Sylva-Bay used a fast start to cripple Laurel Christian School 48-28 in girls' basketball, and it is a good time to find some momentum with playoffs lurking.
"I thought we started off pretty good. We forced them to turn the ball over a lot with our press. We didn't shoot the ball as well as I wanted to," said Saints head coach Seth Cheatham.
The Saints have won two in a row, and a new face is leading them at the point. Makayla Gates recently transferred to Sylva-Bay and has provided a young talented team with an extra spark on offense. Cheatham is happy about his new addition to the team.
"Going into district play, it helps when you have a player come in that can handle the ball well," said Cheatham. "Makayla Gates is averaging almost 20 points a game, and she puts our other players in their more natural positions."
Gates has had 16 and 21 points in her first two contests, and her teammates can play more freely, according to Cheatham.
"The team is gelling. Carson Ward and Kaitlyn Smith are able to use their natural athleticism more and creating turnovers. We are moving better and hustling. Going into this third quarter of the season with postseason being the fourth, we have an awesome atmosphere," Cheatham added.
Sophomore Isabell Boyd was the second-leading scorer for the Saints and added six points in the victory. LCS scoring leaders were Reagan Hupe and Audrey Burnham with eight and five points, respectively.
The Saints are 1-0 in league play, and hope to stay on the winning track against a tough Centreville team.
"District is important. You always want that number one seed. Our goal is to get to state," noted Cheatham. "It will be hosted at Sylva-Bay this year. Nothing would feel better than putting our senior Hannah Fries in the State tournament on her home floor."
