how the season develops. 

VARSITY GIRLS:

The varsity girls’ return three starters off of last year’s 20 win team.  Juniors Jordan Gray and Kenzie Pye plus senior Elizabeth Pratt will be expected to lead the team this year.  Newcomer Anna Davenport has fit in nicely with the team and will play a key role in their success this year.  Also returning from last year’s squad are Alex Brown, Aimee Hembree and Ellen Ortlip.  JV team graduates Kathryn Ortlip and Carmen Parker round out the roster and will see solid minutes throughout the year.

JV BOYS:

The JV Boys’ team returns five players from last year’s successful 25-5 campaign.  They will be led again this year by sophomore point guard Danny Johnston who finished last year as the team leader in assists and steals.  Also returning are Porter Wilbanks, Grant Esasky, Elijah Hirsh, and Hamilton Armour.  Coach Brad Cundiff is expecting increased contributions from each of the returning players while at the same time blending in some talented freshmen into the team’s playing rotation.  During practice, the Knights have focused on playing together as a team and working on each player’s offensive and defensive execution.

JV GIRLS:

Coach Don Ware’s squad returns three players from last year’s team - Amy Apon, Hannah Haley, and Jane Ortlip.  All of these girl’s will be counted on to play hard and lead the team during the year.  They have also added four girls from last year’s middle school team and three newcomers.  As the season progresses these young ladies will be expected to have an increased role in the team’s success.

On Thursday, December 13th the Crown Knights JV Boys, Varsity Girls, and Varsity Boys are playing New Creation Christian at Philips Arena.  The games are scheduled to start at 1PM, 2:15PM, and 3:30PM.  The doors will open around 12:30pm so we can get into the arena and start warming up.

Everyone who is participating in or attending the Crown games in the afternoon must have a ticket for Thursday night’s game between the Hawks and the Bobcats.  This includes all players.  After the Crown games you can then stay and watch the Hawks game which starts around 7:30pm.

Make sure you order your tickets early - we need to sell 250 tickets total!

Ticket order form: Philips Arena Game Ticket Sales Form

Any questions? Email tjturner1985@gmail.com