On Friday, Phenom Hoops traveled out to Forsyth Country Day for an exciting battle between two of the top private schools across the greater Winston-Salem area. Things kicked off with Calvary controlling the action; they established the first lead, extended it, and finished the opening quarter at 15-14. The balanced Furies immediately turned things around in the second quarter, showcasing their impressive balance and talent across the board, and entered halftime with a 32-26 advantage. The third period was evenly matched and featured a lot of back-and-forth action, but Forsyth continued to mount their lead and held a 53-44 lead entering the final quarter. In the last eight minutes, the Cougars did seemingly everything possible to put themselves in a winning position. They managed to make things very intense and competitive, especially down the stretch, but still fell 66-62 to Forsyth Country Day.
Forsyth Country Day:
6’1 ’22 Brandon Morgan
Although it was undeniably a team effort from the Furies, Morgan definitely stepped up and shined as a leader in this contest. He’s a long, tough, shot-maker with deep range and the ability to apply useful scoring pressure from all three levels. Morgan is at his best off the catch, but more than capable of creating and knocking down shots off the bounce if needed. He also regularly found ways to hit turnarounds in the midrange. Final stats: 22 points and 1 steal.
5’9 ’25 Q Williams
Folks should already know about Williams and his incredibly strong feel for the game, specifically as a freshman floor general. He simply possesses a high IQ and knows how to consistently set up others. Williams touches the paint, displays a crafty handle, and will attack to score if opponents deliberately look to shut down his playmaking. His feel, ball-handling, and passing instincts continue to make him an extremely valuable part of the Furies’ structure. Final stats: 9 points, 8 assists, and 1 steal
Other Noteworthy Contributors:
6’5 ’24 Iverson King- 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal
6’7 ’24 Draven Pilson- 13 points
6’1 ’22 Sterling Charles- 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal
5’11 ’24 Jahon Foster- 4 assists, 3 steals
Calvary Day:
6’9 ’23 Jaydin Spillman
The appeal of a skilled, 6-foot-9 forward should be self-explanatory, which only adds to the confusion surrounding Spillman’s recruitment. He’s one of very few players in North Carolina who can pretty much dictate the action as an inside-out interior piece. Spillman is a lethal pick-and-pop partner with the ability to attack closeouts and handle the ball well in straight lines. He’s great in the midrange, and comfortably accesses pull-ups and leaning hooks with relative ease. Spillman also rebounds well and blocks shots at a nice rate, which should only continue to heighten his intrigue to college coaches. Final stats: 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Other Noteworthy Contributors:
6’1 ’22 Eli Johnson- 16 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists
6’5 ’22 Luigi Andorno- 9 points, 3 rebounds
6’0 ’22 Donovan Robinson- 5 points, 1 steal
6’0 ’25 Dane Cassada- 4 points