I have frequently been asked to describe the Augusta Eagles basketball program. The text below also appears on our other blog, augustametros.blogspot.com. It describes the academic activities of the Augusta Metro Youth Foundation; the high school basketball teams I coach, the Augusta Eagles; and the ways that students can participate in both.
The Augusta Metro Youth Foundation has conducted academic and athletic programs in the Augusta, Georgia, area for over twenty years. The Foundation and its leaders and volunteers have funded, coached, and organized countless basketball teams (under the names of the Augusta Metros, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Augusta, and currently the Augusta Eagles). We have conducted numerous tutoring programs, and even funded and helped operate a private middle school during the 2003-2004 school year. Our most recent activities include the teaching of a high school Government and Economics course, the hosting of an online "Book Club," and the sponsorship of and coaching involvement with the Augusta Eagles high school and middle school basketball program.
The Augusta Eagles ended the 2011 Summer League by defeating the Harlem Bulldogs 68-39 in the Eagles' second game of the June 25, Augusta Eagles Day Team Camp. With the win, the Augusta Eagles finish the summer league with a 13-8 record.
Despite coming up short, the Bulldogs' Reggie Reid, who has been featured (here, here, here, and here) during coverage of the Will Avery Stars and the Southern Kings 14 and Under AAU teams, showed why he is as good as any ninth grader that we have seen play.
School started today, so it is past time to finish posting the highlights from the last games of the summer. Today and tomorrow I plan to post the highlights from the Eagles' final two contests of the summer: against the Easley Guardians and the Harlem Bulldogs during the third Eagles Day Team Camp.
Enjoy the highlights from the Augusta Eagles - Easley Guardians game. The Eagles win 67-47 to improve their summer league record to 12-8.
The Augusta Eagles defeated Fox Creek 61-45 Wednesday, June 22, at Aiken High School. Augusta played unselfishly and worked hard to get great shots, mostly in the paint, against Fox Creek's defense. The win improved the Eagles' Summer League record to 11 wins and 8 losses with two remaining games. Enjoy the Highlights.
The Eagles' first game of the June 18th Augusta Eagles Team Camp at Saint Mark United Methodist Church was against fellow homeschool opponent the Easley Guardians. The Eagles started fast and led by 20 points at halftime before proceeding to win 61-41. Enjoy the highlights.
The Eagles defeated the Evans Knights 43-33, igniting a six game winning streak that concluded the 2011 Summer League. The Eagles established a 20-2 advantage early and led 22-7 at halftime. Evans mounted a comeback and eventually closed the lead to 35-31 before Matt Miller, Austin Crown, and Dominic Brown sealed the win with free throws late in the contest.
Playing Strom Thurmond for the second time in four days, the Eagles got off to a slow start and trailed 19-10 just before halftime. Cold shooting against Strom Thurmond's zone and a lack of defensive intensity accounted for the early deficit. The Eagles then rallied to close the gap and take a late 5 point lead before falling behind 36-35. Augusta had a chance to take the lead on the final two possessions but high percentage shots barely missed. The loss was the last of the summer for the Eagles, whose record fell to 7 wins and 8 losses after this game.
This is the game Austin Crown, who returned to the court three days earlier following a wrist injury, got comfortable and started playing the way he is used to playing. Crown recorded 5 assists and 5 steals in the first half alone, scored 19 points in the game, and did a great job guarding Lakeside's best offensive player, Chris Hall. Matt Miller led the Eagles with 28 points. The Eagles, who defeated Lakeside 49-34, also got strong play and timely baskets from Dominic Brown, Jacob Greenway, and Paul Jones.
Playing Strom Thurmond immediately after the Cross Creek game (highlights posted yesterday) as part of the Riverview team camp, the Eagles got off to a decent start. Tough defense, good rebounding and timely three pointers by Austin Crown and Matt Miller enabled Augusta to lead 19-14 at halftime and 24-14 early in the second half. Eventually, Strom Thurmond's guard play was too much for the Eagles, who fell 46-39 in a competitive and entertaining contest. Enjoy the highlights.
