By Jeff Devine, Editor-in-Chief, Dale County Chronicle
The Daleville High School Warhawks and their longtime county and system rival, the Dale County Warriors, met on the hardwood in a boys basketball matchup that saw Daleville earn a dramatic junior varsity win before falling in varsity action.
In the junior varsity contest, the Warhawks edged out the Warriors 39-38 in a tightly contested game that came down to the final moments. The victory marked Daleville’s sixth straight win at the JV level, continuing a strong stretch of play for the Warhawks’ younger squad.
Balanced scoring played a key role in the win, as Lorenzo Green, Derrick Howard, and Sam Hone each finished with nine points to lead Daleville offensively.
The varsity game proved more challenging for the Warhawks, as Dale County pulled away with a big 63-28 victory. Despite the loss, Daleville saw solid individual efforts from several players.
Jayden McGhee led the Warriors, scoring 26 points. Junior Smith added 9 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists, and Jaylen Griffen added 10 points for Dale County.
MJ Flowers led the Warhawks with nine points and added three rebounds. Travis Sylvain contributed four points, three rebounds, and two steals, providing energy on both ends of the floor.
Daleville will look to build on the momentum from its JV success while continuing to develop at the varsity level as the season progresses. The Warhawks will travel to take on Geneva on January 15. Meanwhile, the Warriors travel to face Ashford on January 16, wth the JV game starting at 4:30 p.m. Then, the next day, Dale County will travel to take on Providence Christian with the JV game beginning at 3:30, followed by the girls’ varsity. Finally, the varsity boys will close the night out.
