Posted: December 12, 2012
By KEVIN TRUDGEON

WINCHESTER — Before the season started, the James Wood boys’ basketball team sat down and made a list of goals.

Some were game-by-game focused, others were more of the season-ending variety.

But there was one goal that the Colonels have been chasing ever since they adopted the fast-paced, 3-point-chucking style known as “The System” last year.

Thanks to a blistering first half in which they knocked down nine 3-pointers and totaled 61 points in just 16 minutes of action, they can now check it off the list.

A pair of free throws from senior Cam Butler with 30 seconds remaining put the finishing touches on a 100-72 win over Fauquier Tuesday evening, marking the first time James Wood had hit the century mark running its new system.

“Our goal this season is actually to hit 100 at least five times, but it feels really good to finally get it [for the first time] after having talked about it for such a long time,” said Butler, who finished with a team-high 25 points, including five of the Colonels’ 14 3-pointers in the game.

“It’s good for us confidence wise and it’s good for our fans because it’s fun for them to see. But I think it also shows people that this system can work and if we play it the right way it’s going to work and we can get wins out of it.” It would be hard to argue with Butler’s logic following a game in which James Wood (3-1) forced 17 turnovers, limited the Falcons to 26-percent shooting and had nearly as many made field goals (25) as Fauquier had field goals attempted (27) — in the first half alone.

“We had a very good first half, the best we’ve played to date,” said James Wood coach Al Smith. “It was really a culmination of everything we do. It just all came together, all the things we do in practice and the things we work on every day, it just all clicked tonight.”

The Colonels, who never trailed in the game, used a 23-5 run midway through the first quarter to open a 19-point lead and the points never stopped coming.

Butler, sophomore McCall Toler and junior Peyton Crickman (19 points, four 3-pointers) all connected from downtown in a 90-second span and by the time senior Chris Davet converted a layup inside, James Wood had 35 points through just one quarter of play.

The second quarter was no better for Fauquier (2-3) as the Colonel fullcourt press repeatedly forced the Falcons into bad passes and rushed shots, which were quickly turned into scoring opportunities at the other end.

“They sped us up a little bit,” said Fauquier coach Wayne Brizzi. “We don’t mind running, but they sped us up to a point we’re not used to. They’re used to playing at that speed and that makes a big difference.”

The Falcons managed to fight back in the third quarter behind the play of senior Caleb Lantz, who scored 19 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, but it was James Wood’s night to shine.

A pair of free throws from Butler and a layup off a steal by junior Ryland Williams (16 points) made it 76-48 heading into the fourth quarter and 3-pointers from senior Michael Carter, Butler, Crickman and Butler again brought the Colonels within reach of 100.

After a 3-point play by Williams and a free throw from senior Taylor Edwards made it 98-70, Butler was fouled on a rebound and headed to the line with just 30 seconds remaining in the game.

“I was really nervous,” Butler said. “I was thinking it was probably our last chance [to hit 100] and I could hear the crowd getting a little wild and I could hear our bench talking so I knew I had to knock them down.”

For the game James Wood shot 38 percent from the field (36 of 95) and 28 percent from behind the arc (14 of 50).

Eleven different Colonels scored in the game and senior Brett Lewin finished with eight points and 12 rebounds.

Fauquier forward Carlton Hellandsjo had 10 points and seven rebounds and guard Dillon Tapscott totaled 11 points in the loss.

Smith pointed to tonight’s matchup with Washington (W.Va.) — a team that’s already beaten Northwestern District rivals Sherando and Handley this season — as a good barometer for how his team stacks up this year, and he hopes Tuesday night’s showing is a sign of things to come.

“I think that not only does it give [the team] a good bit of confidence in what we’re trying to do, but also it just sort of validates it,” Smith said. “I’m not saying this works for everybody, but it does work for us and hopefully we can play this well going forward.”

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