The Augusta Eagles faced Cross Creek in the Riverview Team Camp. After falling behind 23-9 at the half, the Eagles were able to outscore the Razorbacks 29-10 in the second half and earn a 38-33 victory. The game was Austin Crown's first of the summer after being sidelined with a wrist injury the first ten games. The win gave the Eagles a 6-5 record at that point in June.
In an earlier contest, Cross Creek had defeated the Eagles 53-36.
Watch the highlights from our second summer game against Aiken High School's "green" team. This was our first game in the Riverview Team Camp. After the Eagles led 23-17 at halftime, Aiken got hot from the 3 point line and handed the Eagles a 56-50 defeat, dropping Augusta's summer record to 5-4. Enjoy.
We are on schedule now to post one set of summer league game highlights each day in the order the games occurred in June. Today we post the 6-9-11 Harlem game played at Evans Middle School. The Eagles won 44-41 in double overtime after Zach Miller buried a three pointer just before the final buzzer. Enjoy.
These are the highlights for the June 9th game versus Evans High School. The Eagles won lost 44-43. Our summer league record dropped to 4 wins and 3 losses after this game.
Expect one new set of highlights each day throughout the summer. We have over 10 summer league games and, more importantly, almost 40 regular season games to post. Enjoy.
The Augusta Eagles varsity boys basketball team will host its final "Team Camp" of the summer Saturday, June 25, at Saint Mark United Methodist Church. Games start at 10AM and end at 3PM.
Schedule
10AM - Cross Creek JV versus Evans JV
11AM - Augusta Eagles versus Easley Guardians
Noon - Harlem versus Cross Creek JV
1PM - Easley Guardians versus Evans JV
2PM - Augusta Eagles versus Harlem
After playing Saturday's games, the Eagles vasity boys team will have played 21 games since the beginning of June against a wide variety of strong high school basketball programs in Georgia and South Carolina. Soon we will post a highlight video of the summer league season. For now, here is a recap (opponent, score, and in some cases video) of the games.
Augsta Eagles Current Summer League Record: 10-8
June 2 - Eagles 32, Evans 24 (Half Game @ GrovetownHigh School) 1-0
June 2 - Eagles 26, Grovetown 18 (Half Game @ GrovetownHigh School) 2-0
June 3 - Eagles 36, Cross Creek 53 (@ 1st Augusta Eagles Team Camp) 2-1
June 3 - Eagles 62, Grovetown 54 (@ 1st Augusta Eagles Team Camp) 3-1
June 8 - Eagles 57, Aiken Green 54 (@ Aiken High School) 4-1
June 8 - Eagles 54, Fox Creek 57 (@ Aiken High School) 4-2
June 9 - Eagles 43, Evans 44 (@Evans Middle School) 4-3
June 9 - Eagles 44, Harlem 41 in Double Overtime (@ Evans Middle School) 5-3
June 10 - Eagles 50, Aiken Green 56 (@ Riverview Team Camp) 5-4
June 10 - Eagles 28, Thomson 64 (@ Riverview Team Camp) 5-5
June 11 - Eagles 38, Cross Creek 33 (@ Riverview Team Camp) 6-5
June 11 - Eagles 39, Strom Thurmond 46 (@ Riverview Team Camp) 6-6
June 11 - Eagles 17, North Augusta 55 (@ Riverview Team Camp) 6-7
June 14 - Eagles 49, Lakeside 34 (@ Lakeside High School) 7-7
June 15 - Eagles 35, Strom Thurmond 36 (@ Aiken High School) 7-8
June 16 - Eagles 43, Evans 33 (@ Evans High School) 8-8
June 18 - Eagles 61, Easley Guardians 41 (@ Augusta Eagles Team Camp) 9-8
June 18 - Eagles 60, McCormick 46 (@ Augusta Eagles Team Camp) 10-8
June 22 - Eagles 61, Fox Creek 45 (@Aiken High School) 11-8
We are starting to add music to the highlights. These are the highlights from last Saturday's 60-46 win over McCormick High School. A written summary of the game can be found in an earlier post. Enjoy.
