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Freshmen Deliver for Woodside

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style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>Wolverines Win OT Thriller:
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> In a physical game that featured countless fouls
and 69 free-throws by the two teams combined, the fifth-seeded Woodside
Wolverines outlasted the fourth-seeded Heritage Hurricanes 73-66 at home in
overtime in the Peninsula District Tournament quarterfinals.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>It was the rubber match between two Newport News schools
that split during the regular season and have bright futures, each figuring to
be teams to watch for to contend atop the league standings in years to come.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>For Woodside, the win gives them their first berth to
the Eastern Region playoffs since 2009.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"We're steadily finding ways to be consistent and I
just think there's always going to be this measure of some inconsistency
there. Ultimately, these guys know what
time of the year it is and they're trying so hard, wanting to step up so bad,"
remarked Woodside Head Basketball Coach Erick
Mays, in his second year at the helm of a program with a host of
underclassmen on the its roster.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"Even though we're young and flying by the seat of our
pants a little bit, there's nothing we haven't seen at this point. For what we
lack in experience, the experience we have gained up to this point is huge.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> We're doing a good job of playing together,
battling and we feel fortunate to come out on top."
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
Player of the Game:
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Woodside freshman forward
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Chris Orlina.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The 6-foot-5 ninth grader played like a
seasoned vet in posting totals of 26 points (10 more than anyone else in the
game), nine rebounds and a pair of blocks.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Coming off the bench, Orlina
was virtually unguardable when he caught the ball
deep in the low block. Heritage had no
answer for him.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"The kid's got ice water in his veins," Mays went on to
say. "He kind of knows what the deal is,
but he doesn't know what the deal is.
When he's locked in, focused and ready to roll, he's as good as anybody
around. He stepped up pretty big and was
really motivated right from jump-street.
We're really good when he does that."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>When Orlina was inserted into
the game, Heritage led 9-2. By
half-time, he had 10 points and the Hurricanes' lead was just 33-27.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Late in the third quarter, he scored four
points in a row and gave Woodside its first lead since 2-0.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Maybe what jumped out most besides his great skill
level for his age and ability to score around or through contact is that he
played overtime with four fouls and didn't foul out.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> It didn't disturb the flow he was in, and he
consistently got matchups he wanted in the paint, often drawing a whistle.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I got used to the flow of varsity level and felt more
comfortable in [late December]. Coach
Mays gave me more confidence by running plays for me," said Orlina.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I look at my defender and base my game off that as far
as if it's someone smaller than me I try to take them to the post.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> If it's someone my size, I look to take them
off the dribble and use my instincts."
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
Keys to Victory:
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>#1
- - Freshmen Shine Under Pressure:
line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Orlina wasn't the
only outstanding freshman playing exceedingly well for Woodside.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Point guard
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Devante
normal'> Carter made some superb plays with the basketball.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> When Heritage decided to double down on the
young big man, Carter and senior guard Trevor
Lyons, who'll play his College Basketball at Air Force, took matters in
their own hands.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>That was especially important for Woodside once
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Ray Jackson and
normal'>Jazz Johnson, two starters that accounted for 12 points, eight
rebounds and three steals, fouled out of the game.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"We stuck together," remarked Carter.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> "Even when we started to fall apart at the
end of the third quarter, we talked through it and kept working.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Being a freshman, I got nervous, but we
really wanted to win and kept digging until the game was over and we pulled it
out. I'm glad we won and I didn't want
our seniors to leave without this one.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>To go with Lyons' 12 points, five boards and five
assists, Carter put up 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three
steals. Not bad for a point guard in his
first playoff game against a Heritage team that came in red hot, having won 10
of its last 11.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I just try to play my role and make the plays I'm
supposed to make," added Carter. "I
follow Trevor and try to play within the flow of things as best as possible."
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
#2 - - Second Chance Points:
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style='mso-spacerun:yes'> There were 27 rebounds up for grabs on
Woodside misses and the Wolverines came up with 12 offensive boards compared to
15 defensive boards for Heritage. That
loomed largely in a back-and-forth, competitive game that was up for grabs with
the Canes leading 42-40 to start the fourth quarter.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"At half-time, we talked about the 50/50 balls,
rebounds, loose balls and the little things," Mays pointed out.
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> "We said guys it's the little things that's
going to separate these two teams and who's going to win and who's going to
lose. I thought we did a great job in
the second half of coming up with those rebounds, making some good plays
defensively by flying around out there and hustling."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>While Heritage got 18 points and three steals from
senior guard Marquise Johnson and 12
points and four three-pointers (a season-high) from another senior guard
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Daniel Gibson, they didn't have anyone
with more than five rebounds for the evening.
Woodside also did a good job of keeping Heritage sophomore
class=SpellE>Romello
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Anderson, a star in the making, out of
the painted; the swingman ended up with 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting with three
boards.
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
#3 - - Wolverines Capitalize at the FT Line:
10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Although the percentages were relatively
similar at night's end, Woodside made the most of its trips to the free-throw
line. The Wolverines were 25-of-38 with
class=SpellE>Orlina going 10-for-13.
Carter also made it there 13 times, meaning the two young guns got 26
freebies. That's way too many if you're
Heritage and hope to win.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>The Hurricanes went 18-of-31 and made some key ones
late to keep it close after losing the lead, but they entered the fourth period
5-of-13. If they had made a few more,
their lead would've been bigger and the game may not have seen OT, bur rather
Heritage's first region playoff trip since 2004.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
href="http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/914/1363753.WMA">Postgame Comments from
Woodside Coach Erick Mays
"Verdana","sans-serif"'> 
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>
115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";text-decoration:none;text-underline:
none'>Matthew Hatfield
style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>
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Network. Check out
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