Two 11-2 teams will take to the court Tuesday in a game expected to have a significant impact on both the Flight A standings and state tournament seeding.
It will be the second time Concord and Newark will face each other this season, with Concord winning a defensive battle 45-35 on its home floor back on Jan. 9. Tuesday's match-up was to be a home game for the Yellow Jackets, but gym renovations have forced the team to hit the road yet again - just as it has for all but two of its games this season.
"For us to continually find ways to win on the road has been really good in my eyes," said Newark Coach Shannon McCants. "We should be tournament ready by playing all these games in difficult environments."
But Concord has faced its share of adversity this year as well, stepping up to Flight A after years in the Blue Hen Conference's lower tier.
"There are lots of athletes and a lot of ball pressure up here, so it's been a bit of an adjustment for our kids," said Raiders Coach Ralph Flowers. "But our kids have handled it very well."
Flowers points to an early season trip to Elmira, N.Y., for a Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament where he says his team bonded.
| If You Go Newark vs. Concord 5:30 p.m., Tuesday Concord High School 2501 Ebright Road |
"We've got a lot of heart and play hard for four quarters," he said. "A lot of our wins were come from behind wins."
One win that wasn't was Concord's first over Newark, where the team led at the half, then slowed the pace of the game way down in the third and fourth quarters, limiting the Yellow Jackets' opportunities at the offensive end.
"They went to a lot of zone and really took their time with the ball, so we're going to have to do our best to make sure we don't get too far behind this time," McCants said.
Newark is led by 6'7" junior center Shakore Grant and sophomore shooting guard Taylor Reynolds along with senior forward Ronnell Hammond and senior point guard LeShawn Washington, but McCants insists they don't rely on any one player on the offensive end.
"Each night it could be somebody different for us," he said. "Teams can't just concentrate on one guy."
For Concord, senior guard Jordan Dupree is clearly the team’s go-to scorer. In fact, the all-state standout needs just 26 points to reach 1,000 for his career. Junior forward Quincy Pettiford, who moved to Delaware from Virginia this year, has given the team a second scoring option and junior point guard Keith Yancey facilitates the offense. Spot up shooter Aaron Burton is another important piece.
"This is a special group that's very coachable and has a strong will to win," Flowers said. "I have high expectations for them."
