By Jeff Devine, Editor-in-Chief, Dale County Chronicle
The Daleville Warhawks and Ashford Yellowjackets split their matchups Tuesday night, as Daleville earned a hard-fought junior varsity win while Ashford controlled the varsity contest.
In the junior varsity game, Daleville edged Ashford 40–37 in a tightly contested battle that came down to the final possessions. Sam Horne led the Warhawks with 10 points and six rebounds, providing key production on both ends of the floor. Derrick Howard followed with eight points and two rebounds, helping Daleville hold off a late Yellowjackets rally.
The JV contest marked the second meeting of the season between the two teams. In their first matchup on January 9, Daleville earned a 30–26 victory. In Tuesday night’s rematch on January 20, the Warhawks again came out on top, this time in a higher-scoring 40–37 decision, completing a season sweep at the JV level while reflecting a much narrower margin between the two teams.
The varsity game proved more challenging for Daleville, as Ashford pulled away for a 61–33 victory. Despite the loss, the Warhawks showed improvement compared to the first meeting on January 9, when Daleville fell 73–37. The reduced margin in the rematch pointed to defensive progress and improved overall control against the Yellowjackets. Individually, Travis Sylvain finished with 10 points and three steals, while MJ Flowers added eight points and five rebounds.
Daleville will look to build on that progress moving forward, as the Warhawks are set to face county rival Dale County High School Warriors on Friday, January 23, before traveling to take on the Headland Rams on January 27.