On Saturday, June 18, The Augusta Eagles hosted the "Augusta Eagles Team Camp" at Saint Mark United Methodist Church. Nine high school teams from Georgia and South Carolina participated. Teams travelling from as far away as Easley, South Carolina, and McCormick, South Carolina, participated. Fans observed teams consisting of players from large schools, smaller schools, public schools, private schools, and even home schools. These are some results and highlights from the day:
Game 1 - Aquinas Fighting Irish 51, Evans Knights 45
After Aquinas established a 34-21 halftime lead, Evans came roaring back and eventually tied the game at 45. But Aquinas was able to score the final 6 points of the contest and earn a hard fought 51-45 victory.
Michael Scott and Ray Thompkins contributed 10 points each for the Fighting Irish. Scott distributed the ball effectively, setting teammates up for open baskets regularly. Damion Foreman and Jacob Buchanan led Evans, scoring 16 and 14 points, respectively.
Game 2 - Easley Guardians 46, Lakeside Panthers JV 11
After travelling almost three hours, the Easley Guardians, a home school basketball team from Easley, South Carolina, wasted no time in sprinting out to a 17-2 advantage over the Panthers. The Guardians' man to man defense put pressure on Lakeside, forcing turnovers that led to transition baskets. That pressure, combined with Easley's rebounding, hustle, and accuracy from the three point line, was too much for the Panthers to overcome. "We have been running drills and doing a lot of conditioning. I think one of the reasons our players played so hard is because they were happy to be able to play and compete in a real game," Easley Coach Scott Whiteside stated after the win.
Game 3 - Evans Knights 40, Lakeside Panthers 31
The second and final game of the day for Evans High School was a successful one as the Knights defeated county rival Lakeside High School. The teams traded baskets and leads throughout most of the game before Evans pulled away for a 9 point victory. Isaac Patrick led all scorers with 12 points in the win.
Game 4 - Augusta Eagles 61, Easley Guardians 41
A tired Easley team was unable to withstand the pressure of a rested Augusta Eagles unit early in the 12PM contest. The Eagles pressed early, causing turnovers that led to easy baskets, and shot well from the perimeter, making 7 three pointers. Matt Miller scored 16 first half points, Paul Jones made 4 three pointers, and Jacob Greenway added 11 points in the Eagles victory. Although the early lead proved too large to overcome, Easley exhibited impressive resolve by fighting fatigue and outscoring the Augusta 28-27 in the second half.
Game 5 - Glenn Hills Spartans 62, McCormick Chiefs 38
After falling behind 14-8, Glenn Hills used a full court trap to create turnovers and transition scoring opportunities that led to a 25-16 halftime lead for the Spartans. The lead increased in the second half as the combination of outside shooting and athleticism proved to be too much for McCormick.
Game 6 - Lakeside Panthers 47, Washington Wilkes Tigers 38
In Lakeside's second and final game of the day, the Panthers took an early lead and never relinquished it. Lakeside's 1-3-1 zone defense forced Washington Wilkes into making difficult passes and taking long jump shots that the Panthers succeeded in converting into transition scoring opportunities.
Game 7 - Augusta Eagles 60, McCormick Chiefs 44
The Augusta Eagles sprinted out to a 13-6 advantage before taking a 32-22 lead into halftime. Augusta's Austin Crown scored 16 first half points and Paul Jones added 12 points in the opening half, making 4 three pointers. Early second half jump shots by Augusta's Matt Miller helped extend the Eagles' lead, and Austin Crown continued to score in various ways, eventually recording a game high 28 points. Crown, who just one week earlier returned to the court for the Eagles after recovering from a wrist injury, played an impressive all around game. Paul Jones scored 15 points, making 5 three pointers, and Matt Miller added 14 for the Eagles.
Game 8 - Glenn Hills Spartans 82, Washington Wilkes Tigers 31
The Glenn Hills Spartans finished their day with a flurry of steals, fast breaks, exciting dunks, and their second win in as many games. Leroy Graham caught the attention of the crowd as he attacked the basket in the open court and threw in a one handed, lean in dunk. Graham was one of many Spartans that played impressive basketball throughout the day, and Glenn Hills appears to be in position to have a strong 2011-2012 season.
