Madison County eager for redemption against rival William Monroe

With just over two weeks remaining in the regular season, high school basketball teams are looking to build momentum going into the district tournaments.

Most teams have played their district opponents at least once, and now teams get a chance to settle the score against league rivals who beat them earlier in the year. There is no team in the area that has anticipated their shot at redemption more than the Madison County boys basketball team. Back on Dec. 20, the Mountaineers saw a 20-point lead disappear in an overtime loss to arch rival William Monroe. Madison and Monroe have squared off on the hardwood at least twice a year since the beginning of both programs, but few contests between the rivals were more dramatic than their first meeting this season.

In what could be described as the ultimate tale of two halves, the Mountaineers came out on fire in the opening eight minutes of play. Madison’s Matt Temple was unstoppable. The sophomore scored 12 of his 19 points in the first quarter. Temple used his 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame to score inside and outside the paint at will.

“I just tried to move without the ball and move smoothly,” Temple said. “I was able to work people around help our guards out.”

The Mountaineers led by 11 at the end of the first quarter and saw their advantage grow in the second. Patrick Roebuck scored six early points and Madison stretched its lead to 20 midway through the second quarter. Frustrated with his teams’ effort, William Monroe coach Mike Maynard called a timeout to try to stop the bleeding.

“I think we were a little intimidated by the environment and it took us awhile to get it going,” Maynard said. “I wanted to try to get it as close as we could at halftime,”

The Dragons clamped down on defense for the rest of the quarter. Monroe ended the half on a 6-0 run but still trailed by 10 points the break.

With his team on the ropes in the second half, Maynard turned to Markel Williams to get the Dragons back into the game. Williams came off the bench in the first half and saw limited minutes. The junior was held to just five points in the opening half. As Williams stepped on the court in the third quarter, the Dragons were still staring at a double-digit deficit.

“I knew we had to go to work and we had to do it fast,” Williams said. “We had to play hard on defense and get some big shots on offense.”

Williams provided the Dragons with the offensive spark it needed, scoring 12 points in third quarter. Williams was often doubled teamed, but the Mountaineers could not stop him on the dribble penetration. Monroe cut the Madison lead to seven with eight minutes to play, and the Dragons started to believe that they could ultimately emerge with a victory.

“We came out in the second half with some life and we started making shots,” Maynard said. “We never gave up and that’s the big thing with this team. We are never going to give up.”

Williams picked up right where he left off offensively. The junior scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and slowly but surely Monroe closed the gap. A layup by Austin Batten cut the Madison lead to two with less than a minute to play. With time winding down in the regulation, Gary Morris caught the ball off an inbound and laid it in as time expired. For the fist time since the opening tip, the game was tied.

“Our side of the crowd was going crazy and that’s what really boosted us up,” Monroe guard Jordan Gentry said. “With us coming back from 20 points, we knew that we could come through with the win.”

Morris scored the first two points of overtime and the Dragons never trailed in the extra period. Williams added six more points and finished the game with a career-high 33 points.

“It was great,” Williams said. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. We came together there in the second half.”

Added Maynard: “Markel had a phenomenal game. It was probably the most aggressive that I have seen him offensively.”

Madison had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but Warren’s 3-point attempt fell just short and Monroe iced the game at the foul line.

The Monroe players stormed the court in celebration. The Dragons turned a 20-point deficit into a four-point victory. Monroe’s first Bull-Run district victory came on the home floor of their longtime rival.

“It was amazing,” Gentry said. “We definitely had the chip on our shoulder coming in. We all came together as a team that game.”

On the other side it was the agony of defeat for Madison. The Mountaineers led by double digits for the majority of the contest and never trailed in regulation. Warren led the Mountaineers with 20 points, but he was much more focused on the loss than his individual performance.

“It was tough,” Warren said. “We were all pretty devastated after that loss. We’re going to go into Greene and give them our best shot.”

The Mountaineers have looked like a completely different team since the Monroe game. Madison won the following six games, which included a victory over preseason Bull Run District favorite George Mason. On Monday night, Madison hung 90 points on visiting Central (Woodstock).

“I think we have a lot of fight in us,” Madison coach Ben Breeden said. “It’s just about getting it out at the right time and being consistent.”

Despite all of its recent success, there is still a dark cloud hanging over Madison. The Mountaineers have circled their calendars and have been looking ahead to their rematch with their Dragons.

“That’s what gets me through every other game we’ve been in,” Temple said. “They came into our district and just dominated so we have to go in there and dominate right back.”

The Greene Dragons have stormed into the Bull Run District and have risen to near the top of the standings. Monroe is 6-2 in the district with one loss coming by four points, and the other by one point in overtime. The Dragons agreed that the records need to be thrown out when it comes to the Madison game.

“This rivalry is everything,” Gentry said. “It’s the biggest game of the year no matter whether it’s a championship game or a consolation game. It’s always been a big rivalry.”

A standing-room-only crowd is expected in Stanardsville on Wednesday night. Monroe leads Madison by one game in the district. With Bull Run District seeding and bragging rights at stake, both teams will be looking to lay it all on the line Wednesday night.

“Its going to a hostile environment,” Breeden said. “This is why we play the game for games like Monroe and situations like this.”

Added Williams: “We need a big win. They’re a great team but we’ve been playing hard and I think this is our game.”