Game 9 - Aquinas Fighting Irish 63, McCormick Chiefs 62 (Double Overtime)
The final game of the day may have been the event's most exciting. Playing their third game in five hours, the McCormick Chiefs played aggressive man to man defense and made a flurry of three point shots, never conceding to a strong Aquinas program.
Aquinas appeared to be in control early as Michael Scott had success finding Ray Thompkins and other teammates for scoring opportunities against McCormick's man to man defense. But after McCormick's Maurice Jefferson and the twin duo of Terrence Bryant and Torrence Bryant got hot from the perimeter, the teams traded baskets throughout most of the second half.
Aquinas, leading by 2 points late in the game with possession of the ball, committed a costly turnover that led to a Terrence Bryant layup and the day's first overtime session. After each team scored a pair of baskets in the first overtime, the Chiefs established a 1 point lead late in the second overtime. With time expiring, Aquinas's Michael Scott was fouled on a 16 foot jump shot and made the free throw to give his team a 63-62 victory. Aquinas finished the day with two victories.
Our goal is to improve as a team and as individual players and coaches as much as possible, as quickly as possible, and as consistently over long periods of time as possible. Our players cannot control their height, their genes, or their current level of basketball playing ability. But they can control the effort and commitment they bring to the gym, and they can pursue the goal of improving their skills through hard work and diligence. The beauty of focusing on improvement through earnest effort and a significant time commitment is that the vast majority of the competitors don't usually have a similar focus. So those who seriously seek to improve will not only become better players, but these players will become better relative to the competition. So hard work becomes rewarding in so many ways. The satisfaction that accompanies mastery of a skill and achieving the goal of being better and being successful teaches players lessons that can be taken into all of the important areas of life.
The Augusta Eagles were able to experience firsthand the benefits of hard work and diligent effort Wednesday after playing the Aiken High School "Green" summer league team. Augusta faced the same team, one of two teams composed of Aiken High School players, last June and was destroyed 64-25. One regular season, countless hours of team practice, and thousands of shots later, the Eagles were able to defeat Aiken 56-51 in the first of three Summer League sessions played at Aiken High School. In a later game, the Eagles fell 57-54 to Fox Creek High School.
Game 1 Augusta Eagles 57, Aiken High School (Green) 54
In an impressive scoring display, Matt Miller tallied 23 points in the first half, leading to a halftime tie at 28. Jacob Greenway added 5 first half points. Although only two Eagles scored in the opening half, the team defense closed off the paint and Paul Jones, Jordan Pye, and Jonathan Pye did particularly good jobs of defending, blocking out, and securing defensive rebounds.
During the second half, Aiken's full court pressure wore on Miller and presented a great opportunity for other Eagles to take more responsibility to handle the basketball and score. The Eagles got scoring contributions from Jacob Greenway, Dominic Brown, Jonathan Pye, and Paul Jones. In addition to these players, Zach Miller and Jordan Pye contributed reliable ball handling and passing. Greenway made consecutive jumpers late in the second half to establish a lead. After Aiken tied the score, Brown made a 15 foot jumper to give the Eagles a 55-54 lead that was enough to secure the win.
Matt Miller led all scorers with 34 points. Jacob Greenway added 12 points, and Dominic Brown scored all 6 of his points in the critical closing minutes of the second half. The win improved the Eagles Summer League record to 4 wins and 1 loss.
Game 2 Augusta Eagles 54, Fox Creek 57
After sinking 3 free throw with less than one second remaining in the game, Fox Creek completed a 7 point second half comeback to defeat the Eagles 57-54. After playing games earlier in the night, both teams battled fatigue but succeeded in playing an impressive basketball game.
Facing a zone defense in the game's opening minutes, the Eagles' Matt Miller, Jacob Greenway, and Dominic Brown combined to convert 4 three pointers and establish an early lead. However, Fox Creek made 3 three pointers in the first half and eventually tallied a 17-14 before the Eagles responded with a 14-6 run to close the half leading 28-23.
The Eagles controlled much of the second half before suffering a dry spell late. Fox Creek capitalized with good shooting and effective offensive rebounding. Matt Miller led the Eagles in scoring with 33 points. Dominic added 14 points. The loss drops the Eagles Summer League record to 4 wins and 2 losses.
The Eagles varsity and junior varsity teams face Evans High School and Harlem High School Thursday night beginning at 6 PM at Evans Middle School.
In the first of three "Eagles Day Team Camps," The Eagles boys varsity and junior varsity summer league teams played a total of five games Saturday against three solid high school basketball programs. Games started at 8AM and ended before 3 PM. The varsity team played Cross Creek High School and Grovetown High School. The junior varsity team faced the junior varsity teams of Cross Creek, Grovetown, and Glenn Hills High School. Additionally, Cross Creek and Grovetown played varsity and junior varsity games against each other.
Game 1 Cross Creek 53, Eagles 36 (varsity)
In the opening game, the Cross Creek and the Augusta Eagles varsity teams traded baskets and leads throughout the first half before the Razorbacks established a 31-25 halftime advantage. Consistent outside shooting by Razorback guards Isaiah Medina and Marcus Lofland and aggressive man to man defense proved to be difficult for the Eagles to counter. But the Eagles, paced by Matt Miller's 17 and Dominic Brown's 6 first half points, made enough shots and defended and rebounded well enough to enter halftime within striking distance.
The second half belonged to Cross Creek. A three quarter court press forced the Eagles to turn the ball over and struggle to find decent shooting opportunities. Although the Eagles, by defending well and rebounding aggressively, were able to keep the Razorback lead below double digits until late in the half, Cross Creek's Marcus Lofland's barrage of three point baskets sealed a 53-36 victory for Cross Creek.
Cross Creek's victory followed an impressive win over Richmond Academy in the Richmond County Summer League Wednesday, June 1st. The loss was the first of the summer for the Eagles, who opened June with two early wins.
Game 2
Cross Creek 50, Eagles 30 (junior varsity)
The Cross Creek junior varsity team overwhelmed the Augusta Eagles junior varsity team in the morning's second game. The Razorbacks scored early and often, and they held the Eagles to less than 10 first half points. After trailing the Razorbacks 34-9 at intermission, Augusta was able to outscore Cross Creek 21-16 in the second half, posting a more respectable 50-30 gull game score. Jacob Greenway scored 18 points for the Eagles in the loss. The game was the first full junior varsity contest of the summer for both teams.
Game 3 Eagles 62, Grovetown 54 (varsity)
After the Cross Creek teams finished their day with wins over the Grovetown Warriors, 65-39 in the varsity game and 63-38 in the junior varsity game, the Eagles varsity team returned to the floor at noon to face Grovetown High School's varsity team. In an exciting first half, the Grovetown Warriors buried 7 three point baskets. The Eagles matched the Warriors' scoring output, paced by Matt Miller's 19 first half points and timely baskets by Jonathan Pye, Paul Jones, Jacob Greenway, and Dominic Brown.
The Warriors opened the second half with a 19-11 scoring run that provided a 51-43 Grovetown lead with five minutes remaining. But the Eagles finished the contest with a 19-3 run and earned a 62-54 win. Trailing 51-49 with 4 minutes remaining, Augusta's Matt Miller received a solid screen from Dominic Brown and a perfectly timed pass from Jacob Greenway before quickly releasing and converting a three point basket, giving the Eagles a 1 point advantage. On the next possession, Miller, Brown, and Greenway cooperated to produce the same result to give the Eagles a 55-51 lead. After a Grovetown three point basket cut the Eagles lead to 55-54, Brown responded with a running one handed shot in the middle of the lane to give the Eagles a 57-54 advantage. As the Eagles attempted to protect the lead in the game's closing minutes, Jordan Pye and Jonathan Pye grabbed offensive rebounds and made steals, leading to late baskets that provided the games final eight point margin.
The 62-54 victory was the third in the Eagles opening four summer league games. Matt Miller led the Eagles in scoring with 36 points, Jacob Greenway added 8 points, and Paul Jones and Jonathan Pye each scored 6 points for the Eagles.
Game 4 Eagles 32, Grovetown 17 (junior varsity)
Following the varsity game, the Augusta Eagles junior varsity team defeated the Grovetown junior varsity team. The Eagles got scoring contributions from six different players and extended a 15-10 halftime lead to a 32-17 victory. The core group of Eagles junior varsity players participating in the summer league - Jeremy Wright, TJ Massenburg, Evan Newman, and Michael Green - all made significant contributions in the team's first win of the summer. Jeremy Wright recorded 10 points, including 2 three point baskets. Evan Newman and Michael Green combined to score three baskets and secure numerous rebounds and loose balls. TJ Massenburg was solid defensively, blocking shots and grabbing rebounds. The varsity players who filled out the junior varsity roster - Zach Miller, Jonathan Pye, Jordan Pye, and Jacob Greenway - generally took turns supporting the core group as the team's fifth player, providing good leadership, smart play, and timely baskets.
Game 5 Glenn Hills 57, Eagles 25
In the day's final game, the Eagles junior varsity played its third game (actually the fifth game for the players who participated in both the varsity and the junior varsity games) against the Glenn Hills High School junior varsity squad. After a long day for the Eagles, the superior talent and athletic ability of the Spartans was way too much for Augusta to handle. Aubrey Mcrae led the Spartans with 9 first half points. The Spartans led 29-10 at the break. Despite having little success, the Eagles refused to give up before losing 57-25. Jacob Greenway scored 18 of the Eagles 25 points in the loss. The Eagles junior varsity summer league record falls to one win and two losses.
The Augusta Eagles defeated Evans High School and Grovetown High School in the Opening night of the 2011 Summer League. Teams played the varsity players in the first half and the junior varsity players in the second half, a special format that allowed each team to provide its varsity and junior varsity players significant court time against two different teams.
Game 1
Augusta Eagles 40, Evans High School 38
In the opening game, hot shooting by guards Jacob Greenway and Matt Miller enabled the Eagles to establish an early 14-2 advantage over Evans High School. Additional offensive help from Dominic Brown and excellent defensive performances by Paul Jones, Jonathan Pye, Jordan Pye, and Zach Miller contributed to an impressive 32-24 Eagles lead at intermission.
The Eagles junior varsity team struggled to protect the basketball and get good shots in the second half. But throughout the session the unit maintained its defensive focus and executed the plan of defending the paint, blocking out, and swarming the defensive glass. This focus and execution on the defensive side and timely baskets by Zach Miller and Jonathan Pye put the junior varsity unit in position to finish strongly and earn a 40-38 win for the Eagles.
Game 2 Augusta Eagles 29, Grovetown High School 24
In the second game, the Eagles varsity unit faced a 16-12 deficit halfway through the first half after Grovetown made a 10-2 scoring run. But the Eagles responded by outscoring Grovetown 14-2 in the half's final ten minutes, leading to a 26-18 halftime advantage. Similar to the night's first game, the Eagles got the majority of the scoring from Miller, Brown, and Greenway, but the the scoring opportunities for these players were made possible by impressive team defense and rebounding, good ball movement, and generally unselfish play from all of the players.
Although the junior varsity struggled offensively during the second game's second half, the unit made big strides defensively, holding Grovetown's junior varsity unit to 6 second half points. Jonathan Pye, Evan Newman, and Jonathan yourchak repeatedly prevented Grovetown baskets, caused turnovers, and created extra possessions. Jeremy Wright and TJ Massenburg made contributions to the defensive effort with timely steals (Wright) and blocks (Massenburg). After defending impressively for the first 18 minutes of the second half, a key free throw from Michael Green and a late basket by Jordan Pye sealed the Eagles' 29-24 victory.
Next for the Eagles is the summer's first of three "Augusta Eagles Day Team Camps" on Saturday, June 4. Games will be played at Episcopal Day School (EDS). Admission is free and games begin at 8AM.
Game Schedule (June 4 @EDS)
8AM Cross Creek V versus Eagles Varsity
9AM Cross Creek JV versus Eagles JV
10AM Cross Creek Varsity versus Grovetown Varsity
11AM Cross Creek JV versus Grovetown JV
Noon Eagles Varsity versus Grovetown Varsity
1PM Eagles JV versus Glenn Hills JV
2PM Grovetown Varsity versus Glenn Hills JV
3PM Eagles JV versus Grovetown JV
